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Posted: 1/30/2018 8:15:13 AM EDT
Have a local LR match run on a family farm that has increased in range over the past few years from 1,000yds to just under 1,200yds.
This past year they started playing around with overhead imagery of their property and doing some ground surveys and have laid out and cleared a path for a one mile shoot. Plan is to have a check target around 1,000yds and then one at 1,760yds. No way I'd consider my 6.5x47 Lapua a real one mile rig, though I'm sure I'll give it a go, so it's got me thinking about putting together a rifle specifically for doing ELR like this match with the pipe dream of doing an ELR Haj with some buddies out west one year. So, without getting into a .50BMG or the super exotics like the Cheytacs, what's available? 338LM immediately comes to mind and I'm guessing long loaded 300WM might get it done with the right optic mount and bullet to get the hold overs needed. Are there heavy enough 6.5mm bullets available to take something like a 6.5 Weatherby or 6.5-284 that far? Any other caliber ideas? Figure I'll research that before getting into the barrel, chassis, and optic. |
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good question, most likely you like need 338 lapula
6.5 284 or 300 WM under ideal conditions maybe but probably not the right tool for the job. |
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50 BMG
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.416 Barrett.
450 or 472 gr Cutting Edge bullet at 3200 fps. Minute of clay pigeon at 1000 yds. Just saw the caliber limitation. If you build custom look real hard at the .338 Edge. Fast and accurate, but easy to load. |
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Ellen; Clark, I think it'd be best if everyone went home... before things get worse.
Clark; WORSE? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We're at the threshold of hell. |
I have shot my .338 rum a mile consistently. Hitting a 4 foot gong with rounds hitting just over a foot grouping. I think with a few more dollars, better dope ect I could decrease that.
I also think my 6.5 creedmore could be worked up to to do that easy enough. Have seen many vids of 2000 yards or more from that round |
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The object is to have your sword wiped clean and resheathed before your enemy's head hits the ground.
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Originally Posted By eracer:
OP specifically said no to .50 BMG View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By eracer:
Originally Posted By Durango100:
50 BMG Basically, I want to be able to buy the brass and bullets to handload from day one from the usual suspects like Midway and Grafs. I fully understand I'll be spending money on the Lapua and Berger grade brass and bullets, as I already do for the 6.5x47L, but I'm not looking at $5 solid copper projectiles done on a lathe. |
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I forgot
300 RUM might be a good choice with a nice 200 + grain bullet |
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7 saum on a long action. You'd be surprised what a little extra length will let you do with that cartridge. No need to go crazy.
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I got it at the Costco.
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Originally Posted By reelserious:
I forgot 300 RUM might be a good choice with a nice 200 + grain bullet View Quote Just click the link, go straight to the bottom and click calculate..this is a conservative load for 300rum... 300rum ballistics table |
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Originally Posted By TeeRex:
7 saum on a long action. You'd be surprised what a little extra length will let you do with that cartridge. No need to go crazy. View Quote |
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Originally Posted By towerofpower94:
I'm presuming the extra length in the mag/action allows for the heavy 7mm bullets to be run long, giving some more case capacity and helping to get the VLD style bullets the perfect jump they so desire? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By towerofpower94:
Originally Posted By TeeRex:
7 saum on a long action. You'd be surprised what a little extra length will let you do with that cartridge. No need to go crazy. |
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I got it at the Costco.
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A 6.5x55 is sufficient, hell my .243AI makes a mile at sea level supersonic but you'll probably want to step up to a magnum power level so it's not such an edge rider. A 7mm Rem Mag is a good option with 180's and a full power charge it'll get there. A 28 Nosler would be a spanky option. 300wm has a lot of recoil for my taste but works well with heavy side bullets. A 7mm short mag is also an option, which I'd do in favor of a belted magnum. .300 Norma Magnum is also a good option.
I use a 7mm RemMag with 180gn Berger's. Note, things that make it that far and aren't larger bore boomers like a .338LM or .50cal are not going to generally be super nice to barrels. Not always true but true enough often enough. |
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.243 with 1/7" barrel and 115gr VLDs. Your 6.5 will probably do it quite easily.
