I wanted to start a CIVIL discussion of a topic that could get out of control. However, I will trust that the shooters here will keep their "feelings" in check.
Most everybody has opinions on what is the best and why. That just means we have been shooting awhile and have developed opinions, hopefully based on solid evidence from shooting. There are a plethora of excellent cartridges out there that can perform at various ranges. What I want to do is break it down to Mid-Range and Long-Range. I am doing this in hopes that a newbie shooter can have his / her questions about cartridges for F-Open sort of all wrapped into a nice little "thread package" rather than constantly asking about this sort of topic all year long. I will start it off by telling what I think, based on my experience.
MID-RANGE (300-600 Yards): I have shot everything from a 6mmBR all the way to a 30-06A.I with varying degrees of success OR lack thereof. I have come down to just a few thoughts. With all the excellent new projectiles out there and the new powders, coupled with Unreal scopes now-a-days and excellent barrels, it almost comes down to "X" count or maybe just ONE (1) point at 500 / 600 yards. ALL rifles, properly tuned and shot by a VERY competent High or High Master shooter, is capable of 600 plus a HIGH "X" count at 600 and under. Therefore, in MY opinion, under the vast majority of shooting conditions, a consistently SUPER ACCURATE rifle is necessary to win in HIGH level competitions at these ranges. This is the place of 6mms and 6.5s! Certainly the 7's can do it. I saw, with my own eyes, Ken Dickerman shoot an unbelievable 1200-77"Xs" (I believe this X count is correct) at the TSRA Mid-Range Championship (600 yards) over a 2 day event! Ken shoots a 7mm. On the other hand I have seen Shawn Broussard and Barry Holcomb only drop 3 points at 600 (2 day / 1200 point event) at Palo Alto in Louisiana, which I believe is THEE TOUGHEST range anywhere! They were shooting 6 Dashers against MANY there with 7s and even 30s!
Over the course of time, say an entire year of shooting, it is MY opinion that the 6s and 6.5s will win over the BIGGER calibers, during the course of a year or so. WHY? Mostly because they can and almost always will, "out X" the 7s. So where is the benefit of a larger cartridge, if in fact I am correct, and "X" count may very well be the deciding factor in most instances?
Long-Range (1000): I have virtually shot the same cartridges at 1000 as I have at Mid-Range. This is where I think HIGH B.C. bullets can and do make a HUGE difference. Here is where the 6.5s, 7s and even the 30s have a distinct advantage over the 6s, even the HIGH performance ones! Having said that, I have come to the conclusion that FOR ME, once I burn out my "straight" .284, I am finished with the BIG cartridges. WHY? I am glad you asked.
I still consider, under MOST circumstances and barrels, that tit-for-tat, over the long-haul, the 6.5s have a greater accuracy edge than the 7s have as a wind defying edge. This is mostly due to the newer 6.5 bullets of GREAT B.C. AND accuracy! The 180 Hybrid is a GREAT wind defying bullet and it's prowess in the accuracy realm is well documented. The same with BOTH the .200-20X and 215 Hybrids in the 30 cal. In my opinion the recoil and torque, over a sustained 25 or so shots, is disconcerting to the point of accuracy degradation and the concurrent loss of points. AND now (jury still out on this one) (too new yet) with the advent of the 6.5-150gr SMK, it almost makes one wonder why do I still want to get pounded all day for 75+ shots with a larger cartridge! For ME, even at 1000, I am changing my tune to at least RE-visit the 6.5s with the newer HIGH B.C. projectiles to see if I can not REALLY be competitive at 1000. I do realize that my "wind-reading" ability, which is less than stellar, could hamper my "experiment" if you will. But one HUGE part of shooting competitively is still having fun! Getting pounded for 2 or more days at a BIG match is NOT my idea of having fun>>win, lose OR draw!
So, I welcome all opinions in the hopes that this topic will induce newbies to make choices based on REAL LIFE shooting experiences. But as I say, opinions can get unruly! Let's NOT allow that unfortunate event to arise!
