Hello guys first post here on the forum. Recently I have decided to build my own custom rifle. The rifle is going to be based on a Defiance Action, Jewell Trigger, And Krieger Barrel, And Mcree Stock. I want this rifle to be my first long range rifle. I am in the process of building a 800 yard range on my other property. I am just having a very difficult time trying to decide what cartridge to go with. The gun is going to be heavy so this will just be a target rifle. Please help me make up my mind. I will be reloading so that will not be an issue. I am not limited by long or short actions. Thanks for reading ! Please give me some input !
LONG RANGE CARTRIDGE SELECTION.. PLEASE HELP !!!
- Thread starter 408s10
- Start date
Wanting to compete? If so what discipline. If you just want to shoot in your back yard range, 308 is a great place to start. Easy to load for, accurate adequate ballistics. If you want better ballistics the 260 and 6.5 creed are great and keep it in a short action, both essentially do the same job, I like the design of the creedmoor better. You can load long bullets to the lands and still keep the oal short enough to fit in a mag. 284 win would be my choice for the best all around caliber. Great long range performance and amazingly accurate.
Thanks for the response. From what I have read the Creedmoor seems like the most logical out of the bunch. It doesn't suck powder like the magnums do and the ballistics are good due to the high BC bullets. Long range shooting is something new to me, but in the future I would love to compete in some kind of match.
If I was considering hunting of any type I would stay with a 7mm. The 7SAUM is a real accurate cartridge. It is doing real well at long range. If I wanted to just learn to target shoot at that range it would be a 6 BR or a Dasher. I would probably learn with a BR because they are easy to load, cheap to load and barrels last a good long time. Then if I wanted to step up to competition I would step up to a Dasher. Matt
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
dkhunt14 said:
408s10,
First off welcome to the blog. There is tons of info to be learned and good luck on your first build. Matt has offered some great advice, especially if you are just starting out. "Learning the ropes" with building a rifle and especially target shooting doesn't happen overnight. Something that jumps out at me from your post is that many of the calibers suggested have one apparent shortfall which is replacing barrels more frequently. But Matt's suggestion of starting out with a 6br or a Dasher is the way I'd recommend because those two are very reliable long distance rifles and will last a good long time (in terms of barrels). Don't know you reloading experience, but that also takes a good deal of time and effort to get there in terms of consistency and accuracy, worthy of competition. But good luck and have fun whichever way you decide to go.
Alex
The selection of a caliber depends on what type of discipline you are going to be competing in. If you plan on competing in some type of "tactical / steel plate" competition, I would opt for a 6.5 x 47 Lapua. It is NEARLY the same as the Creedmoor BUT with small primer pockets>>>> brass longevity. If the fancy is Benchrest, I would seriously look at a 6mm Dasher. Fireforming is NOT like just making an Ackley, however, neither is it difficult. It is SUPER accurate and you are firing a comparatively FEW SHOTS as opposed to F-Open.. If you want to go "F-Open" then the field is open a bit wider BUT if you want to do well, you will need one of 3 cartridges: 1.).284 Shehane; 2.) 7mm Walker (same as Shehane but with a 40 degree shoulder); and lastly a 3.) Straight .284>> in that order.. With either one of these, you will do VERY well in F-Open, no questions asked!.. ANY, and I mean ANY of the aforementioned cartridges are superbly accurate and you will enjoy shooting any of them.. They are easy to load for and tune and you will be sitting in very good company..
looks like you are picking great components. I have 2 of scott mcree's stocks and he makes a great product and is a great American!! don't rule out the 6BR! would be a great choice for your 800 yard range, plus it would be easier on the shoulder and wallet. super easy to load for. good luck with your project.
260 Rem, 7mm-08, and 308 Win are all great choices. Brass is more available for .308, but generally not a limiting problem. If competition is ever a thought, .308 Win is the one choice for F/TR. F/O is available for any of these, even for 308 Win, if you want to shoot a real heavy rifle, or off a benchrest front rest. I wouldn't expect to be real competitive in F/O for awhile, but the target is the same; you could shoot in that category, and just make yourself happy competing with yourself. Good glass, like NightForce 55 power, and good homebrew loads, and you can compete well in F/TR with reasonable effort, experience, and expense. Get a large bucket of Berger 185-190's, and whang away. I took my son-in-law to shoot his hunting rifle at 500, 750, and 1,000 yards (24" barrel .30-'06) and he hit all of them until 1,000 yards, and got that 2-for-5, in a gusty crosswind. He said it was more fun that any hunting he ever did!
