Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Flatest , lightest-recoiling cartridge.....

Yeah......that certainly makes sense.

Check ballistic charts for max point blank range. I think you'll find the .257 Wby on the short list for hunting rounds. It does have some kick, but not that bad.

You didn't specify range and targets of interest. The .204 at 4,000+ fps is flat and fast. It doesn't kick enough to lose target acquisition, even looking thru a high powered scope. It's a fun round, as the bullet is at the target almost instantly and you get to see the whole show.

Light bullets just don't hold up for long range. The .220 Swift would be in the hot, fast category, as well as others.

You need to supply more criteria as to what you're looking for, looking to do.

DF

More or less for rock chucks and coyote at 400+yds. Finding the 7/08 with 120's blowing off target past 350. Thinking if I use smaller bullet at light speed maybe it would stay on target better. Was looking at .240 WBY, .257 WBY, .243 WSSM ......what ya think?

IME I've found this to be true with a 6/06

Dober

HEavier bullet will help with blowing off target.

And long range isn't a game, IMHO, where you buy with money, the ability to not know how to range, dope wind and spin knobs. No flames intended in that comment, just a comment.

rost....at this point, i have only shot at steel targets @ 350yds. The targets are on a powerline where there always seems to be a 10-20 mph crosswind, if not greater. i wouldn't even think about trying shots on game until i know where my bullet is going.

Right now i'm exploring options(justifying a purchase) for a cartridge to "buck" the wind better. Maybe I'll just get a 7 WSM and be done with it....... decisions....decisions....

Run something like the 162 A-Max and the wind will more easily bucked.

I know what you are saying, and I applaud you to do all you can to lessen the drift. Thats the point. Drift. Not drop.

That gets lost on many newer folks to trying to learn a longer shot capability.

You learn quickly though, that drop is easy. range it, apply slope distance calcs if needed, and temps etc.... But wind... well you do the best you can caliber/BC etc... wise but its still the unknown.

Hence my thoughts are along the lines your topic should really say best wind bucking, lightest cartridge for X size game out to X yards max

rost, I have come to learn that drop really is the easy part, exactly as you said. After getting my butt kicked numerous times by a simple 10mph crosswind, I have really come to appreciate just how tough the wind is to get right.

Wait until you try a gusting 25mph crosswind at anything beyond 500 yards!

I was up at this spot on Sunday just crackin' up at how bad the wind was kicking my butt (at 600 ). It's some of the most fun I've had, but it sure is frustrating when it starts to gust up there around 15-20mph like you said. Those little 87 VMAXes get blown all over the place




Looking back West doesn't suck too badly though.

+1 for a fast twist .243 with the 115 berger or 115Dtac.

.585-.595bc at 3100fps does nice things in the wind and is very mild on the shoulder.

light for caliber bullets are NOT your friend in wind.... Thats why I loved shooting the 90 jlks in 223 when I still shot a lot.....

.25-06, .25-284 and .25 Roy, in that order. I haven't found anything to beat the .25's in the "light recoiling" arena that still shoot flat past 500 yards.

The .25-06 and .25-284 easily shoot 75 grain Vmax's at 3,700+. 115 VLD's will easily do 3,200-3,300 fps. The Roy just sweetens that pot by 250-300 fps. There isn't any .17, .22 or 6mm caliber that will hang with the .25's in the "light recoiling/flat shooting" arena. Flinch

Mailmanmark,

For good reason the various 6.5's are running well for range in the realm of F-Class competition... mild recoil and slippery bullets.

I'd vote toward the 6.5 x 284 Norma on a long action, similar to the Savage is producing.

What factory load would you recommend for long range with the 7mm08? Say for varmits to smallish Whitetail.

i would have to say the 6.5x55 will come as close as anything in a lighter weight rifle. in my guns it would have to be my 243win with 70grn bullets because i can shoot at 400yds and recoil doesn't move the gun off target. i can watch the holes appear on target,but that gun weighs about 14lbs.

I hear good things about Federal Fusion ammo, particularly the 140 grain load.

P

Well...... I wonder if it is the bullet i was using and not so-much the bullet weight ??? Lemme explain... The bullets that i had problems with drift were 120g Hornady (flat base) with a MV of 2985fps, i was seeing a drift approximately 2-3". Just recently tried my hunting loads of 120TTSX with a MV of 3130fps..... no drift at all. Wind was normal on the powerline, but bullet placement was "right-there". Next step... 400yds....

25-06 pushing a 110gr Nosler Accubond. It shoots accurately much further than I'm capable of shooting.