New rifle cartridge

[clint6760]

I’m looking at buying a new rifle. I am an eastern whitetail hunter and all my rifles are blued barrels and Wood stocks. I’m wanting to buy a new rifle that can be used for everything from whitetail, mule deer, antelope, and elk.

280 Ackley, 6.5 prc, 28 Nosler, 300 wsm? Which would you choose? Hard to say on distance but let’s say for 750 yards and in. I mostly used a 7mm and a 308 in the past but just want a new rifle.

 

[Silvereagle50]

Any of them would do the trick if correct bullet and shot placement are spot on.
Arguably the 6.5 could be a bit small for elk.... or not.


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[elkguide]

Once you settle on a cartridge, then comes which rifle do you want to own.

I am a .30 caliber fanatic. I didn't get to hunt elk this year with all of the travel restrictions and so I didn't go West but I shot 5 whitetails in a couple of neighboring states and used a Cooper in .300 Win Mag. The Cooper fits me very well and it puts a bullet where I point it, every time. I like to use a 180 grain or larger bullet on elk so I tend to start at the Win Mag. Nothing wrong with the WSM, (I have several) but I like to tip the scales in my favor with a tough animal like an elk. Of the calibers that you mentioned, I have a lot of interest in the 6.5PRC and will likely own one soon. Don't know if I would use it on elk but it looks like an amazing cartridge.

Have fun finding your next best friend!

 

[handwerk]

for those uses I've been very happy with my 280 AI.

 

[wind gypsy]

6.5 if you dont think it'll get much or any elk action. 280ai otherwise. 300 WSM is the sweetness but is way more recoil and umph than needed on deer and antelope. 28N is too much of a good thing IMO.

 

[clint6760]

Thanks everybody so far. I will more than likely be reloading for whatever caliber I pick. It will also be the new savage 110 ultralight with proof barrel. I am going to be going out west once a year but I will go on more archery elk trips than rifle.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Hard to say on distance but let’s say for 750 yards and in.

How much experience do you have shooting beyond 400 yards?

 

[clint6760]

How much experience do you have shooting beyond 400 yards?

Quite a bit. I do quite a bit of predator hunting at longer ranges and target shooting over 500 yards. I just threw that number out there though and would try to get closer than 500 yards if at all possible.

 

[Dcrafton]

I’m looking at buying a new rifle. I am an eastern whitetail hunter and all my rifles are blued barrels and Wood stocks. I’m wanting to buy a new rifle that can be used for everything from whitetail, mule deer, antelope, and elk.

280 Ackley, 6.5 prc, 28 Nosler, 300 wsm? Which would you choose? Hard to say on distance but let’s say for 750 yards and in. I mostly used a 7mm and a 308 in the past but just want a new rifle.

I’ve got a few big game rifles, I’m am a big fan of the 280ai.
Here is a copy of my sheet for my 280ai with the 180 g eldm

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[Totoro]

Are you planning to reload or straight outta the box?

Reloading opens up some more options like the Sherman line-up.

Straight outta the box, take you pick.

That being said, my vote is a 300Winnie or 7Maggie based on the plethora of bullet options.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

If you subscribe to the thought that it takes 1500 FP of energy to cleanly kill an elk, I think the only one that gets you there in factory ammo for your 750 yard distance is the 28 Nosler. With handloading, I think the 6.5 is the only one that won't get you there. If I HAD to have 1500 FP of energy at 750 yards, I'd go with the 280. It will get you there with less fuss.

I think with modern scopes, modern high BC bullets, great range finders and the nature of the internet, folks think shooting at 750 yards is fairly easy. It is much more difficult than shooting under 500 yards. It seems folks first focus on bullet drop. That is not the most difficult factor to manage with known range and known bullet BC. There is no real guess work unless you are shooting up or down at an appreciable angle.

Wind drift essentially doubles between 500 and 750 yards. Wind is not constant. Western terrain can do weird things with wind. Wind causes more misses than drop. Duping the wind is a challenge, and it's not one that we can easily train for.

I chose the 6.5 PRC for my western rifle, and I have chosen 500 as the max range. I will never have the time to do the load development and get in the practice needed to get good at ranges beyond 500. Long range shooting is so much more than a good dope card, but the net has folks thinking it's not. I don't think I have ever spoken directly with someone who fancied himself as a good long range shooter who could spit out wind drift numbers or even do a good job of estimating wind speed or value. I don't socialize in long range shooting circles. I am certain competitors in long range shooting disciplines know their stuff. The average guy on the internet or at the gun counter, not so much.

That's a long way of saying choose the PRC and limit your maximum range to 500ish. If you are dead set on 750, go with the AI because it will be much more pleasant in doing the training necessary to become proficient at 750 yard shots.

 

[EmperorMA]

If you subscribe to the thought that it takes 1500 FP of energy to cleanly kill an elk, I think the only one that gets you there in factory ammo for your 750 yard distance is the 28 Nosler. With handloading, I think the 6.5 is the only one that won't get you there. If I HAD to have 1500 FP of energy at 750 yards, I'd go with the 280. It will get you there with less fuss.

I think with modern scopes, modern high BC bullets, great range finders and the nature of the internet, folks think shooting at 750 yards is fairly easy. It is much more difficult than shooting under 500 yards. It seems folks first focus on bullet drop. That is not the most difficult factor to manage with known range and known bullet BC. There is no real guess work unless you are shooting up or down at an appreciable angle.

