Lightweight Hunting rifle caliber for shorter barrels

[DFWshooter]

Hi!
I’m fairly new to hunting and would like to set up a backcountry rifle that’s suppressed so I’d like to keep the barrel in the 20-22” size. I’ve hunted with a lightweight 300wm but I’d like to come down a bit in recoil if possible. I’m thinking 7prc, 7mm mag, 280AI possibly 6.5 prc. I’m not really looking to get into reloading atm and the 280AI doesn’t seem to have the facrory ammo availability so it’s kinda at the back, but the ballistics data is compelling. Which caliber would be best coming out of a shorter barrel but still able to kill elk out to 400 yds? 7mm backcountry is interesting but not sure how the recoil will be and I’d like to be able to little more mainstream to start. Thoughts

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Considered 7mm-08? With 150 ELD-X factory ammo, it would still have the jam at 500-600 yards, and be fairly mild on the recoil compared to a bigger boomer in a light gun.

And if you get into reloading, 7mm-08 is one the best things going, IMHO.

 

[huntnful]

Pretty much anything for killing elk out to 400. Of your listed choices I’d do 6.5 PRC and most any of the 140-156gr. Target bullets.

 

[hereinaz]

Go as small as you think, then go smaller. More recoil means harder to shoot accurately.

For reference, a 16” 6 Creedmoor has shown to be devestatingly effective on elk, caribou, moose out to 600 yards. Even the .223 with 77 tipped match kings could be effective to 400 in the right environmental conditions. The reduced recoil makes smaller calibers popular with many Roksliders.

Pretty much anything for killing elk out to 400. Of your listed choices I’d do 6.5 PRC and most any of the 140-156gr. Target bullets.

I agree, of yours listed 6.5 PRC, least recoil and factory ammo availability. A friend has a 280ai Savage ultralight and it has killed elk out to 680.

 

[MuleyFever]

From your list, the 6.5PRC.

 

[mlevimadden]

As someone who built a 6.5 PRC two years ago, and used it as my sole hunting rifle the last two years, I'm building a 6mm for next season. If I didn't need to hunt CO and WY elk, I would've considered a 22 creedmoor, but have to meet the 6mm minimum.

I killed 4 elk the last two seasons with the 6.5 PRC and 147 ELDM and have zero reservations about stepping down to a 6mm projectile.

A 6 creedmoor with match bullets will meet all your requirements and be half the recoil of the 7mm variants you are considering.

 

[Chris in TN]

Which caliber would be best coming out of a shorter barrel but still able to kill elk out to 400 yds?

If you're serious about the 400 yard limitation, especially at western elevations, anything larger than a 6gt is probably just wasted recoil. Even with an 18" barrel you can very easily retain way north of the 1800' most people here suggest for a floor with match bullets. I prefer 2000' and, again, you can very easily retain that out way past 400 yards with a 6gt. Heck, at higher elevations you could even do it with a 6ARC.

Signed, guy who built a .280ai and doesn't use it anymore.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

One other thought, as a guy who's owned a couple rifles over the years that burn 60+/- grains of powder in a shorter barrel. Muzzle blast on those is STUPID loud, to the point you can feel it in your sternum and you feel like the hearing protection just isn't quite getting it done. You also loose more of the velocity the bigger cartridge is capable of producing for every inch of barrel you go shorter vs something that burns less powder. It'll still make more FPS than the smaller cartridge, but the gap starts to narrow. Even my humble 30-06 with a 20" barrel, was nasty loud, and could only exceed my 308 with a 22.4 inch barrel in velocity by maybe 80 FPS, and I burned around 60 grains of H4350 to do it vs 46.5 grains of Varget in my 308 (was shooting 150 Accubond's at the time), and my 24 inch 308 would straight up hang with it for velocity +/- 5 FPS.

IMHO, if you're gonna burn north of 50 grains of powder per trigger pull, get you a long-ish barrel so you can make real use of the powder you're burning, and not hurt yourself even through the hearing protection. Conversely, if you're gonna get a short barrel, I'd say get you something that burns 40-45 ish grains of powder and call it day (7mm-08, 6.5 Creedmoor, even a humble 308 has plenty of jam to 400 yards and beyond - I run 165 Accubond's in my wife's Howa Super-Lite - 5.5lbs ready to rock, 2700 FPS, and it'd smack an elk out to 400 yards like a boss).

 

[SDHNTR]

To 400, 6.5 creed or .308 is plenty.

 

[Trogon]

Im in the same boat and going with 25 creedmoor and the 133 berger.

 

[DFWshooter]

Thanks guys. My plan is to build/buy something i'm able to practice with regularly and not get beat up. I'm pretty good with the 300WM but I can't spot my impacts so I shoot with a buddy at the range. The 400 yd limitation is based on what I think I can realistically expect with my current skill level and advice from "YT experts" but if i get better I'm not against stretching it out either. 6.5 prc seems like a happy medium and I can have long range fun as well at the range. But I'll look at the &mm-08 too.