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cola-warrior.com
#teamemily |
300 Norma would be my choice.
I'm considering getting a Savage single shot in 338 Lapua and rebarreling it. |
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The one thing that makes me think my 6.5x47L and some of the other 'long range' but not 'extreme long range' cartridges will have problems is that the match is at the foothills of the Shenandoah Valley. It's not Camp Perry with 20mph wind all the time, but once spring goes into summer, the sun rises in summer, and summer goes into fall, we have switchy wind across the dairy paddocks that make up the land between firing line and targets.
While my ballistic calculator says the x47L will make it to 1,760yds, how many feet off target I'll be is only learned by how wide a path they've cut in the timber. I'm leaning towards the hot 7mm or going 338LM or 338LM Improved. Figure if I'm building it from the ground up I may as well get the little extra velocity from the Ackley shoulder and burn the cash once on the cheapest box of .338 projeciles I can find to fireform. |
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In order of what I’d go with.
28 Nosler, berger 195 EOL or Hornady 180 eld-m with a fast twist barrel. 300 Norma, 220/230’s 30 Nosler, 215-220’s |
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Originally Posted By SuperJlarge:
In order of what I’d go with. 28 Nosler, berger 195 EOL or Hornady 180 eld-m with a fast twist barrel. 300 Norma, 220/230’s 30 Nosler, 215-220’s View Quote That said, I presume barrel life will be shorter in these overbore calibers as compared to the 338LM and others which have more conventional case:neck diameter ratios. As none of these rifle ideas would be picked up as is from a retailer, and custom shops take some time, I think I’m going to run my x47L with Berger 130s while seeing what some of the other shooters bring to play with. |
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Watch some of the milk jug challenge videos on youtube. This dude nailed it with a factory .308 Bergara.
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I ended up saying screw it and went 338LM.
Bought a lightly used MPA barreled action off Snipers Hide and have a chassis order brewing. Figure it'll take me a number of years to shoot the barrel out and I'll still have a magnum face bolt and action for rebarrelling to 300Norma or whatever the latest and greatest ELR/ULR caliber is at that point. |
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105mm howitzer.
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NYSRPA Life Member, NRA Life Member
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Nice videos. Thanks for sharing. I have my savage 338 FCP to try that one of these days.
Just to add, check out the mile milk jug challenge to give you an idea of 1 mile shots. 6.5 CM is on here. Milk Jug Challenge |
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It looked like water was dribbling out of the jug after the first hit on the plate on Vid1.
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We shoot across canyons a few times a a year out here in far west Texas. Even with the constant tricky crosswinds we have out here we don’t have much trouble with a 6.5x47 and 140 VLDs. On calmer days we can get there pretty easy with 6x47 and 115 DTACs as well. Well as calm as we can get in WTX anyways. Our targets out there are a bit past a mile at 1820 though. My 6.5 SAUM makes easy work of it on all but the nasty days.
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Originally Posted By JoshAston:
.243 with 1/7" barrel and 115gr VLDs. Your 6.5 will probably do it quite easily. View Quote |
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Have you considered the 338-378 Weatherby?
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I hit a LaRue target at one mile with a .300 RUM. I think it took 6 shots.
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Turns out, it was a different elephant.
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Ended up buying/building a 338LM in an MPA chassis and Razor Gen 2 on top with an AAC Titan-Ti can on the end.
Doing load dev now, but not expecting to take it to distance until next spring. |
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300 RUM will get you there, been doing some research and it’s my “next”
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Originally Posted By dempsy1:
300 RUM will get you there, been doing some research and it’s my “next” View Quote Attached File |
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A co-worker went out to Montana or somewhere out west and competed in a 1000 Yd. and 2000 Yd. bench rest match. He won the 2000 Yd. match with about an 18" group. I will ask him what cal he was shooting. I remember it was a .30 cal, burning 90 odd grains of powder, so about twice as large capacity of a .308 win.
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I dont know why a .375 cheytac is considered an "exotic"...
