breakingcontact
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Send it.
Long range. What do you like over 308 and why?
- Thread starter breakingcontact
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USSR
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I shot in 1,000 yard competition for 6 years using a .30-06 and a 6.5x55, both of which are superior to the .308 at that distance.
Don
Don
.338Sako
Member
.338 Lapua Magnum, very stable out to 1500 meters and beyond in capable hands. Lighter than the .50 cal.
browningguy
Member
Any of the medium capacity 6 or 6.5 cartridges are superior, even the .243 with 107's or the VLD bullets. However the .308 has been around a long time and there is a lot of load data.
Caliper_Mi
Member
What range are you planning to send it to and at what?
Nom de Forum
Member
What is long range?
C-grunt
Member
Im currently using the 308 in my Remington build. However Im likely going to be re-barreling it in the not to distant future. My 308 has worked great out to 800+ yards, the longest Ive shot this particular rifle, but I want something with more reach and less drop.
Im mainly looking at the 260 REM and 6.5 CM right now. Both of them easily outclass the 308 at range and do so with less recoil.
Im mainly looking at the 260 REM and 6.5 CM right now. Both of them easily outclass the 308 at range and do so with less recoil.
breakingcontact
Member
Have access to 1000 yard range.
6.5 creedmore a friend recommended over the 308.
Im down to my last 2 rifles I need. Going to get some sort of "battle rifle" in 308 so that got me to thinking about long range guns and calibers that are superior to 308 at distance.
redbullitt
Member
6.5 all day. Any flavor. 260 rem 6.5x47 6.5 creed
A nice 243 or 6xc with 115g DTs will stomp most with minimal recoil. Shorter barrel life though.
A nice 243 or 6xc with 115g DTs will stomp most with minimal recoil. Shorter barrel life though.
CharlieDeltaJuliet
Member
I shoot the 300WM with Mk 248 mod1 clones and a 50 BMG with 750gr AMAX's. Mainly due to bullet co-efficient.
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Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Thinking along the same lines as you; I have a 700 VSSF in .308 I'm considering trading or re-barreling. I'd probably opt for the .260 Rem but can't give you a rationale for why it would be "better" than the other 6.5s.
The mathematics of any round is easily calculated for your needs (this is the constant and easy one). Next is the equipment - lots of choices and variables. Next is the shooter - grand amount of variables. Do your math homework and enjoy the journey for the rig and your skill - the fun part.
BullRunBear
Member
For those who prefer the 6.5x55:
Are you thinking about the mil-surp (mine is from 1905) with as issued ladder sights?
Or are you thinking a modern rifle with a powerful scope?
And are you using commercial ammo or handloads?
I've never shot farther than 400 yards, when I qualified with a Garand. Nowadays I rarely shoot at more than 200 yards but do have a 300 yard range available.
Thanks.
Are you thinking about the mil-surp (mine is from 1905) with as issued ladder sights?
Or are you thinking a modern rifle with a powerful scope?
And are you using commercial ammo or handloads?
I've never shot farther than 400 yards, when I qualified with a Garand. Nowadays I rarely shoot at more than 200 yards but do have a 300 yard range available.
Thanks.
meanmrmustard
Member
6.5 Swede, modern OR milsurp, any day of the week.
USSR
Member
Most definitely a modern bolt action rifle with a scope shooting handloads.
With a long barrel and good handloads, 2950fps is easily doable. And with the high BC bullets available in 6.5mm, that translates to only about 25MOA from a 100 yard zero to 1k.
Don
threoh8
Member
Everyone seems to have their own idea of what constitutes "long range".
If I remember correctly from the targets used in NRA High Power Rifle matches, 300 yard and under is short range (SR). From there to 600 yards is mid range (MR). 800 yards and out is long range (LR).
That's what I tend to use, understanding that 600 yards is still a long ways out there ...
I've only shot long range matches with .30-'06 and .308. If I were really looking into it now, I'd consider one of the 6.5's.
Nom de Forum
Member
I agree that is a good definition, but you never know what people are thinking when they say these things. Kinda like the phrase "high-powered rifle" that pops up now and then, it is all a matter of reference point. For all we know breakingcontact's idea of "long range" is something well beyond 1000 yards because of exposure to stories on Cable TV of sniping at ranges well beyond 1000 yards in Afghanistan and Iraq. Whatever his definition is of "long range", most people using any of the cartridges mentioned so far are not going to have the advanced marksmanship skills needed for as close as 800 yards to shoot anywhere near as accurately as can be shot using any rifle. Environmental factors increasingly hinder accurate shooting once you get past 300 yards. Even if you have a laser rifle you still need to be able to "read" mirage to hit as accurately as possible at "long range".
deadasslast2004
Member
1,000 all day long for me
6.5 x284 with 142 grain Sierra Matchkings and 49.5 grains of 4831sc powder and Lapua brass and br2 primers.
6.5 x284 with 142 grain Sierra Matchkings and 49.5 grains of 4831sc powder and Lapua brass and br2 primers.
Nom de Forum
Member
deadasslast2004,
That is a good set of gear.
That is a good set of gear.
Georgiaboy61
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What is long range? Anything well within the supersonic envelope of the cartridge in question, i.e., the bullet being fired. Extreme long-range could be thought of as anything at the outer edge of the envelope in terms of supersonic flight - and perhaps also into the transonic and sub-sonic zones.
Using a .308 with mid-range weight slugs, such as 168-grain SMK BTHPs, an 800 yard shot qualifies as long range, since under most conditions, that 168-grainer is going to enter the transonic zone somewhere around 850-900 yards, and start to become dynamically unstable. Firing the same load at 1000-1200 yards or more - as some military and tactical marksmen have done - would qualify as extreme long-range shooting, since the slug has already passed into (and through) the transonic zone and is flying subsonic when it hits the target. A tell-tale sign of an unstable slug is key-holing on the target paper... evidence that your projectile had started to yaw or sideslip.
How you define long-range and extreme long-range depends upon your gear, and of course, upon you. To someone experienced in ELR shooting, going out 1000 yards plus isn't that big of a deal; on the other hand, to someone inexperienced in long-range rifle, going out to 600 yards is a tall order.
My two cents, for what they're worth...
Using a .308 with mid-range weight slugs, such as 168-grain SMK BTHPs, an 800 yard shot qualifies as long range, since under most conditions, that 168-grainer is going to enter the transonic zone somewhere around 850-900 yards, and start to become dynamically unstable. Firing the same load at 1000-1200 yards or more - as some military and tactical marksmen have done - would qualify as extreme long-range shooting, since the slug has already passed into (and through) the transonic zone and is flying subsonic when it hits the target. A tell-tale sign of an unstable slug is key-holing on the target paper... evidence that your projectile had started to yaw or sideslip.
How you define long-range and extreme long-range depends upon your gear, and of course, upon you. To someone experienced in ELR shooting, going out 1000 yards plus isn't that big of a deal; on the other hand, to someone inexperienced in long-range rifle, going out to 600 yards is a tall order.
My two cents, for what they're worth...
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