pat fulghum
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
When looking to build a new project. I, like many people, are torn on what caliber to choose.
I like to shoot F-Open and shoot steel (prone) in the forest. I really like the 600-1000 yard range.
I wanted to share some data I gathered by plugging ballistics calculations into a simple table. I did the comparison using Berger Hybrid bullets using typical velocities.
Yes you can load hotter or milder, but I wanted to show what average Joe loads for a typical cartridge for that size/velocity. I assume that Joe can read the wind +- 3mph, so I am reporting the drift as 3MPH to show the relative drift (or error) based on size/velocity.
Some cartridges are a bit more accurate than others, but at longer range doping the wind is much more important.
Barrel life needs to be taken into account.... but smaller bullets laser beam fast through a small hole will eat barrels faster than big bullets going through big holes. A 6.5x284 and .243 might have half the life of something a little milder.
For midrange, there isn't a big difference between the typical cartridges and the highly accurate 6br/6Dasher typically win on calm days.
So for windy days, the 284 has an edge, and that is why it rules at 1000 yard F-Class, BUT the 6.5CM and 6CM are not that much different for wind.
For elevation the 6CM/6XC/6SLR is the clear winner, especially at shorter range, because of raw speed.
Recoil is a consideration for me and I don't know if I would enjoy a 284 (or bigger) for 70 rounds a day.
So you need to figure out what kind of shooting you want to do, the recoil you want to absorb, barrel life, cost of loads, etc... So many variables to optimize.
Granted F Class is highly competitive and you want every edge you can get, but you need to have fun shooting too.
Just sharing my own data, you need to look at the different variable and optimize them for the way you want to shoot. I'm thinking a 6CM or 6-6.5x47 is right for me to be competitive at mid-range and I will go shoot 1000 yard for fun.
-- pat (aka average joe)
I like to shoot F-Open and shoot steel (prone) in the forest. I really like the 600-1000 yard range.
I wanted to share some data I gathered by plugging ballistics calculations into a simple table. I did the comparison using Berger Hybrid bullets using typical velocities.
Yes you can load hotter or milder, but I wanted to show what average Joe loads for a typical cartridge for that size/velocity. I assume that Joe can read the wind +- 3mph, so I am reporting the drift as 3MPH to show the relative drift (or error) based on size/velocity.
Some cartridges are a bit more accurate than others, but at longer range doping the wind is much more important.
Barrel life needs to be taken into account.... but smaller bullets laser beam fast through a small hole will eat barrels faster than big bullets going through big holes. A 6.5x284 and .243 might have half the life of something a little milder.
For midrange, there isn't a big difference between the typical cartridges and the highly accurate 6br/6Dasher typically win on calm days.
So for windy days, the 284 has an edge, and that is why it rules at 1000 yard F-Class, BUT the 6.5CM and 6CM are not that much different for wind.
For elevation the 6CM/6XC/6SLR is the clear winner, especially at shorter range, because of raw speed.
Recoil is a consideration for me and I don't know if I would enjoy a 284 (or bigger) for 70 rounds a day.
So you need to figure out what kind of shooting you want to do, the recoil you want to absorb, barrel life, cost of loads, etc... So many variables to optimize.
Granted F Class is highly competitive and you want every edge you can get, but you need to have fun shooting too.
Just sharing my own data, you need to look at the different variable and optimize them for the way you want to shoot. I'm thinking a 6CM or 6-6.5x47 is right for me to be competitive at mid-range and I will go shoot 1000 yard for fun.
-- pat (aka average joe)
