LR Caliber Options

[Bravo 4]

I agree with what @cheechin is saying but if we were to apply that logic across the board, what else would you need besides a .22LR!!

Yes sir under that logic we should all be bow hunters, or worse....riding scooters! Whenever someone says anything about my rifles I ask them what they drive. A lot of times the same folks barking on about my rifle being too big will be driving a 4 door-4 wheel drive pickup that is pumping out 300+ hp or a car that will run well over 100 mph...hypocrites I tell ya.
Where's the fun in any of that?!

 

[nmbarta]

Mach 1

Easy buddy. I own both and shoot them quite a bit. You're off a bit on the energy numbers, but the point is well taken. I was referring to wind and drop and do understand that energy is part of it.

Like I said in the same post, for past 1000, or hunting at extended ranges the .338 makes sense. For punching steel inside 1000 it doesn't I can't remember the last time I pulled the trigger on my lapua inside 1000, it just seems like a waste of ammo to me, and they aren't cheap.

My 7mm shoots about 30" flatter at 1000 than my 338 lapua.
My lapua bucks the wind about 6" better in 5mph wind at 1000.
My 375 cheytac shoots flatter than my 7mm, and bucks the wind about 6" better than the laupa, but wouldn't recommend using it for punching steel inside 1000. It offers a clear advantage, but doesn't really make sense.

I don't care if you want to shoot a 50 bmg at squirrels in your back yard. It's up to you, nor do I care if it makes sense or cents. I was just offering an asked for opinion, that I believe to be accurate information given the question.

My point to the op, and why I asked the question on distance, was that If he doesn't plan on shooting past 1000 on a regular basis, there are better options.

 

[CarbonBonds]

With a few custom rifles in various calibers already, you can be very niche with this build. What about building for F-class competitions? The 6mm in 115gr DTAC gets my recommendation.

 

[JW74]

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback so far. I was off the grid for a couple of days as my daughter was born 3 days ago and I am now just getting caught up on all of the posts. I agree with the people that said I have the small calibers covered with my 6.5 Creedmoor. My current 6.5 is set up for PRS shooting once I have the time to go down that road and I don't know that a 6mm would be a lot different? I feel like I would use the 6 or the 6.5 for the same targets. On the large caliber side my 300 WSM is solid out to 1500 yards and I have shot it at a mile with success a few times as well. With what some folks said about the 338 Norma I did some reading and that round sounds awesome for long range steel! I will keep researching in the meantime and look forward to what everyone here has to offer as well!

Thanks!
Joe

 

[nmbarta]

Congratulations!!!
That's going to cut down on your shooting time a bit for while, it should give you plenty of time to make a well informed decision.
I didn't realize your interest in shooting that far, it only get worse from there.
You need a big 375.

It's a bit like building a shop, nobody every wishes they built it smaller. Build it big, it gives you room to expand/extend!

 

[WildRose]

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback so far. I was off the grid for a couple of days as my daughter was born 3 days ago and I am now just getting caught up on all of the posts. I agree with the people that said I have the small calibers covered with my 6.5 Creedmoor. My current 6.5 is set up for PRS shooting once I have the time to go down that road and I don't know that a 6mm would be a lot different? I feel like I would use the 6 or the 6.5 for the same targets. On the large caliber side my 300 WSM is solid out to 1500 yards and I have shot it at a mile with success a few times as well. With what some folks said about the 338 Norma I did some reading and that round sounds awesome for long range steel! I will keep researching in the meantime and look forward to what everyone here has to offer as well!

Thanks!
Joe

Congrats on the new baby, may only the best follow.

If you are really seriously committed to the 1000yds and beyond steel banging game you probably need to at a minimum be looking at the Rum's in 300, .338, .375 minimum.

When you get into ELR territory those super high BC bullets leaving the bore at a minimum of 2850fps really make all the difference and you've got to keep them supersonic to 1500 yda otherwise the instability of the transoceanic range is going to really bite you. VLD's tend to get really squirrel in the transoceanic range and can be completely unpredictable as they transition. They are made to run hard and fast.

For many reasons, cost not being the least of them I love the RUM cases as you can build on any regular long magnum action rather than having to step up to the beefier actions to handle the bigger lug required by the 500J case head and body diameter.

That alone can make you a 500.00 or greater difference on the cost of the action alone.

