Flattest Trajectory!

[nekred]

I was wondering what Calibre/Combination under .30 calibre and over .23 calibre will give flattest trajectory out to 500 yards.

What would be the drop in inches at 500 yards from a 200 yard zero?

[honda450]

Too many variables Nekred. Muzzle velocity, sectional density, and ballistic coeffent, all come into play.

[nekred]

I know there are lots of variables that is why I thought i would ask question. What are some foks using with real data so I can make a good rifle selection!

I am looking at .264 Win Mag and I know they are supposed to be hard on barrells but am looking for a long range deer/sheep gun. I want the flattest trajectory I can get with moderate recoil.

I can reload myself and if brass is available i don't mind some extra work. I was looking at 6.5 - .284 as well.

[Canuck44]

my guess would be a 7mm RUM shooting scirroco's, don't have any info here on bullet size or drop or anything but I know that is a fast calibre and the scirroco's have a great bc.

[nube]

I have a 7mm stw. 3578 fps. sighted in to 250 and it may drop 9 inches at 400 and I think right around 24 inches at 500 I think but I can't remember off of the top of my head right now. All I know is if it is out to 35 yards I aim dead center and don't worry about it. 400 top of back and 500 about a foot over. Great cartridge. Lots of powder

[sullijr]

240 Weatherby,257 Weatherby,30-378 Weatherby to name a few but flat means nothing you need to know where to aim it to hit anything

[Pioneer2]

I wish people would quit resurecting the old - wives tale about the .264 cooking barrels.Maybe before modern steels were used and foolish people ran them at MAX with light bullets in the gopher patch not allowing them to cool between shots.But certainly not now.The first 7mm STW that the inventer Layne Simpson shoots is still plugging away MOA after 5000rds!A barrel will last a lifetime for casual target shooting and big game for sure.I am quite fond of the 6.5 and 7mm for that matter.6.5 Swede 156-160gr for moose, bear and elk and the 7X57 BRNO for the same 139-160gr A magnum in either bore will it even better.Like Ma Bell said "reach out and touch somebody"..............The .223 WSM burns out barrels in as little as 500-600 shots so why bother?Major overbore........................Harold

[honda450]

Still too many variables nekred. What works for me ain't necessarly going to work for you, pick up a good reloading book. Then experiment. Try a 708 or 2506. There are lots of choices out there.

[manitou210]

I have a Rem 700 custom in 7mmwsm shooting a 140gr accubond at 3300fps
I am 2.85" High at 100 Zerro at 300 and 8.3" low at 400 and 22" low at 500 yards. The 270 wsm will be very close to this as well.
this site may help you decide and get info just go to Bullet makers and get BC of type of bullet you would use, and check any reloading book to get velocitys off cartridges you might want to compare.
nekred
go to a range and watch some fellows shooting and get some info most shooters are more than happy to share info.
And at the same time look at fellows shooting the big boys, like 30/338, 300 utra mags etc there not really fun to shoot and at 100+grs of powder per load not cheep to load for. I watched a fellow shooting a 300 ulta last week at range he was flinching so bad from recoil he was not able to keep bullets on paper at 300 yards, he asked me to try his new gun for him but I politely declined said no thanks. now I know seasoned shoots can do great shooting with the big ones but not the average or new shooter just to much recoil.
I am not trying to start any fires but two fellows I know at Connaught ranges changed there barrels at 1050 rounds and 1100 rounds using 65/284 F class guns not cheap changing barrels
Good Luck Manitou


http://www.handloads.com/calc/

[russ]

In the NON magnums - my pick is the .280 Rem with a 140 bullet. If I remember correctly it has the best BC in that range of calibers. Mind you a .270 Win with a Hornady 130 gr BTSP touches on 0.462 BC.

[Canuck44]

If you want something that will shoot 6-10" higher than the typical 270/30-06 at 500 yrds you can't go wrong with any of the 257's, 270's, 7mm's in the magnums be it rm, rum, wsm, stw, wbys etc... Depending on what bullet you get they will all shoot within inches of each other, the deer and sheep won't know the difference but you better get good at reading the wind.

[cujo1969]

Take a look at 25-06 its plenty for sheep and deer and flat shooting.

[honda450]

An endless post no doubt. Once you talk ballistics.

[LongDraw]

I have a 6mm AI shooting an 87 grain Vmax @ 3600 fps. 100 yard zero and I have to dial 7 MOA for 550 yards.

It shoots pretty flat!

With a 200 yard zero the above drops 25.9" at 500 yards.

[roger]

257 wby
thats why i feed two of them,
or this for a hotrod

http://www.weatherbynation.com/spike...or-the-hunt/0/

whatever you are going to shoot it will have horsepower and liteweight

[Dick284]

Here is a snap shot for some 200 yd zero's.
All bullets are a poly carb type with a boattail.

.257" 100gr @ 3600fps= -27.58"@500yds.

.277" 130gr @ 3400fps= -30.03"@500yds.

.264" 100gr. @ 3600fps= -29.19"@ 500yds.

.284" 140gr @ 3500fps= -26.97"@500yds.

.308" 165gr @ 3500fps= -27.17"@500yds.

All done to standard atmospheric conditions.

Gee they all fall within 3" of each other...hmmm, think you can call 3" @ 500yds?

So now the real question is does your laser range finder read 500 yards when it's 500 yards, or is it actually saying 500 when it's 505, or 495? FWIW the best case scenario in that is gonna amount to about 1.6" diffrence in drop. Not to mention wind issues etc.

Learn to shoot, learn to make good judgements, and learn that 500yds is an aweful long ways.

