Caliber for ELR but still fun at less than 600yds

[Hawk45]

I have plenty of .223/.308's to get me to 1k, but looking for a fun/compromise cartridge for banging steel at a mile (when I have opportunities a few times a year) yet still fun to shoot at less than 600yds. I've run data on a bunch of cartridges using JBM and want to keep to a factory rifle configuration. Here are a few of the options I was thinking about and wanted to get your thoughts. I want to buy something off the shelf to get started and can think about re-barreling down the road once I've shot the factory tube out. Going ELR with this will be just for fun and to work on skill set, not for competition.

BTW, I reload so even though consumables are a more for one than the other, they are not a big factor as I probably won't put more than 500rds down any one of them per year and brass will last me longer than barrels probably.

I know most will say 338LM or 338Edge, but not sure they would be fun to shoot more than a handful of rounds and make them less appealing. With the ones below, a good brake and recoil pad should make rather tame. I've got a few that I'm pretty sure can do the mile easily, and a few that would make it more challenging.

300WM
300WSM
7WSM
7mmRM

Stretch to get accurately to a mile???
6.5-284
30-06
.260
.243

Thanks for your input,
Hawk

 

[seanhagerty]

I am watching this with interest in reference to the .260 Rem

 

[Dgd6mm]

Watch Tubb's video on shooting the 6.5x.284 at 1 mile.

 

[abishai]

Go with a 243. You dont need a monster magnum to go a mile. You do need an 8 twist or faster, but I have completed this shot using 115 DTACs. One added bonus, I can see my shots hit due to the lack of recoil. I have to religh on others eyes for my 338lm.

 

[brian427cobra]

300 Win Mag shooting Hornady 225bthp will fly to 1 mile no problem, come ups are very close to a 338LM shooting 250's, less than 1 moa difference, the cost of shooting a 300 Winnie is considerabley less than 338LM.

 

[people]

Many rounds will shoot a mile accurately. Some just do it much better than others. There is an article on long range hunting where a person built a very budget rifle in 223 Remington to shoot a mile. I have seen a few clips on YouTube where users have shot a mile with 6.5X47’s. On the hide many have shot their standard rifles accurately to a mile. By standard rifle I mean what most would consider less than 500yd deer rifle calibers not magnum anything.

I can say with firsthand experience that shooting a 300WM at 600 and less feels like a total waste. The same goes for my .338LM. Both of them are so over powered to just punch paper at less than 600. I do not even like shooting them at 1,000yds. on paper. With a proper shooting position I can see hits on steel at 600yds pretty easily with both rifles. At longer distances it is easy to spot for yourself with both of these rifles.

I just did some quick math and considering powder costs $25 a lb
260 with 142 gr SMK with powder and primer is only $0.49 a shot
300WM with 220gr SMK with 78gr of powder and primer is only $0.69 a shot
338LM with 300gr SMK with 92gr of powder and primer is only $0.87 a shot
So the 300WM is only 18 pennies less than the 338LM to shoot once you have shot your brass one time. That does not sound substancial to me.

The 338LM is not that much more expensive to shoot once you have shot your brass one time. If you are counting in brass then add a about $2.50 a shot for the first round of shooting but you will have to buy brass for any of the other calibers also.


Please keep us informed on what you end up getting.

 

[Hawk45]

Thanks for all the replies so far. It's always such a pain in the butt to choose what cartridge to go with, which I guess is a good thing that the bullet technology today helps make just about any caliber outstanding. It seems the gaps are getting smaller and smaller between calibers. I've been trying to put the 338LM out of the running, but it does seem to do everything.. even if it is over the top for most application less than 1500yds. I also agree on cost.. I reload so consumable cost after inital brass purchase isn't a big difference... I'm more worried about barrel replacement cost ;D

I did the .260 thing and 300WM thing for a short bit over the years, but ended up selling both to do other projects. I found I was reloading for about 12 calibers between rifles and pistol and it was just too much.. so I cut back to 5 calibers and made life and shooting much more enjoyable again. I figure I could add one more caliber back in but I want that caliber to fill the ELR gap as it is the only one left to fill. Heck, I'm on the 100-200yd ranges most of the time with my .22s.. still the most fun.

 

[dennisinaz]

The 338 LM is no fun to shoot at 600 yds. With what you have said, I would look at either a 7WSM or 7SAUM. The 7WSM is available from Savage custom shop in whatever you want. Brass isn't very good for it but if you make your own, it is a good choice with a 180 VLD for mile shooting. The 7SAUM will soon have Norma made brass available so it is probably even and easier choice.

6.5-284 will work but will hard to keep supersonic at 1760 yds. A 300 WSM will be impossible to keep supersonic that far.


My vote would be for a 7mag of some flavor- maybe even a 7STW.