Cheapest centerfire rifle caliber to shoot?

[natman]

223 without question. You might be able to save a few pennies on powder shooting 22 Hornet if you reload exclusively, but the huge difference in factory ammo prices makes the 223 the clear winner.

 

[berettashotgun]

**We have about 50 acres in the Arizona desert and have our own range. It has targets at set every 200 yards out to 1,000 yards and every 500 yards out to 2,500 yards. To become "one of the family" you have to hit the 600 target 8/10 times**

The parameters dictate a bigger bullet and case than a 22 caliber; 308 case powder capacity really stretches the upper limit of his target range.
The more I read his needs for the ranges indicated leads me to look at a 30-06 case; more than likely with a bullet with a minimum of a 0.500+ B.C.
I'm thinking a 280 AI is needed to make this a legitimate contender.
Most EVERY mentioned caliber (except the beloved HORNET) is good out to 500 YARDS.
My first centerfire was a 22 hornet, but I know it is no 300+ yard caliber with the lightweight bullet required to work good.
Purchasing a rifle in a over matched caliber is not in the best interest of fiscal restraints.
The poor guy will spend 2X as much just getting to the 700 yard mark.

 

[NelsErik]

The parameters dictate a bigger bullet and case than a 22 caliber; 308 case powder capacity really stretches the upper limit of his target range.
The more I read his needs for the ranges indicated leads me to look at a 30-06 case; more than likely with a bullet with a minimum of a 0.500+ B.C.
I'm thinking a 280 AI is needed to make this a legitimate contender.
Most EVERY mentioned caliber (except the beloved HORNET) is good out to 500 YARDS.
My first centerfire was a 22 hornet, but I know it is no 300+ yard caliber with the lightweight bullet required to work good.
Purchasing a rifle in a over matched caliber is not in the best interest of fiscal restraints.
The poor guy will spend 2X as much just getting to the 700 yard mark.

Thanks for noticing that. It's my fault though, because I didn't post all the requirements in the original post.

I'm currently trying to figure out how much it's going to cost me to reload 6.5 Creedmoor. I can basically just order the same Savage that my dad got converted to Creedmoor. My brother Kelly made his shots with my brothers Grendel and is looking at an Alexander Arms AR setup. I don't have that much money to spend and would rather learn how to shoot long distance and spend my money on ammo!

 

[funnelcake]

A couple of important input items are missing (unless I missed them):

1. What size target are you required to tag 8 out of 10 times @ 600-yd's.?
2. Which Leupold VX-3L? While I probably wouldn't laugh at any of these on any .22-250, one of the higher magnification models could be fine for your 600+ yard quest.

Regardless, .308...unless you're really going to use for varmits, deer-size game & "benchrest" shooting. Given those req's & the fact that $2500 bucks is hardly a pauper's budget, how about a semi-custom .260 Remington? Snag whichever Savage .308 varmint or tacti-cool rifle is cheapest (likely around $550-bucks) & have a good gunsmith fit up one of Shilen's Savage drop-in barrel's. An Accustock model may even save bedding, etc.

If necessary, drop $6-700 bucks on optics (one of the big 'ole 30mm Leupold's or Pentax Lightseeker's), get a quantity of really good brass, bullet's, and some quality reloading gear. All told probably ~$2000-grand or so. Pratice a bunch and hit the target 10 for 10...screw 8/10. Good thing about a .260; you can buy off-the-shelf ammo cheap & good enough for varmints or deer & save the precision reloads for the really distant targets.

Funnel

 

[jbech123]

and you can get a Saiga chambered in either of those calibers n.i.b. for less than $400

true, but the words "saiga" and "benchrest" cannot be used in the same sentence. I think there may even be a law against it...lol
Seriously one of his main initial goals was to tag a target 8/10 at 600 yards. Unless the target was a house, the saiga would lead to more frustration than enjoyment. The saiga is fine for what it is, but it is not a precision rifle.

 

[jbech123]

To become "one of the family" you have to hit the 600 target 8/10 times.

This could be real easy or real hard...how big is the target?

I was going to try to use the Leupold VX-3L off my .22-250 at first. The Leupold VX-3L is just dumb on the .22-250 and my dad laughs at me when I use

Why is it dumb? It's an excellent scope. Seems kinda silly that they supposedly have all this knowledge and you have to ask about something as basic as caliber selection on the internet. I don't know how old you are but if you want to get into this "club", if your 22-250 is a decent quality rifle, I'd slap the vx-3l on it and start practicing. A decent quality rifle with that scope will get the job done as well as anything at 600. Other calibers are better as ranges get farther than that, but plenty of folks shoot a 223 out to 600 just fine which shoots the same bullet several hundred fps slower.