I shoot 350 smk out to 2k over 133.5 rotumbo 3100 fps....custom rifle on a stiller action, March scope. I can't justify getting a Lapua when this combo works and really doesn't cost much more. Very economical very comfortable rifle. Heck my daughter shoots it more than me. I call it the .375 girltac now. I have another in the works now with a pink, purple, blue, white, Camo stock. Probably just put a night force on it can't giver her all the good stuff. |
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Originally Posted By JoshAston:
.243 with 1/7" barrel and 115gr VLDs. Your 6.5 will probably do it quite easily. View Quote Getting a 243 out to that kind of range requires a few loading tricks though. Lapua brass, which its harder case head prevents pressure signs developing on hot loads. Moly coated bullets allows more velocity and more powder. For sure small 243 cal bullets are not the best solution for ultra long range shooting but the cartridge can certainly do it and the nicest thing is the gun doesn't beat the sh!t out of you in the process. |
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The Hogg brat says 5.56 is good to go...
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byte-me
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It can be done with a .308 but I would lean towards the .300 win Mag .
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I can hit steel at 1,200 yards with my Ruger Precision rifle in .308 & my .260 Remington 700 Magpul Edition .
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20MM
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I did at Camp Atterbury with my 6.5-284 a few years back. Not the ideal caliber.
The only guys that went further back and shot at 2,000 yards were shooting 338 Lapuas. |
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300 PRC shooting the 250 grain ELD-M.
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Originally Posted By BruceLeroy:
300 PRC shooting the 250 grain ELD-M. View Quote Attached File https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/300-prc-212-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter# |
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I have a 31" 9.5-9 gain twist 5r Bartlein in .300 PRC.
With the 230 A-tip I can go as fast as 2950fps, but accuracy node is closer to 2900fps. At my elevation (~2000ft, 27.5ish inHg typically) it's well supersonic to just shy of 2000. Running the 4dof app at 29.92, 59 degrees, etc.. it dips below 1200fps somewhere around 1800yd. Should make it to a mile fine. I have had good results out to 1855yd. Variable wind starts to be the biggest problem. The target is a 24x24" square plate (1.23 MOA) and I get lots of misses off the left and right edge. At 1630 a couple weekends ago I got 4 consecutive hits on a full-size torso plate. The 230's vs. the 250's in most cases have about the same supersonic range (CD vs. MV trade off). The 250's hit with more splash so you're less likely to not see where you're missing, The 230's are a flatter trajectory. Windage is a wash between them. I'd consider the .300 PRC to be a good way to get to a mile if you're not in it to go with a .589" bolt face receiver or larger. For the next time I get to the range I have the plate set at 1923yd and will give that a go with the 230's. Running out of elevation in the scope at that point. |
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300 Norma
300 PRC if you are on a budget An RPR would be a good low cost of entry rifle. |
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Ive had good luck with my 300wm, but Id seriously consider a 300NM or 300PRC when I rebarrel.
I shoot a 29in 1/8 twist, specifically to shoot the 230grn bullets though. Im at 19 mils of drop to get to 1655m, which is a touch over a mile, but Im at about 4k elevation. |
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1lt Weston Lee, KIA April 29, 2017. KUTF
Front sight focus is true enlightenment Thats cool brah, but can you Chug? |
One consideration is that the bigger bullets are much easier to see. Both when they hit and mark the target AND when they miss. Small 6.5 bullets may or may not have enough of a splash to see, taking into account mirage and other elements of your location.
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1lt Weston Lee, KIA April 29, 2017. KUTF
Front sight focus is true enlightenment Thats cool brah, but can you Chug? |
Savage 110BA in 338LM was my 50Bmg comprise and it's a good rifle for the money.
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StealthM8 makes an excellent suggestion for several reasons. First, .338LM is widely used by government agencies, and armed forces around the world which means continued development of cartridge including more efficient projectile designs. Second, the Savage 110BA .338LM seems to be increasingly appreciated/coveted since it was discontinued by Savage. Third, are you able to name another high quality, accurate, feature laden .338LM platform for less than $4,500.00?
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300 PRC will do it. 300 RUM and 300 WM are old news.
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Originally Posted By AKSnowRider:
LOL..nice pipe dream, but its no where near reality.... View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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The object is to have your sword wiped clean and resheathed before your enemy's head hits the ground.
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I suspect for a mile you may want some barrel life too. I would maybe shoot something larger like 338 or something cheaper like 6.5-7mm and rebarrel.
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