Shooting a Mile

[Handi204]

My youngest son wants to shoot a mile, and he is asking me about what caliber to use. I'm not versed on this. He has a 6.5 Creedmoor and I've read that some people use it. He mentioned the 6.5-06AI. If you could give me some advice or point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Handi204

 

[dmoran]

I suggest to worry more on which scope/mount and bullet then the caliber.
His 6.5 Creedmoor is more then enough with high BC bullets such as VLD, ELD, Hybrids, etc..
Getting enough elevation from the scope and/or mounts will have to be addressed. An adjustable base and/or scope with lots of elevation adjustment will be needed. The ability to have at least 100-MOA of adjustment UP from a 100yd zero from the scope/mount will get you to 1-mile from his 6.5 with a high BC bullet.
Donovan

 

[Depart123]

If you fire enough rounds, then you can hit at a mile with lots of things. To even approach being repeatable at a mile though, you need a sufficiently stabilized bullet that has a G1 BC of .650 or better at 3000 fps. I say sufficiently stabilized because bullets tend to fall apart at the longer ranges even though they are still supersonic.

The higher BC the bullet, the more speed you can trade. But you will still need 2850 fps+ even from something like a 338LM with a .800 BC bullet. So to answer you more directly, accuracy being a given, the cartridge is irrelevent. It is speed, BC and twist rate that matter.

 

[dmoran]

@Meangreen -
While more BC and speed will help, I find your starting suggestions some what over-kill for 1-mile shooting. Have shot some pretty respectable groups at 1-mile (and further), with far less bullet then your suggesting it takes.
Donovan

 

[sawcarver]

I agree with Donovan. You're scope/mounts is the first concern. I prefer having a scope somewhere in 32-40x top end however due to mirage you may end up dialed down on power. I use an ERA-TEC mount that is adjustable 70MOA then you can have a 100 yard zero and still get way out there. My rig for a mile is a 7-300 Win specialty pistol.

 

[Depart123]

@Meangreen -
While more BC and speed will help, I find your starting suggestions some what over-kill for 1-mile shooting, as the OP is asking for. Have shot some pretty respectable groups at 1-mile (and further), with far less BC then your suggesting it takes.
Donovan

With a .600 BC bullet @ 2900 fps @ 2000ft elev. the bullet is going trans sonic at 1550 yds and subsonic just as you reach the target at 1760 yds (1 mile). I don't know what you are shooting, or out of what gun, or what groups you deem respectable. But your results are not typical.

 

[dmoran]

With a .600 BC bullet @ 2900 fps @ 2000ft elev. the bullet is going trans sonic at 1550 yds and subsonic just as you reach the target at 1760 yds (1 mile). I don't know what you are shooting, or out of what gun, or what groups you deem respectable. But your results are not typical.

From my experience, your reading to much into ballistics. Most LR bullets fly just fine through transonic into subsonic. It's just that once in subsonic, they'll run out of yardage. I've shot sub 1-MOA groups with symmetrical bullet holes in the targets with bullets that were subsonic at 1300 yards.

The OP is looking into what it would take for his son to shoot 1-mile. He has a 6.5 Creedmoor already, which is more then capable with like a 140-SMK/VLD/Hybrid at normal velocities. Getting enough elevation for there scope/mount, is the concern to address - IME.
Donovan

 

[Milo 2.0]

Just say you get all the above mentioned under wraps, I would suggest stepping targets to get there and not just setting a target and burning 100 rds.
Target placement a big key too, I'm assuming steel, get it half way up a hill with sparse vegetation, no reason to set a target where bullets will fly into the abyss.
I was going to stay out of this part, but not all bullets created equal when it comes to transitions, and a faster twist rate can really boost a bullets performance as it's running out of gas.
You set your target on a hill, in 5 shots it will be noticeable if your bullet is flying right, if it's not, you'll be shooting a 30 yard group out there, < and if the case, do not chase your misses.

 

[284winner]

The 6.5 caliber will make the journey but to make it easier on your hair follicles, start with at least a 7mm caliber bullet in the heavier variety (162+). I think you'll find it easier to do with the heaviest high bc bullets in .284, 30 & 338.

 

[dsculley]

Students in the BangSteel (Dan Newberry) advanced class routinely successfully engage the 1 mile target using rifles chambered in 6.5 CM or 6.5x47Lapua and up. As was mentioned, the main thing is having enough elevation in your scope. A fixed power scope, such as the SWFA 12 power, usually has much more elevation available than a variable power scope. Many times, aiming for the 1 mile plate includes all available elevation combined with a retical hold over.