Jim
Jim
I would never build a 300 Win for 800 or 1000 yard shooting. If I wanted it to be a 30 it would be a 300WSM. Way easier to get shooting, brass lasts a lot longer, more accurate and the barrel will last a lot longer. Recoil goes up considerably with the 30 cal shooting the heavy bullets. If it was just for banging steel and target shooting I would stay from 7mm down and refer to my first post. Matt
stool
i have a 300 win mag used for 1000yd br..and i agree..today the one to build is a 300 WSM.....
forget all those little rounds if you are going long....
yes a 6 dasher will do 1000 yds and well......
be a real man shoot a real round...300 WSM...
OK all kidding aside you really need to decide if you want fast and light, or big and slow........
forget all those little rounds if you are going long....
yes a 6 dasher will do 1000 yds and well......
be a real man shoot a real round...300 WSM...
OK all kidding aside you really need to decide if you want fast and light, or big and slow........
dkhunt14 said:
Go with the good ol trusty .308 Winchester. Lots of pros and no cons IMO. Its like the 6BR of 30 cals. For the "majority" a quality built rifle with properly made handloads to the rifles specs and a decent shooter the .308 Winchester has, is and can.....
- very long barrel life
- very accurate
- easy to tune/find a good load and not picky with powders and bullets
- some of the cheapest centerfire rifle brass
- shoot Lapua small rifle primer brass if you want.
- short action so you can switch to a detachable magazine if wanted
- a DO IT ALL cartridge
Its just a flat out awesome cartridge to shoot. Its not the best at long range by a long shot. Great cartridge to learn reading wind at long range!
- very long barrel life
- very accurate
- easy to tune/find a good load and not picky with powders and bullets
- some of the cheapest centerfire rifle brass
- shoot Lapua small rifle primer brass if you want.
- short action so you can switch to a detachable magazine if wanted
- a DO IT ALL cartridge
Its just a flat out awesome cartridge to shoot. Its not the best at long range by a long shot. Great cartridge to learn reading wind at long range!
Sounds like you have a tactical type setup and therefore I'd recommend 6.5 CM if you want to have decent barrel life, 260 Rem if you want to be cut out a little more wind than most, BUT if you want to be able to put some elk down with this rig shoot a 284 Winchester, probably my favorite cartridge.
Well you sure have been given a lot of choice's, you ought to be able to find something in that bunch.
A few things to consider. I would not consider the 6.5 Creedmoor to much as you will be stuck with Hornady Brass or forming your own from another case like the 22-250. You could look at the 6.5X47L it will do everything the 6.5 creedmoor does and use a little less powder. It also will keep you in the .308 family so you can get extra barrels in many calibers like all of the 6BR and its wildcats as well as the .308 itself and the 30-06. Sense you are going with a Defiance action have them Pin the recoil lug when they build the action I believe they charge $10.00 to do that when they are building it. This way you can have multi barrels in different calibers for just the cost of the barrel and chambering, a barrel vise and a rear entry action wrench. Changing barrels takes about two minutes. you also get the "Huge" advantage of Lapua Brass.
RS
A few things to consider. I would not consider the 6.5 Creedmoor to much as you will be stuck with Hornady Brass or forming your own from another case like the 22-250. You could look at the 6.5X47L it will do everything the 6.5 creedmoor does and use a little less powder. It also will keep you in the .308 family so you can get extra barrels in many calibers like all of the 6BR and its wildcats as well as the .308 itself and the 30-06. Sense you are going with a Defiance action have them Pin the recoil lug when they build the action I believe they charge $10.00 to do that when they are building it. This way you can have multi barrels in different calibers for just the cost of the barrel and chambering, a barrel vise and a rear entry action wrench. Changing barrels takes about two minutes. you also get the "Huge" advantage of Lapua Brass.
RS
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