Best cartridge for shooting in wind.

[762willdo]

16” naval artillery something off the Iowa class

 

[J.D.Erwin]

I'm just interested in your thoughts on what might be the best cartridge, bullet weight, and velocity for dealing with wind. This would be for hunting deer and elk so I would like to stay with .264 - .338 caliber. I think about stuff like this a lot and always enjoy reading your insights so thank you in advance.

Jgraf
the 7mm PRC would do what your looking for in a round suited for both and trigger time is the key IMO. good luck
Jerry

 

[xswanted]

Best cartridge in the wind?

The one you can get the most consistent hits with from day to day in different weather conditions.

 

[SBS]

I currently have a single shot Remington 40x that I had a guy rebarrel to a 6.5x284 (26" Rem. Varmint contour Bartlien stainless steel 1/8 twist) and bed in a McMillan game scout stock. Shooting 140 gr. Amax bullets I can't get more than 2800 fps with R-17 before pressure signs show up. Could this be a chambering or headspace issue? I can't remember the powder charge but I'm using lapua brass and I've tried CCI br primers and Rem. Mag primers (which I stuck with because I'm getting good accuracy). Or could this just be how my barrel is?

Try H4831SC, very popular powder for the 6.5-284 and runs a 140 or 142 to your desired velocity easily and accurately. Have used it in at least 4 different barrels. Would also check your chronograph against one known to be accurate, just to be sure.

 

[Jr solocam]

R26 or N560 will get you 2950+. I get 2960 with MRP and 140 vld. 4350 and 4831 max out about 75 fps slower for me.

 

[SBS]

+1 on RL 26, just has been nearly impossible to find ever since it appeared on the market. I use what little I can find in my 6.5-06 AI. RL 22 works quite well also, never tried RL 25.

 

[wk4036]

I'm just interested in your thoughts on what might be the best cartridge, bullet weight, and velocity for dealing with wind. This would be for hunting deer and elk so I would like to stay with .264 - .338 caliber. I think about stuff like this a lot and always enjoy reading your insights so thank you in advance.

Just get a .300mag and learn how to shoot it, ammo can be had just about anywhere if need be.

 

[R.Morehouse]

If you are not planning on doing a lot of walking/packing Alex Wheeler has a very nice 338 Lapua Improved with formed brass over in the classifieds here www.longrangeonly.com . That will get you out there and with the 300 Berger VLD Hunting, do a great job anchoring game like the mentioned Elk.

Regards
Rick

 

[Orr89rocz]

28 nosler, 28” barrel 195 berger eol. 3100+ fps gets it done

 

[jelenko]

Since posting the question in 2016, the OP hasn't been on the site since 2022.

 

[HardwoodPro]

Try a fast twist .284 with a 180 Berger or a 6.5x284 with a 156 Berger and search no more

 

[ISS]

6.5x68 Shuler

ISS

 

[mauser284]

No cartridge is a cheat for the ability to consistently read the wind! You can read a ballistics table just like the rest of us.

 

[Bill Norris]

The 140 gr. class in 260AI is a good wind beater. 3000 FPS is very likely with a 26 inch barrel 1 - 8 Tw.

 

[ISS]

Bill,

pull up the 6.5x68 Shuler and look at the velocities attained. Velocity is not a substitute for a high BC, but combine the two. My Shuler will shoot the 109gr bullets over 3500fps. That bullet, in a 6 Dasher, is winning an awful lot of 1000 yard matches worldwide in competition. It's also made me a better shooter out past 600 yards.

ISS

 

[C.E.Smith043]

I'm just interested in your thoughts on what might be the best cartridge, bullet weight, and velocity for dealing with wind. This would be for hunting deer and elk so I would like to stay with .264 - .338 caliber. I think about stuff like this a lot and always enjoy reading your insights so thank you in advance.

338 Lapua Magnum

 

[Tangent]

Bill,

pull up the 6.5x68 Shuler and look at the velocities attained. Velocity is not a substitute for a high BC, but combine the two. My Shuler will shoot the 109gr bullets over 3500fps. That bullet, in a 6 Dasher, is winning an awful lot of 1000 yard matches worldwide in competition. It's also made me a better shooter out past 600 yards.

ISS

Berger hybrid?

 

[ISS]

nearly 35 years ago I wrote for Precision Shooting Magazine. I was just a Rockchuck shooter from Idaho. I wanted to shoot them farther and farther away. One of my friends on the PD's son was Army in Germany. He sent his Father a rifle from there, a Weatherby in the 6,5x68 Shuler. I took an empty case, and sketched an improved version necked down to 25 caliber. Keith Francis made me a set of chambering reamers. I talked a bullet die reamer maker (for Sierra, and others) Jerry Simonson; into doing a VLD 110gr spitzer for me. Jef Fowler and I were friends thru the magazine, and he agreed to make the bullets.
I called it the 257 Banshee. I could run that bullet over 3600fps, and shoot groups under an inch at 300yds. Premier Reticle in West Virginia boosted a Leupold 6-18X to 18-42X and put a set of dots in the crosshairs. I killed my first Rockchuck past 700 yards that early summer, using the first version of the Leica Geovids. +/-18 inches accurate measurements out to 1100yards. By late season, I had made four first shot hit and kills past 1000yards. 1017 best. It is a marvelous case, no belt.

ISS

 

[SKWERLZ]

338 Lapua Magnum

My 338 shooting 285grain solids at 3K is pretty good at minimizing needed wind holds.

 

[Bill K]

This will start a firestorm, but a ethical hunter does not shoot at Deer/Elk over 400= 500 yrds. Beyond that a shooter becomes a sniper and hopes for the best hit for a killing shot on a animal.
As for your question, any good medium to large caliber cartridge that you shoot well and accurately well with will do the job with a good bullet in the proper killing place.
As for wind, your practice and knowledge and use of either hold/dial for a wind adjustment will come with knowledge and practice in wind shooting. Just don't overthink or get caught up in thinking you have to be a long range shooter on game.