 

[NelsErik]

The target is a 6" diameter circle of steel. The reason I have to ask here is because they won't help me at all until I get the 8/10.

My brother Kelly and I just moved back from Chicago to be with our brother. Since losing the leg and getting back he's been really bad so dad had us all move back. I just turned 35 and have never even been deer hunting. Lots of small game, but no deer. I have 9mm CZ that I'm very good with, a .22lr, and the .22-250. Dad laughs at my .22-250 with the scope because he says it's way to much scope. Not sure in the model of the scope, but it says "long range" on the side.

 

[BornAgainBullseye]

8x57 mauser and 7.62x54 russian bolt action rifles. Assuming you are blasting surplus. Then Russian 5.45 followed by 7.62x39, then .223 as far as ammo prices. The rifles are Mosin Nagant by far the cheapest. Mausers are getting hard to find good surplus so prices are getting out of hand. Then the AK followed by about everything else.

 

[FLNT4EVR]

I would give my vote to the 223,especially if you reload.I have collected a couple thousand once fired caseings at the range this past summer and they are all good reloadable brands.I don't reload the military brass because of the crimped primer pockets. Good free brass saves a lot. Bulk FMJ bullets can be had for about $10 a hundred, and Powder Valley sells Wolf small rifle primers for $25.50 per thousand.Shop around for the best price on powder and your good to go.

 

[jbech123]

8x57 mauser and 7.62x54 russian bolt action rifles. Assuming you are blasting surplus. Then Russian 5.45 followed by 7.62x39, then .223 as far as ammo prices. The rifles are Mosin Nagant by far the cheapest. Mausers are getting hard to find good surplus so prices are getting out of hand. Then the AK followed by about everything else.

All horrible choices for hitting a 6" target at 600 yards. I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but if the guys goal is to hit a 6" steel target at 600, and he has easy access to targets out to 2500 yards, these choices are ill suited at best. I'd be willing to bet against david tubb hitting a 6" target at 600 yards with an AK in 7.62x39.

 

[jbech123]

The reason I have to ask here is because they won't help me at all until I get the 8/10.

Well the bright side is, when you can hit a 6" target at 600 8 out of 10 times, you'll likely no longer need their help

 

[rangerruck]

WOW!!! that just narrowed things up quite a bit; you need speed and good b.c.'s from bullets- I would eliminate everything else, and look for something between 6 and 7mm bullets, to give you the best chance.
You are shooting for MOA out to 600 yds... that will be a challenge, so call
back, with pics, and let us know how it goes.

 

[NelsErik]

rangerruck WOW!!! that just narrowed things up quite a bit; you need speed and good b.c.'s from bullets- I would eliminate everything else, and look for something between 6 and 7mm bullets, to give you the best chance.
You are shooting for MOA out to 600 yds... that will be a challenge, so call
back, with pics, and let us know how it goes.

I'll probably end up going the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, or maybe the .260. Will they all be about the same cost reloading wise or is one a lot cheaper than the other. I need lots of practice! Is one of those calibers a stand out versus the others?

 

[gondorian]

6.5 Grendel is based off the 7.62x39 case used in the AK, whereas the .260 Remington is based off the 7.62x51 (.308 winchester) and as such has a greater case capacity and will be able to send the same bullets faster than the 6.5 grendel. The 6.5 creedmoor is fairly similar to the .260 Rem. but has a slightly smaller case capacity and is likely to be somewhat more expensive. The major strong point of the 6.5 grendel is that is will fit in magazine that will fit in an AR-15 magazine well. If you want an accurate AR for fairly long range the 6.5 grendel is one of the best. There are companies besides Alexander Arms that make 6.5 Ar's for pretty cheap, like J&T or model1. However, in terms of accuracy, you will probably be better served by buying a bolt gun in .260 of 6.5 creedmoor. I don't really know which would be cheapest to reload but I would guess that 6.5 Grendel would be cheapest followed by 260 rem and 6.5 creedmoor.
Have fun shooting.

 

[cal74]

223 without question. You might be able to save a few pennies on powder shooting 22 Hornet if you reload exclusively, but the huge difference in factory ammo prices makes the 223 the clear winner.