[roger]

gravity sucks

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by manitou210

I am not trying to start any fires but two fellows I know at Connaught ranges changed there barrels at 1050 rounds and 1100 rounds using 65/284 F class guns not cheap changing barrels
Good Luck Manitou


]

Thats true and very common among benchrest shooters, F class guys and other competitive fields that require the utmost accuracy not found in your average over the counter factory rifles. What they fail to tell you is that though the barrels may have lost their competitive edge for their ultimate accuracy potential they are far from burnt out and do fine for several thousand more rounds of hunting, plinking, gopher shooting and will still out shoot most factory heavy barreled varmit rifles.

I have owned the 257wby and still own two 7mmstw rifles.I prefer the 7mmstw above all other chamberings for longer range shooting.It has more power than the 257wby or the 270wsm,and the recoil is quite tolerable.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by russ

In the NON magnums - my pick is the .280 Rem with a 140 bullet. If I remember correctly it has the best BC in that range of calibers. Mind you a .270 Win with a Hornady 130 gr BTSP touches on 0.462 BC.

If you have to exlude the magnums from the conversation to address these calibers, then I guess the answer to his question probably IS a magnum WSM just popped into my mind when I saw the requirements. Not sure which one.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

If you have to exlude the magnums from the conversation to address these calibers, then I guess the answer to his question probably IS a magnum WSM just popped into my mind when I saw the requirements. Not sure which one.

The 6.5Badcat gets out there flat, but the 300 gets out there with a whole bunch more "KAPOW"!
The .338 Lapua, BTW, is a bit flatter by a few inches only than the badcat, but it goes "Kapow!" at both ends!! ( runs a 250 grain bullet compared to the 140 for the badcat)
Cat

[raised by wolves]

Short Action and overall lighter guns.
6MM Remington
260 Rem
270 WSSM
280 Rem


Long Action, but likely going to be a fair bit heavier.
257 Weatherby
7MM Rem Mag
7MM Ultra Mag

The drop will depend on barrel length, powder, primer, bullet weight, etc.

[Okotokian]

If you want to tweak the trajectory to get it flatter, you could always make sure you only shoot up or downhill

A have a .270WSM - that's considered a flat shooter? .... right? But, what's the point of having a so called "flat shooter" if you don't know where it shoots at 500 yds. My point is whatever caliber you end up choosing, spend some time at the range and shoot it, and shoot it again. Until you can connect consistently at your desired range. You'll find that the rifle that you are comfortable with, providing that it delivers enough downrange energy at your desired range will do the job. Bottom line, it's not the rifle that's deadly, tis the shooter.

[Dick284]

Ding Ding.
The loading of 3400fps with a 130gr. Nosler Accubond in my table is a loading for the 270WSM using a good dose of Magpro powder. And all that from a 24" bbl, in a short action too. hmmmm.
I wonder what a Ruger #1 with it's 26" bbl, would do with that loading since Rugersingles #1 in the vanilla ice cream version of 270Win will drive 130's to 3250fps no problem, with under box max loads.
I'd wager it would crowd 3500fps.............hmmmmmmm
can you say smokin flat. (-28.13"@500yds.)

All that while still giving you about 100 or so loadings from a pound of powder, compared to something like 70 or less from the 2.85" Ultra Mags

[nekred]

Thanks for the input guys...

I looked at quite few before i posted.

I don't want to be affected as much by recoil... I really like my 270 but wanted something with some more zip without more recoil. I also wanted more accuracy. I have got my .270 shooting very well but in order to improve anymore I have to make huge modifications. I feel that getting a new rifle would be the best way to go and build one from the ground up.

I took a good hard look at the 7mm STW, the 6.5/284, the 264 Win Mag, 270 wsm, 270 vanilla, and a few others.

I have read a bunch on the 6.5 and it seems to be a calibre of choice for many bench shooters. It has a high BC and high Sectional density and seems to be a choice of many bench shooters.

I also reload, and have access to 3000 rounds of 7mm Brass that has been fired once. My Dad and brother both own 7mm and out of habit save their brass. So when I match that calibre and that cartridge....

A 264 Win Mag although it is a fairly rare action is offered by many rifle manufacturers. I thought I could get one and when the barrell degrades... upgrade to a to quality barrell once I get used to the rifle.

I think hat with 130 grain bergers it would be everything I am looking for for long range accuracy.

BTW I am very familiar with .308 accuracy but just wanted something in a smaller calibre, with more speed and oomph!....

[catnthehat]

The .264 is in fact a very good crtridge/caliber combination, and 130's work very well in it.
A magnum action such as the 7mag or 300 is simply a barrel switch with gunsmith chambering , of course, unless it is a savage, then you can change the bolt head on say, a 30'06 and twist on another barrel!
Cat

[sullijr]

Originally Posted by LongDraw

I have a 6mm AI shooting an 87 grain Vmax @ 3600 fps. 100 yard zero and I have to dial 7 MOA for 550 yards.

It shoots pretty flat!

With a 200 yard zero the above drops 25.9" at 500 yards.

7 moa =-38.5 in at 550 yds

[nekred]

Well

I have a new Baby on Order... Remington 700 SF2 Sendero in a .264 win mag...

Gonna do some tweaking and run some Bergers in 130 grains... I have lots of 7mm brass to use and we will see what happens.... also have a Leupold with target turrets on way for it!.... see how it works!...

Probably arrive in about 6 weeks!....

[Solothurn]

All this "flat shooting" crap gives me a headache. A light bullet will always drift more, loose speed and energy faster and therefore have a greater trajestory than a heavier projectile of a similar design. That is physics, there is no altering that fact. 500 yards is no longer considered a real long shot by any means but wind will still effect fast light bullets at that range.
An 87 gr bullet will not have much for energy left at longer ranges as it does not start out with much when compared to a bullet 2 or 3 times heavier.
Speed is great, weight is better, accuracy is what really matters.