Your Favorite 600/1000 Yard Caliber, Low Recoil, Long Barrel Life

[Joe R]

I'm in the process of selling a few things to fund a F Open custom build. I'm somewhat recoil sensitive so it's quite tricky picking a caliber. You can get caught up in better and better ballistics and next thing you know you're looking at hot 6.5's or 7mm calibers. If I've learned one thing about rifle calibers over the last couple years its that every caliber is a compromise of sorts between ballistics, recoil, barrel life, reloading costs and availability. Essentially I know there is no perfect caliber.

For now let's assume that this will be a single shot bolt rifle only. Would you go with a 6BR/Dasher or jump up to a 6.5 caliber like the 260 Remington or 6.5x47? With this being a 20+ pound rifle I can't imagine any of those being recoil intensive. I don't really plan on shooting tons of 1000 yard but you never know when the bug will hit me and if it does I want to be able to shoot it.

Soooo, which is your favorite with the above criteria.

I totally agree with ShootDots and savagedasher. They nailed it.

About a month ago I got a new 260AI and it has been a phenomenonal gun and caliber. Here's the link where I documented my experience. There's the facts and you can reach your own conclusion http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/my-new-260-ai-build.3909184/
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/my-new-260-ai-build.3909184/
Kindest regards,

Joe

 

[4xforfun]

One case that was better
The was the 6.5 WSSM . It shot better a and 3200 FPS was easy . The brass was junk .
Never could get rid of hard bolt lift . The harder I shot it the better the bolt lift . Bullets wouldn't say together . Larry

Larry,

Are you saying that you get 3200 FPS with a WSSM, or a WSM? I love my 6.5 WSSM, but 3000 with the 140's out of a 30" tube is all she will do!! I think that after you cull the out of spec brass and turn the necks the quality of the brass is pretty good. Absolutley tough as nails!!

Tod

 

[savagedasher]

Larry,

Are you saying that you get 3200 FPS with a WSSM, or a WSM? I love my 6.5 WSSM, but 3000 with the 140's out of a 30" tube is all she will do!! I think that after you cull the out of spec brass and turn the necks the quality of the brass is pretty good. Absolutley tough as nails!!

Tod

Change the powder MRP 48 GR is still safe .

 

[long40shot]

A 243 winchester running 105s or 115s.

 

[Caleb85]

6.5x47L for me, though I am a newbie and just learning.

Bob

What he said!

 

[joshb]

What he said!

Ditto! I took a big chance and got three barrels and 2 actions for the 6.5-47. It "looked good". First time I shot it, I knew I made the right choice. Bugholes and mild recoil. It's a winner!

 

[zanemoseley]

Yeah the 6.5x47 is looking better by the minute. The Dasher also looks good but I don't really feel like fireforming and the Norma brass is still pretty new/unproven.

 

[KWeigel]

I have been playing with everything for mid range and thought I had settled on the dasher. Then sat on my hands to long like an idiot and didn't have one ready for the state championships in WI. Shot my 6.5X47 that I hadn't touched in literally 9 months and proceeded to shoot a 1599-121X for the two day match! My two dashers have there home but when it comes down to it I know the rifle I won't be selling.

 

[DeadEyeDick45]

RPR 6.5 Creedmoor

 

[pressedRat]

started shooting several years ago with a 5r in 308, upgraded to a custom 260 shooting 140 bergers (not competing). then i decided to look into adding something different, came down to 6mm, after several months, i settled on 6 dasher, had prt build a fopen rifle (had a 284 win barrel made to). it is a lazer. i won the second 600 match i participated in and didnt even know it till i showed up a month or two later and found i'd won. i wasnt there to compete, i was just there to see how well i could shoot the new rifle.

the 6.5s are all fine choices (260, 6.5x47, 6.5 creedmoor and the improved versions) but the dasher is the easiest tuning, easiest shooting round i have ever shot and it gets decent barrel life too. and you get more rounds per pound. i liked it so much i had a 6 dasher barrel made from my AIAX chasis rifle.

There is little doubt that the 6.5 'appear' to have better ballistic performance, but the dasher 'seems' (i have done no statistical validation of this) to be more consistent and less finicky about how you set up your loads. it should be in any list of mid-range target load consideration. supposedly even the prs guys are starting to use it in their competitions.

 

[boltman13]

My 6.5 Creedmoor is a joy to shoot, easy to tune and gives good barrel life. That said so does a 6.5X47. You won't go wrong with either.

 

[savagedasher]

Records I have seen have all been dasher. Larry

 

[majohnson]

I started out with a 6.5CM as my first custom rifle, this was before we started seeing factory rifles and barrels. Ammo availability was was hit and miss, I decided to go with a 308 thinking I can always get factory ammo when I do not have time or feel like reloading. About 70 rounds of 308 with a Badger brake I was done with the recoil. Like you I am recoil sensitive, I have a nerve damage and neck issues after surgeries.

I had the the 308 rebarreled as a 6XC after reading a lot of information on this and Germans website (it fo bad he pulled it down) there was so much good info on his site. Even in the wind at 1000 those 105 have work well. Good luck on your build.