Low recoil, combined with the above mentions makes the .260 another great round to start the LR game. Based on the .375 Ruger cartridge case, the 300 PRC uses the 0.532-inch bolt face and has a 30-degree shoulder, and like with all of the modern long-range cartridges, one key to the performance of the 300 PRC is the mandated fast twist rate. Now by swapping a barrel, Long Action set-ups like the .300 Norma or Winchester magnums could not manage the overall cartridge length of the new .338 Norma. The ultimate open-country hunting cartridge. Recently, I have been in the dilemma of trying to decide which caliber to use for 1000 yards. With the projectile variability and network of knowledge on this cartridge, I think its a great option to build a classic hunting rifle. Not very economically practical for the entry-level guys, but for those taking rifles down-range itll give you confidence if you get issued a rifle chambered in this cartridge. A faster MV does mean the round is impacted LESS by the wind than a slower MV. Because the .224 is so new, the market is still catching on. The Long Range community has been pushing the envelope more and more. Overall Practicality: With things like barrel life and ammo availability into consideration, the 6mm Creedmoor is a perfect option for the more seasoned and able LR shooter who doesnt mind reloading consistently and replacing barrels often. Prior to this round, there was no bridge between 7.62x51mm and .50 BMG. The .243 was also a great option for those living in countries that banned the use of military countries (.308 Win/7.62x51mm NATO). Anecdotally, PRS shooters are having to change barrels once per year. History: Unlike the previous cartridges, this is the first one that has no parent case. Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Optic-Ready Autoloading Shotgun: First Look, Non-Lethal Personal & Home Defense with Byrna, Range Tested: EAA Girsan Pistols & Shotguns, New for 2023: Christensen Arms Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR), New for 2023: All-American RIA 5.0 Sporting Pistol, New for 2023: FN Rush 9Ti Pistol Suppressor, New Big Bore Pistols for 2023: FN 510 Tactical and FN 545 Tactical, New for 2023: FN SCAR 15P Rifle Caliber Pistol, First Look: Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum Revolver With 10.5-Inch Barrel, New-for-2023 Taurus Judge Executive Grade 410/.45 Colt Revolver, Smith & Wesson Equalizer and the Brand New M&P 5.7 Pistol, Most useful for: PRS & 1,000-yard slow-fire matches, Most useful for: Service rifle and .223-only PRS matches, Most useful for: Matches regulated to .308 only, Most useful for: 1,000-yard slow-fire matches, Most useful for: Cross-country long-range & 1,000-yard slow- fire matches. Unlike the previous cartridges, this is the first one that has no parent case. There is no shortage of amazing cartridges that offer dazzling performance at extended ranges. Any bolt gun can be custom chambered to any SAAMI cartridgebut the keyword is custom. With the right rifle, the .300WM can be a very smooth shooting set-up. The short case body allows long, aerodynamic bullets to be seated far out, eliminating bullet-base intrusion into powder capacity, while still fitting comfortably in standard short-action magazines. Reloading components can be found nearly anywhere. Charged with Reloder 19 and 22 powders, the round performed well at 1,000 yards during the Navys accuracy testing with the extreme spreads of the groups measuring 10.79 and 10.68 inches respectively. Also, as identical as you can recreate two firearms and two exact ammo loads, those two guns will never have the same exact MV. As said before, the standard rifle manufacturers have not caught up the .224 Valkyrie. With care and discipline, a 6.5 Grendel barrel will outlive a .308. I recall several savvy shooters proclaiming that Lapua would never produce 6.5 Creedmoor brass. The .30-06 is such a classic sniper rifle round, I could not leave it out of the running. Is it the most accurate? hit its first major stumble. Overall Practicality: All in all, the 6.5 Lapua has great numbers on a round moving fairly slow. It is the Madonna of long-range rounds. That same rifle can shoot my hand-loaded 175 grain Sierra Match Kings at 0.4-0.5 MOA at 100m. For the hunting world, yes. Now getting up into the .30 cal plus magnum rounds, the recoil will be noticeably greater than the .308 Winchester. The higher the BC number, the more aerodynamic and better performing the projectile will be. Muzzle: 4,029 ft-lbs. Hopefully, the Browning HAWG recoil reducer will noticeably lessen the kick. This last factor will doom the cartridge, in and of itself if no one else picks up the torch for brass production (which isnt likely). It has ample killing power for all but the largest of game, it is easy to shoot well, the cartridge is inherently accurate. Muzzle Velocity: Using the 225gr ELD-Match, MV: 2,840 fps, Ballistic Co-Efficient: 225gr ELDM G1: 0.712 G7: 0.365. A good judge of success of a caliber is how long it has been relevant. Thats not only the record for the farthest .338 impact, but also the longest impact in any ELR competition ever. