mid to "long range" cartridge

[bdg848]

I'm researching what cartridge I should get for my first "do all" rifle. I don't want a magnum because I think its important to actually ENJOY shooting your rifle. I've shot a few rounds through a 300WM and it's manageable but not very relaxing. I'm looking to kill deer and elk at 400-500yards but would like enough energy to kill at around 700-800 yards not that I would take a shot that far but would like the extra energy. I would also stretch out to 1000 just for fun. From what i've read I keep coming back to a 30-06 or 280Rem/280 ackley. I don't reload right now but have family who does so that may be a possibility at some point. Are there any other rounds you would suggest? of the two listed which would you prefer? It looks like the 280 ackley is slightly better than the 06 as far as drop/wind/energy but ammo looks a little more costly.

 

[cjl2010]

30-06 with Lapua brass. Long and boring barrel life which affords lots of practice.

 

[elkguide]

.300 Win Mag fanboy here.

 

[mtnwrunner]

6.5 PRC

Randy

 

[NebraskaStickHunter]

It depends on the weight of your rifle on your level of punishment. 30-06 will be easy to find ammo along with a 270 win. The 280 would be better but harder/$$$ if not reloading along with limited selection for offerings. I would say buy two rifles like a 243 and a 300 win mag and shoot the 243 until your heart is content for deer sized game and the 300 for the elk sized game. But that doesn’t answer your one size fits all rifle.

 

[EmperorMA]

Don’t get terribly caught up in energy figures. Impact velocity and bullet construction are far more important. A properly-constructed 140gr 6.5 bullet at a good impact velocity for its construction will EASILY penetrate as deep or deeper than a similarly-constructed 180gr .30 cal bullet at the same speeds. The energy numbers will lead you to think otherwise, vastly favoring the 180, but it is simply a fact that the little 140 will win most of the time.

 

[Forest]

7mm rem mag seems like the most logical answer to this one

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk

 

[handwerk]

I really like my 280 AI for such things...

 

[6mm Remington]

I really like my 280 AI for such things...

Me too although my 30-06 sure is accurate at 500 yards shooting 165 gr. Accubonds at 2940 fps. Just killed a nice grizzly bear this fall with my 280 AI though! Distance was 158 yards, certainly not an animal you would want to shoot at a great distance.

 

[Quant]

280 Remington might be an option, but I don’t know if the availability of factory is much better than a 280 AI. I know you said no magnums, but the 7mm rem mag recoil is probably only 10-15% more than a 280 AI, and 50 to 100 fps faster.

 

[TauPhi111]

the 30-06 is plenty capable of what you ask. A word of caution against AI cartridges...fireforming brass in is pain in the ass. I have a 260 AI and I am considering rechambering to 6.5 PRC. The 280 AI was saami standardized though (it's the only one in the AI family) so you might be OK there, but brass selection might be limited.

 

[MuleyFever]

I went with a 280ai for this same reason. I am a 1 gun guy, although after buying reloading gear I may have to add another. I can shoot a box with no break and feel good about it. Nosler offers at least 5 different factory loads and Hornady offers the 162 ELD-X. Most people I have seen posting get sub MOA with factory ammo. Nosler and Hornady sell brass though.

 

[bdg848]

Thanks guys. I agree with the idea of two guns, a low recoiling flat shooter for antelope/deer and heavy hitter for elk. I will do that in the future but right now but I've been shelling out some serious dough getting into the sport and have several other big ticket items to buy first.

Don’t get terribly caught up in energy figures. Impact velocity and bullet construction are far more important. A properly-constructed 140gr 6.5 bullet at a good impact velocity for its construction will EASILY penetrate as deep or deeper than a similarly-constructed 180gr .30 cal bullet at the same speeds. The energy numbers will lead you to think otherwise, vastly favoring the 180, but it is simply a fact that the little 140 will win most of the time.

I've heard this, is sectional density a better figure to reference then? Is there any way to "scientifically" compare the rounds?

 

[Rknight]

28 nosler but if you aren’t reloading it can get expensive to shoot

 

[CorbLand]

If you are wanting to reload I would say a 280 Ack would be a solid choice as it hits hard on the animals end but not on your shoulder. I have shot a couple and will one day add an Ackley to the safe. Ammo can be hard to find if you dont reload and that is what has steered me away from them.

Its really hard to beat a .270/30-06/7RM for a one and done gun. Each would do what you want and have shelves full of factory loads. I will also say that the recoil is all going to similar in each of those, so compare ballistics and pick the one that will meet your needs best.

I would also look into the 6.5s that are available. A Creedmoor is perfectly capable in your ranges for animals but could reach out to 1000 on paper. Light on the recoil, ammo is available and can be had cheap if you watch for deals. PRC would give you a little more thump but ammo isnt as readily available.

 

[Nealm66]

I have an older savage 111 in 6.5-284 that I handload for that fits in that category. I truly hate the gun but I have spanked some high dollar setups in adverse long range conditions

 

[3sdad]

6.5 creedmoor or 7mm-08 are pleasant shooters, have good factory offerings, will kill to 500 yards and punch steel at 1000. No experience with the 280's. My opinion on the 30-06 is go to a 7mm mag. I think if you also want the energy to kill to 800 yards, a magnum is something to consider. Put a brake on it and be happy. My 300 wm has a brake and i'm pretty happy about it on range day. Some good advice on here so far. Good luck

 

[16Bore]

Slow down cowpoke. Shooting a “few” rounds of 300WM doesnt mean much, unless that’s in addition to 1,000’s of rounds of something else.

Everyone wants to jump into deer sniperhood. 500 yards this and 1000 yards that.

Give a guy a rope and he wants to be a cowboy.

 

[bdg848]

Slow down cowpoke. Shooting a “few” rounds of 300WM doesnt mean much, unless that’s in addition to 1,000’s of rounds of something else.

Everyone wants to jump into deer sniperhood. 500 yards this and 1000 yards that.

Give a guy a rope and he wants to be a cowboy.

I may be misunderstanding what you're saying, not sure, but the "few rounds of 300WM" I was talking about was me saying I wasn't a fan of that particular round for a fun day at the range. I wasn't saying it qualified me to shoot 1,000 yards. I also wasn't saying I would be taking 800 yard shots at deer but I can't see how having a round with the energy to do it would be a bad thing. Also I've shot lots of 5.56 at 500 meters with open sights and have shot other cartridges at that 400-500 yard range and I don't feel as if 500 yards is some kind of "long range, sniper" distance.

 

[16Bore]

You’re talking “cartridges”, no mention of bullets, 500 is a chip shot, and don’t know what to “get”.

Never mind.