what caliber is best for 1000 yd heavy class

[jelen1]

im wantin to get into bechrest and ive decided to do 600-1000 yd heavy gun ... but i havent decided about a caliber ive heard good things about the 6.5-284 but they have very short barrel lifewh and ive heard you cant go rong with a 308 but i still am not sure .. what is youre opinnion of a good 1000 yd caliber

 

[aJR]

Hi Jelen, You can't go wrong with a 30 cal if you look at the results sheets from the different ranges ..A cartridge that holds between 90 to 100 gns of H2O seems to be the most winning ,depending upon which range you go to the slightly smaller 300wsm is rockin when they hand out the trophy's as well .. Go with the one a successfull 1K Smith recomends ,it's easier because he will give you the Whole story..JR..Jeff Rogers

im wantin to get into bechrest and ive decided to do 600-1000 yd heavy gun ... but i havent decided about a caliber ive heard good things about the 6.5-284 but they have very short barrel lifewh and ive heard you cant go rong with a 308 but i still am not sure .. what is youre opinnion of a good 1000 yd caliber

 

[cmillard]

cant go wrong with a straight .284 win. high bc bullets make it good for long range work

 

[aJR]

Hi Jelen , In the arena of 1000yd Heavy Gun Benchrest the World Small Group 3.048ins and the World High Score 100.8 are both held with a case based on a 300Wea (cap approx 100gns of H2O).. I have used a 284 W imp in Heavy gun and it will do fine ,but in my opinion it will not be able to get to the equals of the above figures regardless of who is behind the trigger..JR..Jeff Rogers

 

[Moderator]

The "three Bs" (bullets, brass, and barrel) may, ultimately, be more important than the caliber you choose. We've seen everything from a 6BR (J. Baney) to a 30-338 (Tom Sarver) win big matches. Certainly the big 30s, collectively, have an impressive record, but there is also a trend to smaller calibers that can be machine-gunned very fast. But you can have the winningest caliber around and not do well if your bullets, brass, and barrel are not the very best.

 

[Rust]

I'd recommend that you pick a chambering that will push a bullet of at least a .6 BC to a minimum velocity of 2950 fps, or the next faster accuracy node of around 3100-3150 fps. BC rules 1,000 yard shooting, a high BC bullet sheds velocity more slowly, which allows for a shorter time of flight to the target, which gives the wind less time to act on the bullet.

If I were to start over again I might entertain the thought of a .30 short magnum, especially since Norma has started producing .300 RSAUM brass.

Not having a lot of spare time to work on things, I viewed my build as a system and chose accordingly. At the time, 6.5 X 284 Lapua or Norma brass allowed a .297" no turn neck chamber and 2950 fps with a high BC bullet with recoil levels suitable for a light rifle without a brake. The learning curve wasn't too bad but limited time stretched out the developement. Now I have a load, a rifle that shoots better in the wind than it should, decent dope, my own spec reamer so rebarreling is as consistant as possible, and a few wins at the local matches I can make.

Since the system is well developed, and since it is successful, it remains my primary rifle. There are one or two other projects in progress, but none as successful (yet). Which tends to prove one point, there are no magic powders or bullets or chamberings. Pick something which has a good chance of working and stick with it. Once you have enough experience, you can make up your own mind about what's next or if there should be a next.

The three Bs were mentioned. Pick a barrel. Get your bullets and brass, load a couple of dummy rounds and determine the neck diameter and COL you want to spec the reamer to. The other part of the reamer equation for me is that it is dimensioned to work with a Redding neck bushing FL sizing die. Keeps loading simple, the no turn neck keeps brass prep minimal. The concept works with any chambering.

And find a good smith. All the best compnents in the world are wasted if the rifle isn't built right in the first place.

 

[Nodak7mm]

Yep go with the "B's". 308 BAER by Bruce Baer. ;D

Nodak

 

[alf]

From what I see, there's four real competitive standouts....

The 300 Ackley, 300 WSM, 6.5-284, and the 6 Dasher.

There are others that have their moments, but day in and day out, these four have been taking most of the fake wood.

 

[OKIE2]

what bullets are they winning with in the 300's?

 

[JERRYHM]

Lynn,
Can you remember if the big 30 cal has ever beaten the Dasher at Sacramento? I do remember one relay where none of the big guns has 10 shots on paper.

 

[aJR]

Hi Jelen , As said it depends on the range but i will say that at Williamsport this year it was fairly conclusive as what Cal is working there..
Top 10 in 6 match for Group
1/ 300wsm
2/ 300Wea
3/ 300wsm
4/300wsm
5/ 308Baer
6/300wsm
7/ 6mm Dasher
8/ 308 Baer
9/ 6x47L
10/ 300Wea

Top 10 in 6Match Score
1/ 300wsm
2/308 Baer
3/308 Baer
4/ 300 Wea
5/ 300 Dakota
6/ 300wsm
7/ 308 Baer
8/ 300 Wea Imp
9/ 6 Dasher
10/ 300 wsm ..
JR..Jeff Rogers..ps looks pretty clear it's a 30 cal if you want to be near the top..