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Much sharper and stronger than a .308 Winchesternot meant for beginners. At 5,000 feet altitude? Recoil Condition: Getting into the magnum calibers, recoil is going to be noticeably more than the .308 Winchester. So like the 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have a .308, you can have two calibers in one rifle action with a new barrel. The .224 Valkyrie was the child of an experiment by Federal in 2017 to reach into the 1,000-yard competition circuit (which was dominated by the .30 caliber class cartridges) with a small .22 caliber projectile. Learn More . Overall Practicality: Incredible mid to long-range performance. This cartridge will always hold a special place in my heart. Projectiles will be available but brass might not be. It was squirrely, pushing the bullets high or dropping them low because of the hilly, uneven terrain. Its bullets will remain supersonic out past 2,000 yards. Ammo can be found at most sporting goods stores. cartridges. The .300 WSM is going to be a bolt-action-only build. However, were interested in long range, and those bullets are usually considered mid-range projectiles. The two most common BCs used are G1 and G7 below: If you notice the G7 profile has a more streamlined design. Barrel Life: As with other magnum cartridges, the average barrel life is expected at 1,500-2,000 rounds. Being developed in 2017, most ammo is going to come from reloading. Another rapidly growing competitive discipline is the .223 only PRS-type match. It has less case volume, traditionally firing a heavier bulletBUT still retains energy over range better and maintains a longer Transonic Range than its bigger brother. I think the 6.5 Grendel does a great job at that, however, as to be expected, the Grendel is limited in range and does not fit into the 800m+ world. 1,500m: 630 ft-lbs. This caliber was designed and intended strictly for the semi-auto AR-15 platforms. Without, this cartridge should be shot by older more experienced enthusiasts. Tikka T3 CTR Tikka rifles are excellent shooters. I am interested to see how the price of such systems will come down and become more readily available to entry to novice level LR shooters. Its supersonic to 1,750 yards at sea level, almost making that one-mile mark. The overall purpose of the Grendel was to deliver extended accuracy and range of the .223/5.56 NATO in the same AR-15 platform. Mag., and .300 Rem. Save your money and invest in training and supplemental gear. Projectiles can be found anywhere with nearly any grain-weight in its class, for those of you who reload. At least a dozen or more superb match loads are available from Hornady, Federal, Barnes, Nosler, Winchester, American Eagle, SIG Sauer and a plethora of smaller boutique ammo companies. Published Mar 29, 2021 5:12 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. You are definitely going to feel less recoil than a .308. But isnt that what makes it awesome? Even so, I was holding 10 mils over the target, for a total of 78 mils of elevation. I still think this cartridge might be a bit on the wildcat side of the market (expensive to shoot and a barrel burner). That changed in 1997 when Remington standardized many 6.5 wildcats based on the .308 Winchester. Few AR-10s exist that can fire the .300WM. I do believe the market will catch up to this round. .300 Norma Magnum. MV values for the .224 vary from 2,700 fps (90 grain projectiles) to 3,400 fps (60 grain projectiles). Muzzle Velocity: Average MV for a .223 is 3100 fps. The big advantage and why the .260 became so popular was that it could easily be necked up or down by using other standard rifle cartridges, making reloading a breeze. Best for Beginners: 6.5 Creedmoor Best for Precision Shooting Matches: 6mm Dasher Most Accurate: .30 Stewart Best Long Range Calibers: Reviews & Recommendations Best for Hunting: .308 Winchester Nosler SEE IT Key Features Well balanced Proven track record Pros Moderate recoil Widely available Great bullet selection Cons Less forgiving trajectory Recoil Condition: Very similar to the .243 Winchester. I liked that you started at 5.56 for a base caliber. However, the more compact 6.5 PRC case isat least theoreticallymore conducive to better accuracy. Most modern shooters are very familiar with the AR-15 design. Factory ammunition can be found nearly anywhere for about 30 cents per round but as stated before, prices range greatly. Mag., from Sierras legendary 190-grain MatchKing to Hornadys cutting-edge 212-grain ELD Match. I have shot my .338LM to 2616 yards at a match. Im very glad I read it and committed to the round. Until now, bolt action rifles only. A lot of the newer, ultra-flat cartridges take a good deal of reloading knowledge to successfully harness their ability. When talking about long-range calibers and their best applications, the immediate question pops up: For what? The Mueller Target Rifle Scope is a great 1000-yard scope with a solid magnification of 8-32x, giving a great field of view at well over 1000 yards. Other than some boutique businesses that will load ammo for you, there is currently no factory 6mm Dasher offered, which is a significant barrier to entry for many shooters. The process of forming the brass is laborious. This allows 300 PRC rifles to handle ultra-long .30-caliber bullets with high ballistic coefficients.