Don't think I've scene the price of brass mentioned anywhere, you can pick up .223 brass cheaper than anything else. There's cheaper .22 centerfire rounds to shoot as far as powder goes, but the Hornets aren't great on brass life and you won't be able to find brass in large qty's.

.17's are powder misers, but you'll pay around 50.00 bucks for a hundred brass intially


Bulk .22 bullets aren't to hard to find either for reasonable prices.

 

[gondorian]

Hello everybody, I'm just reminding you the OP NEEDS moa at 600yds, and is able to shoot out to 1000yds and beyond.

 

[LeonCarr]

I think your brothers are just flat out being mean for not helping you in your quest for MOA accuracy at 600 yards. You don't just wake up one morning and hit a 6 inch steel plate at 600 yards. It takes a well put together rifle, above average ammunition, and an above average shooter who practices a lot. If you have 2500 bucks to spend, my pick for you would be a Remington 700 or heavy barrelled Savage bolt action in .308, Leupold Optics (I like the 4.5x14 models myself), good heavy duty scope mounts, good sandbag type rests, and use the rest of the money for a handloading setup. The first factory load I would try would be the Federal Gold Medal loaded with the 175 grain Sierra Matchking Bullet. That setup, with the right shooter will hit the 6 inch steel plate 8 out of 10 times, and will allow you to talk to your brothers about long range shooting.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Oh, the parameters are now shooting at 1,000 yards; cheapest chambering to shoot? Changes everything. The answer then is something in 6.5mm or 6mm if you are reloading. Obviously, 6mm bullets are cheaper than the 6.5mm bullets, due to less metal used in them. So if reloading, then I'd say 6mm Remington, .243 Win, or similar. If you go to a 6.5, then 6.5x55 swedish, 6.5-.284 Norma or similar. BUT, if you're calculating barrel replacement cost into the "cheapest" calculation, and you're shooting a lot, as you say you do, then that also changes things, and weighs in favor of a 6.5mm round, particularly the not-too-overbore ones, such as .260 Rem, 6.5x47, 6.5 Creedmoor, or 6.5x55 swedish.

.25-'06 wouldn't be a horrible way to get to 1K either - pretty cheap bullets, but not enough quality and BC built into them perhaps to do this.

If you're not reloading, then the answer is .308 Win, regardless of whether you factor in barrel replacement costs or not into the "cheapest" calculation.

 

[beefstew]

no idea

Hey man, I have no idea about caliber etc, but my brother has been in AfPak for the past 6 months. Reading the news and the erratic communication from him drives me crazy. I'm glad your brother made it back - I hope he get through the re-adjustment!

 

[wishin]

.223 or .243/6mm.

 

[NelsErik]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and wishes for my bro. I ordered a Savage in 6.5 Creedmoor. They are putting a on heavy bull barrel on it for me from Shilen. They originally want to do the barrel through Savage, but the cost was a lot more than the Shilen. I was going to just buy a Savage and then have it sent to a smith to get a new barrel, but Savage was actually pretty interested in doing the entire gun for me. I chose Creedmore because I know that is what my dad is using and he already has the dies and ton of brass for it. I'm still trying to figure out what scope to put on it, probably a Leupold of some type. I still have about $1,600 left of my original budget. I want to pay for the scope and hopefully reloading equipment with that.

Also, does anyone know of any Benchrest type competitions around Arizona. I would like to try to get my entire family involved if I can.

 

[skoro]

Probably .223/5.56mm on a regular basis. Special sales might be less on other calibers from time to time.

It's a great varmint round and also for plinking/targets at ranges much greater than rimfire can give you.

 

[JustinL]

You have time to fire 1500 rounds per week? Assuming you sleep 8h per night that averages 1 shot every 5 minutes or so.

 

[NelsErik]

JustinL You have time to fire 1500 rounds per week? Assuming you sleep 8h per night that averages 1 shot every 5 minutes or so.

Yes, currently I am, probably a little more... The bench is maybe 50ft from the back door. On Tuesday nights we have family 9mm night and probably go through a yellow box of the PMC 9mm 250 packs each. I have been shooting every morning and every evening. I just moved back home and am trying to spend every moment that I can with my brother and family shooting. I would bet my brother shoots that much through his rifle. He is either shooting or reloading..

 

[JustinL]

Wow, lucky guy.

Shooting is not a family sport on my end.

Happy new year.