 

[6MMsteve]

shooting paper or hitting your steel tells the story, bistics and Iphones don't help me none, just plain old shooting is where it's at

 

[TimS]

Google The Waserburger mile. Kenny is shooting a mile with a .45-2 7/8 Sharpe's

 

[Milo 2.0]

Google The Waserburger mile. Kenny is shooting a mile with a .45-2 7/8 Sharpe's

Yes, amazing, but different than the topic, Kenny started out subsonic, bullets can and do go whacky stuff at times slowing down.
Take 22LR, if you want to shoot one to 500 yards, way better off starting with subsonic target ammo than uber fast offerings.

 

[CharlieNC]

Students in the BangSteel (Dan Newberry) advanced class routinely successfully engage the 1 mile target using rifles chambered in 6.5 CM or 6.5x47Lapua and up. As was mentioned, the main thing is having enough elevation in your scope. A fixed power scope, such as the SWFA 12 power, usually has much more elevation available than a variable power scope. Many times, aiming for the 1 mile plate includes all available elevation combined with a retical hold over.

At Dans it only took me a few shots to hit using 140ELD in my 6.5x47, which is a little slower than the Creed. Like Donovan said the main challenge was still Kentucky windage holdover after maxing out the turret and reticle. Maybe not a competitive round but certainly doable.

 

[dmoran]

@CharlieNC -
A few times from 2005 to 2010, I shot my 6Dasher's to 1-mile. In those times I tried/used the fallowing bullets: 105-VLD, 105-AMax, 107-SMK, and 115-DTAC's, all of which made it successfully. Remember being some what surprised that the lower BC bullet of the bunch, the 105-AMax, printed symmetrical holes and able to group around 1-MOA from 5 shots. The 115-DTAC's did the best, and all were subsonic the last 3 to 400 yards. Also in the spring of 2015 I shot newer Berger 105-VLD's to 2000-yards that made the trip with sub-MOA accuracy.
Always want to do more of it, but just never make the time ....
Donovan

 

[TimS]

Yes, amazing, but different than the topic, Kenny started out subsonic, bullets can and do go whacky stuff at times slowing down.
Take 22LR, if you want to shoot one to 500 yards, way better off starting with subsonic target ammo than uber fast offerings.

He starts about 1425 fps with a 540 grain pp bullet if I remember correctly.

 

[seymour fish]

My youngest son wants to shoot a mile, and he is asking me about what caliber to use. I'm not versed on this. He has a 6.5 Creedmoor and I've read that some people use it. He mentioned the 6.5-06AI. If you could give me some advice or point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Handi204

Handi, Mach 1.2 at the target and reverse-engineer.

 

[spaniel]

Depends on what your expectations are at a mile. I'm sure in extremely calm conditions one can do OK with some of the faster sub-7mm rounds. The last match I shot that went that far, just past a mile was where even the 300WMs and some of the 338s had trouble shooting well with a 1000yd F-class target as the goal. Only a small minority shot well enough at 1800 yards to go to 2000. But we had more what I would call average conditions with some light wind.

On that day, it is unlikely a 6.5 Creedmoor could have accomplished anything, given what was happening with quality shooters on the line and guns better able to buck the wind.

 

[Depart123]

I have no doubt that every single one of you have hit targets at 1 mile with whatever your favorite caliber is (of course, who hasn't). And now, we must believe that the 6Dasher is a 2000 yard cartridge because @dmoran said so, and that it will also do it in sub-minute fashion. I would love to know where these 1 mile wind free zones are, or better yet, where can I buy one of these magic 6.5's that seem to be impervious to wind and gravity.

What puzzles me also, is that if these are so prevalent ( every single person here seems to have one) then why the heck haven't ANY of these ever showed up in ANY of the advanced longrange rifle classes I've been a part of? (The ones where we actually shoot man sized targets out to 1 mile) I mean, I've seen an awful lot of the bigger 7mm's and 30's fall apart on those targets at 1 mile. I guess they should just break down and get a "creed". But then... they would have to get it from the same place you guys get yours, I reckon.

 

[Tempest]

Agree on many of the posts. Killer hand load and low ES are paramount.

I would add, test as much as possible in different conditions (and distances) keep notes so you know the actual dope based on conditions when you shoot. That helped me immensely when I shot a mile and beyond.