Most everybody has opinions on what is the best and why. That just means we have been shooting awhile and have developed opinions, hopefully based on solid evidence from shooting. There are a plethora of excellent cartridges out there that can perform at various ranges. What I want to do is break it down to Mid-Range and Long-Range. I am doing this in hopes that a newbie shooter can have his / her questions about cartridges for F-Open sort of all wrapped into a nice little "thread package" rather than constantly asking about this sort of topic all year long. I will start it off by telling what I think, based on my experience.
MID-RANGE (300-600 Yards): I have shot everything from a 6mmBR all the way to a 30-06A.I with varying degrees of success OR lack thereof. I have come down to just a few thoughts. With all the excellent new projectiles out there and the new powders, coupled with Unreal scopes now-a-days and excellent barrels, it almost comes down to "X" count or maybe just ONE (1) point at 500 / 600 yards. ALL rifles, properly tuned and shot by a VERY competent High or High Master shooter, is capable of 600 plus a HIGH "X" count at 600 and under. Therefore, in MY opinion, under the vast majority of shooting conditions, a consistently SUPER ACCURATE rifle is necessary to win in HIGH level competitions at these ranges. This is the place of 6mms and 6.5s! Certainly the 7's can do it. I saw, with my own eyes, Ken Dickerman shoot an unbelievable 1200-77"Xs" (I believe this X count is correct) at the TSRA Mid-Range Championship (600 yards) over a 2 day event! Ken shoots a 7mm. On the other hand I have seen Shawn Broussard and Barry Holcomb only drop 3 points at 600 (2 day / 1200 point event) at Palo Alto in Louisiana, which I believe is THEE TOUGHEST range anywhere! They were shooting 6 Dashers against MANY there with 7s and even 30s!
Over the course of time, say an entire year of shooting, it is MY opinion that the 6s and 6.5s will win over the BIGGER calibers, during the course of a year or so. WHY? Mostly because they can and almost always will, "out X" the 7s. So where is the benefit of a larger cartridge, if in fact I am correct, and "X" count may very well be the deciding factor in most instances?
Long-Range (1000): I have virtually shot the same cartridges at 1000 as I have at Mid-Range. This is where I think HIGH B.C. bullets can and do make a HUGE difference. Here is where the 6.5s, 7s and even the 30s have a distinct advantage over the 6s, even the HIGH performance ones! Having said that, I have come to the conclusion that FOR ME, once I burn out my "straight" .284, I am finished with the BIG cartridges. WHY? I am glad you asked.
I still consider, under MOST circumstances and barrels, that tit-for-tat, over the long-haul, the 6.5s have a greater accuracy edge than the 7s have as a wind defying edge. This is mostly due to the newer 6.5 bullets of GREAT B.C. AND accuracy! The 180 Hybrid is a GREAT wind defying bullet and it's prowess in the accuracy realm is well documented. The same with BOTH the .200-20X and 215 Hybrids in the 30 cal. In my opinion the recoil and torque, over a sustained 25 or so shots, is disconcerting to the point of accuracy degradation and the concurrent loss of points. AND now (jury still out on this one) (too new yet) with the advent of the 6.5-150gr SMK, it almost makes one wonder why do I still want to get pounded all day for 75+ shots with a larger cartridge! For ME, even at 1000, I am changing my tune to at least RE-visit the 6.5s with the newer HIGH B.C. projectiles to see if I can not REALLY be competitive at 1000. I do realize that my "wind-reading" ability, which is less than stellar, could hamper my "experiment" if you will. But one HUGE part of shooting competitively is still having fun! Getting pounded for 2 or more days at a BIG match is NOT my idea of having fun>>win, lose OR draw!
So, I welcome all opinions in the hopes that this topic will induce newbies to make choices based on REAL LIFE shooting experiences. But as I say, opinions can get unruly! Let's NOT allow that unfortunate event to arise!
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