I have a lot of the same conversations with various people people on cartridges. Invariably someone will ask me my own opinion, which I loathe to give as I am biased toward larger cartridges. So I try to relate what I hear from others as to what they like and why. And the opinions are all over the place. That's because there are very few wrong answers, just preferences.
That said............................
6mms:
The 6 BR Norma variants out there are stupid accurate. The 6 BRA (which replaced the 6 Dasher) is the dominant 600 and 1000 yd BR cartridge for both the light gun class and the heavy gun class. In good conditions it almost always wins.
The 6 Creed is also very accurate, as is the 243 Win. Then there are the hotrod 6mms like the 6 UM and 6-6.5 PRC.
I am often asked if the hot 6mms are good for elk. Ryan is on a mission to prove to me that is the case, but I am skeptical. Ryan and Form and others on here who like these little girly-man cartridges are VERY good hunters and careful shots. Of course it works well for them. So I tell people that if they want to use a 6mm on elk--and 6mms have been used on elk for decades--then become a good hunter who is careful with shot placement........which is pretty good advice regardless of the cartridge..............
A 6.5 seems to step up performance. This is nothing new as hunters have been saying this for 100+ years. I am especially impressed with the 6.5 UM--which is a 6.5 SAUM IMP. Jake found a load that shoots Berger 156s in the mid 3000s out of a suppressed 20" barrel. He shot a bull with it this year at 850ish yds. It's on video. One well-placed shot and the bull just collapsed.
The various 7mms have been getting it done for a 100+ years as well. I most often recommend the 7 PRC. Not because the 7 SAUM isn't as good, but because we are able to find lots of 7 PRC brass where 7 SAUM brass is harder to get. I like the 7 PRC over the 7mm Rem Mag only because the 7 PRC comes with longer magazine boxes, long throats, and fast twist barrels. This allows it to shoot 180 grainers at around 2900 fps. A 7mm Rem mag, with a fast twist barrel, long throat, and longer magazine is a great choice as well, but you have make sure and build it that way. I am not as excited about the 28 Nosler. When they shoot well they are great, but I have seen too many where the barrel never really seems to settle down. I hate it when that happens.......................
30 cals. We are now finally talking my language. I like them all, from .308 Win to 300 RUM. They too have been getting the job done for 100+ years. I especially like the 300 PRC. A 210-225 grain bullet at around 2900 fps handles about everything in North America. I like the 300 PRC over the 300 Win for the same reasons I like the 7 PRC over the 7mm Rem Mag.
338s. Even more my speed. I love big 338s. Bullet performance isn't as critical when shooting a 300 grain bullet at 2800+ fps. If it loses half it's weight it will still likely break a shoulder and reach the vitals, and if it doesn't expand, it's still making a .338 cal hole.
I find this very interesting. A 28" barreled 338 Edge will almost always shoot a 300 grain bullet into good groups at 2800 fps. A 338 Lapua, which has pretty much the same case capacity, won't always shoot good groups at 2800 fps with a 300 grainer. I have seen some that couldn't get past mid to upper 2600s. This makes no sense to me.
However, a 338 Lapua IMP is an easy button, very happy to shoot good groups at 2900+ fps from a 26" barrel with a 300 grainer. You just have to put up with the cost and muzzle blast of fireforming brass with a big charge of powder--it's more annoying than you might think. The 33XC is also an excellent cartridge, but many guys don't like being restricted to single feed.
I havn't covered every cartridge from 6mm to 338, but those are the ones I get asked about the most. Again, not really any wrong answers, just preferences.
That said............................
6mms:
The 6 BR Norma variants out there are stupid accurate. The 6 BRA (which replaced the 6 Dasher) is the dominant 600 and 1000 yd BR cartridge for both the light gun class and the heavy gun class. In good conditions it almost always wins.
The 6 Creed is also very accurate, as is the 243 Win. Then there are the hotrod 6mms like the 6 UM and 6-6.5 PRC.
I am often asked if the hot 6mms are good for elk. Ryan is on a mission to prove to me that is the case, but I am skeptical. Ryan and Form and others on here who like these little girly-man cartridges are VERY good hunters and careful shots. Of course it works well for them. So I tell people that if they want to use a 6mm on elk--and 6mms have been used on elk for decades--then become a good hunter who is careful with shot placement........which is pretty good advice regardless of the cartridge..............
A 6.5 seems to step up performance. This is nothing new as hunters have been saying this for 100+ years. I am especially impressed with the 6.5 UM--which is a 6.5 SAUM IMP. Jake found a load that shoots Berger 156s in the mid 3000s out of a suppressed 20" barrel. He shot a bull with it this year at 850ish yds. It's on video. One well-placed shot and the bull just collapsed.
The various 7mms have been getting it done for a 100+ years as well. I most often recommend the 7 PRC. Not because the 7 SAUM isn't as good, but because we are able to find lots of 7 PRC brass where 7 SAUM brass is harder to get. I like the 7 PRC over the 7mm Rem Mag only because the 7 PRC comes with longer magazine boxes, long throats, and fast twist barrels. This allows it to shoot 180 grainers at around 2900 fps. A 7mm Rem mag, with a fast twist barrel, long throat, and longer magazine is a great choice as well, but you have make sure and build it that way. I am not as excited about the 28 Nosler. When they shoot well they are great, but I have seen too many where the barrel never really seems to settle down. I hate it when that happens.......................
30 cals. We are now finally talking my language. I like them all, from .308 Win to 300 RUM. They too have been getting the job done for 100+ years. I especially like the 300 PRC. A 210-225 grain bullet at around 2900 fps handles about everything in North America. I like the 300 PRC over the 300 Win for the same reasons I like the 7 PRC over the 7mm Rem Mag.
338s. Even more my speed. I love big 338s. Bullet performance isn't as critical when shooting a 300 grain bullet at 2800+ fps. If it loses half it's weight it will still likely break a shoulder and reach the vitals, and if it doesn't expand, it's still making a .338 cal hole.
I find this very interesting. A 28" barreled 338 Edge will almost always shoot a 300 grain bullet into good groups at 2800 fps. A 338 Lapua, which has pretty much the same case capacity, won't always shoot good groups at 2800 fps with a 300 grainer. I have seen some that couldn't get past mid to upper 2600s. This makes no sense to me.
However, a 338 Lapua IMP is an easy button, very happy to shoot good groups at 2900+ fps from a 26" barrel with a 300 grainer. You just have to put up with the cost and muzzle blast of fireforming brass with a big charge of powder--it's more annoying than you might think. The 33XC is also an excellent cartridge, but many guys don't like being restricted to single feed.
I havn't covered every cartridge from 6mm to 338, but those are the ones I get asked about the most. Again, not really any wrong answers, just preferences.