Wind drift essentially doubles between 500 and 750 yards. Wind is not constant. Western terrain can do weird things with wind. Wind causes more misses than drop. Duping the wind is a challenge, and it's not one that we can easily train for.

I chose the 6.5 PRC for my western rifle, and I have chosen 500 as the max range. I will never have the time to do the load development and get in the practice needed to get good at ranges beyond 500. Long range shooting is so much more than a good dope card, but the net has folks thinking it's not. I don't think I have ever spoken directly with someone who fancied himself as a good long range shooter who could spit out wind drift numbers or even do a good job of estimating wind speed or value. I don't socialize in long range shooting circles. I am certain competitors in long range shooting disciplines know their stuff. The average guy on the internet or at the gun counter, not so much.

That's a long way of saying choose the PRC and limit your maximum range to 500ish. If you are dead set on 750, go with the AI because it will be much more pleasant in doing the training necessary to become proficient at 750 yard shots.

I don’t believe energy numbers tell any story about killing animals.

Placement, impact velocity and bullet construction are the three factors.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

I don’t believe energy numbers tell any story about killing animals.

Placement, impact velocity and bullet construction are the three factors.

Bullet weight be damned?

 

[clint6760]

Thanks for suggestions. I’m really like leaning towards the PRC because I know it would be perfect for deer and antelope. I know it’s on the lower spectrum for elk and some feel it’s inadequate while others have shown it works with good shot placement. I see myself going rifle elk hunting probably once every 5 years while the other years will be archery.

I also have two boys who will be going with me in the future and the recoil of the PRC will be less than the others so that is another factor.

 

[22lr]

I'm an old fart at heart, been thinking of trying something new this year other than my 30-06... im almost convinced that the 270win isn't a flash in the pan and worth looking at... hmmm...

 

[texag10]

Bullet weight be damned?

Sure, outside the relevant wind drift characteristics vs other bullet choices. Energy doesn't tell me if the bullet in question is at a velocity where it will expand/fragment and produce the desired terminal results.

 

[rootacres]

Many on here are going to recommend a 30 cal for elk, and with good reason. I watched two mature bulls fall to 30 cal mags this season. There something to be said about bringing kinetic energy and some displacement to the party. That said, the smallest I would go for elk would be a mid-heavy 7mm. Im not nuts about the idea of using a 6.5 bullet on an elk, that's just me.

Of the calibers you listed the 28 Nosler ballistics are going to stand out. That comes at the cost of barrel life, running a long action w/ long barrel combo (26" usually). Its going to be a heavier package. Thats not to say it won't be awesome, because it probably will. Im a big fan of the 300 WSM. It brings some horsepower to the table usually in a 24" barrel and short action. Its a slightly smaller package. I had a 300 WSM that I sold to fund a custom 7mm WSM. That rifle had no issue downing a bull at 325yds this year. My long term plan is to have a custom long action 30 cal at some point, until then the 7mm WSM will suffice.

The 280 AI would be in 3rd place for me.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Sure, outside the relevant wind drift characteristics vs other bullet choices. Energy doesn't tell me if the bullet in question is at a velocity where it will expand/fragment and produce the desired terminal results.

55 grain 22 cal Barnes TTSX 2000 FPS in the same spot as a 150 grain Barnes TTSX 30 cal at 2000 FPS are equal in your view?

 

[texag10]

55 grain 22 cal Barnes TTSX 2000 FPS in the same spot as a 150 grain Barnes TTSX 30 cal at 2000 FPS are equal in your view?

No, the 55gr will probably have way more wind drift, which is not desirable. From a terminal aspect, the .30 will likely leave a larger permanent wound cavity, but with no yaw or fragmentation neither would be a bullet I would choose for hunting. They're probably getting to the lower limit of their expansion threshold at 2kfps as well, but i'm not sure if the polymer tipped barnes are better in that regard. There are many options that will produce larger wound cavities than a 150gr TTSX, even with a physically smaller bullet.

Edit: I see that you said in the same spot, which negates my wind drift argument. I have a hard time believing you'd be able to tell a difference between the two, but I haven't see any tests with calibrated gel with those.

 

[B23]

I’m looking at buying a new rifle. I am an eastern whitetail hunter and all my rifles are blued barrels and Wood stocks. I’m wanting to buy a new rifle that can be used for everything from whitetail, mule deer, antelope, and elk.

280 Ackley, 6.5 prc, 28 Nosler, 300 wsm? Which would you choose? Hard to say on distance but let’s say for 750 yards and in. I mostly used a 7mm and a 308 in the past but just want a new rifle.

Not that you need a 30 cal to hunt/kill elk but it's a personal preference thing for me so since you added elk to your list I'd go 300 WSM. Had you left elk off your list I'd have gone with a 6.5 PRC.

I've always been a little partial to 30 cals and I think the 300 WSM is one of those cartridges that just does everything well, maybe not outstanding, but does them well and the bullet selection for 30 cal is definitely one of the biggest.

I think a sweet relatively light and compact-ish build would be a short action Rem 700 with Wyatt's mid length modification kit (allows for a OAL of 3.200+) a 24 inch tube and a MCM Edge fill or Manners CF stock.