New long range gun.

[Maverick223]

Forget about trajectory, wind drift is what you have to worry about, and the .308Win. does no better in that regard. IMO you're right to consider a magnum for the stated purpose. Other cartridges can get it done, but a suitable magnum can make the task a great deal easier.

 

[Kachok]

Yeah, the .30 cals can buck the wind OK with their longer 180gr+ bullets, but 308s won't push them really fast, as I said my 6.5x55 beats it in all aspects of external ballistics, so that is not an improvement over my woods rifle. A high BC 140gr 270 cal or 150gr 7mm at over 3200fps will drop less and drift alot less. Now a 300 Win mag slinging a 180gr bullet at 3000+fps has wind bucking and trajectory but it a massive overkill as well.

 

[Maverick223]

All I have to say about that is my LRPR is a .300WM, and will likely be re-bbl'd for 7mmRM when the time comes (unless decide to get really crazy and just step up to the .338LM). My point was the the slow .30s (like the .308Win) can't buck the wind adequately, whereas the quicker 7s afford superior external ballistics, even when compared to the magnums. Don't get me wrong, there isn't a great deal of difference, but there is enough for me to want to change...when I need a new barrel (not worth the added expense or waste of a perfectly good barrel right now).

 

[Fullboar1]

While the .277 dia (270 cal) is probably one of the most classic hunting rounds it bullets suffers from having sucky BC. I found these a while ago, a .277 165 grain (HUNTING) bullet with a BC of 0.7381 or a 175 grain (HUNTING) bullet with a BC of 0.7828 and IMO these bullets would go very well in a 270WSM.
http://matrixballistics.com/.277-Caliber-rifle-bullets.html
What do you all think?

 

[Gordon]

.270 WSM standard twists prolly will not stabilize those.
I currently use 130 grain Barnes in my .270 WSM for deer as they expand greatly and non lead is mandated . When in Africa I used the 150 grain Nosler Partition to good effect.I shot my first deer with a .270 WSM 130 grain Trophy bonded Bear Claw at 313 lazered yards and the bullet folded into about 3/4" and was found in the rear ham after breaking the front shoulder, jelling the lungs and ripping open the heart, ruining one side of the back strap and the off side upper ham. The Barnes Triple Shocks don't do that much damage thank goodness, but do open nicely and go on thru, anywhere any angle.

 

[Kachok]

Yeah you are going to need a crazy tight twist for a super long 165gr .277 cal VLD. About a 1:8.75-9 if I were to take a guess. I'll stick to 6.5 or 7mms if I want stupid high BCs and .277 if I want crazy high speeds

 

[BigN]

7mm Rem Mag

 

[Fullboar1]

.270 WSM standard twists prolly will not stabilize those.

Yeah you are going to need a crazy tight twist for a super long 165gr .277 cal VLD. About a 1:8.75-9 if I were to take a guess.

I just got an email back from the owner of Matrix Bullets who said the 165 grain VLD bullets "will" stabilize in a 1 in 10" twist (standard 270WSM Twist) and the 175 grain VLD will need a 1 in 9" twist.

 

[Kachok]

I would have to see it to beleve it. I have seen a 1:10 twist not like certain 150gr bullets 165 VLDs would be a stretch for sure.

 

[Maverick223]

I think it would stabilize the 165 without any problems, but I seriously doubt it would shoot them well, which makes the better BC a moot point.

While I am happy to see a few .277cal. bullets with a favorable BC, I still believe the 7mm (or the 6.5mm depending upon the quarry/purpose) is a much better choice to achieve that end as it affords a multitude of projectiles to select from and therefore a better chance that it will group a high-BC bullet well. Perhaps this will lead to more bullets being introduced, thus making the caliber more viable for LR.

 

[Kachok]

My 140gr Accubonds have a .497 BC I am happy with that since I am pushing 3200fps. While a .700 would be great anything in the .500 range makes me happy. That said i want to get some of those .612 BC 140gr Burger VLD bullets for my 6.5x55 that 1:8" twist will stabalize just about anything! While I do like to keep an ultra high performance on hand my little 6.5 is my go to gun anytime I am not hunting a bean field. I don't have a glass shoulder or anything but I am in love with that little mild mannerd cartrage.

 

[hardluk1]

Guess you don't really need a new rifle!!! My 7mm weight 11.6 lbs and hits like my stock remmy 788 in .308 when shooting 139gr hornady moly at 3400 fps. I guy on our lease put one of those recoil reducers, the ones with mercury in them in a remmy light weight model 7 for his wife to use. She said it kicks like .223 remmy she also has. Thats one way to soften a hard kicker. + the 1lb or so that it weights.

 

[pwillie]

I like anything "Weatherby"....especially the 257.....

 

[Kachok]

As much as I love my 6.5x55 for genral purpose hunting I tend to carry a super flat shooting rifle when hunting my friends peanut field (1100 yd from end to end) So I will get another magnum rifle just for those hunts. I have narrowed it down to 270/300 WSM, 7mm rem mag or 300 Win mag. I don't want to have to deal with the issue of finding brass for a Wby or ultra mag but I need something a little flatter then the 270 win/25-06.

 

[TEC]

Shopped for about a year, and read a lot, including Bryan Litz's book - Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooters, then bought my first "long range", large caliber, bolt action rifle 2 weeks ago. Settled on .308 Win. I had a budget in mind of ~$1K. Love my CZ 527 Varmint in .223 Win, so between my final 2 choices (Savage 116 FHSS, CZ 550 Varmint), the CZ w/ single set trigger, 1/12" twist won out over the Savage AccuTrigger, 1/10" twist. Ordered from Bud's w/ CZ rings and scoped w/ Weaver Nitrex 6-20X 50mm AO, fine plex reticle, on close out from Natchez SS. Didn't go much over budget.





The scope's bell sits about 1.5mm above the (floated) barrel.

Shot the first 20 rounds of factory-loaded (Georgia Arms canned heat, 168 BTHP match) ammo at the range this weekend, cleaning thoroughly and cooling between the first 15 rounds and sighting in. I got on paper at 50 yards, then zeroed at 100 yards, then zeroed at 200 yards. Then I shot this 5-shot group at 200 yards with a warm barrel and no further round-to-round barrel cleaning. Not bad for an "out of the box" rig, IMO. I know it will do better with a bit more break-in and finding the hand loads it likes best. The gray boxes are 2".



I read with interest that the Palma matches with 155 gr Sierra .308 Palma bullets are shot at 800, 900 and 1000 yards. I can't imagine that I will ever need to stretch out any further than that, or with any heavier bullet than 155 grains at 1000 yards.

150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips appear to give me PBR out to 250 yards. The 168 gr's should be good 200-225 yards (no need for mil dots on my hog new hog rifle). Picked up a Nikon laser range finder good for 500 yards.

The 1/12" twist will stabilize 150 gr up to most 175 grain bullets including the 165 SGK and the 168 Berger VLD/Hunting bullets, at the conditions I will be shooting, according to my external ballistics program. Lots of choices for .308 in both target and hunting bullets.

This will be my first experience "going long" (I have seldom shot over 100 yards and never more than 200 yards). Looking forward to learning what the .308 will do, but first impressions are very positive.