Going from the 6.5-6mm you're giving up a whole lot of energy and BC particularly if you are reaching way out there.

At medium to short range the 6's are romper stompers on medium game (deer/antelope) varmints and predators but I'll take the 6.5's all day for the added energy, higher ballistics and better ability to buck the wind, the latter being a significant factor frequently once you get to the middle and western parts of the country.

6's like the .243 and 6mm Remington gained huge popularity as "flat shooters" for the above for people shooting out to 300 yards thinking that was "long range".

In the modern firearms/shooting/hunting world though and especially with our crowd 300-400 isn't even considered challenging in most situations.

Yes you can probably find a youtube of someone killing an elk with one at a thousand yards but that doesn't make it a good idea and honestly you usually can't trust such claims to begin with.

 

[FEENIX]

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback so far. I was off the grid for a couple of days as my daughter was born 3 days ago and I am now just getting caught up on all of the posts. I agree with the people that said I have the small calibers covered with my 6.5 Creedmoor. My current 6.5 is set up for PRS shooting once I have the time to go down that road and I don't know that a 6mm would be a lot different? I feel like I would use the 6 or the 6.5 for the same targets. On the large caliber side my 300 WSM is solid out to 1500 yards and I have shot it at a mile with success a few times as well. With what some folks said about the 338 Norma I did some reading and that round sounds awesome for long range steel! I will keep researching in the meantime and look forward to what everyone here has to offer as well!

Thanks!
Joe

Joe,

Congrats and enjoy your new blessing! You've been provided excellent advice but the decision is ultimately yours to make. I'm sure which ever route you take, it'll be a well researched consideration. Good luck!

Ed

 

[Bravo 4]

Wow, new baby means congratulations are in order. I pray that all goes well.
Here is another couple options-
1. Build her a rifle, and yeah I retract my statement about a small caliber (nothing smaller than a 6mm).
Yeah you might be "jumping the gun" so to speak but the timing of it is there. Things happen for a reason.
2. My understanding is you are only to pay for the stock and trigger? Take advantage of the gift horse previously spoken of and build an expensive rig, sell it for a decent profit and start her a college fund. Get ahead of the game.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[WildRose]

Wow, new baby means congratulations are in order. I pray that all goes well.
Here is another couple options-
1. Build her a rifle, and yeah I retract my statement about a small caliber (nothing smaller than a 6mm).
Yeah you might be "jumping the gun" so to speak but the timing of it is there. Things happen for a reason.
2. My understanding is you are only to pay for the stock and trigger? Take advantage of the gift horse previously spoken of and build an expensive rig, sell it for a decent profit and start her a college fund. Get ahead of the game.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

Just start her with a CZ varminter in .204 Ruger. By the time she's old enough to reach the trigger she'll be both hooked and set for life with the perfect varmint gun!

This is why I jokingly call it "The Ultimate Varmint Rifle".

These two big old sows died with one head/neck shot a piece running away at about a 2 o'clock angle at 250 and 270 yards. The ammo was Winchester Factory 34 or 36gr can't quite remember.

We piled up a bunch of deer just as effectively with it with my sub 80lbs nieces shooting it as well.

 

[Hatrick]

Just start her with a CZ varminter in .204 Ruger. By the time she's old enough to reach the trigger she'll be both hooked and set for life with the perfect varmint gun!

This is why I jokingly call it "The Ultimate Varmint Rifle".

These two big old sows died with one head/neck shot a piece running away at about a 2 o'clock angle at 250 and 270 yards. The ammo was Winchester Factory 34 or 36gr can't quite remember.

We piled up a bunch of deer just as effectively with it with my sub 80lbs nieces shooting it as well.

Wow, nice sows. Great shooting also.

 

[Canhunter35]

Wow, new baby means congratulations are in order. I pray that all goes well.
Here is another couple options-
1. Build her a rifle, and yeah I retract my statement about a small caliber (nothing smaller than a 6mm).
Yeah you might be "jumping the gun" so to speak but the timing of it is there. Things happen for a reason.
2. My understanding is you are only to pay for the stock and trigger? Take advantage of the gift horse previously spoken of and build an expensive rig, sell it for a decent profit and start her a college fund. Get ahead of the game.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

Lol, I never intended it, but every time I had a kid I bought a new rifle. A buddy pointed that out.
To the op, Congrats on the little girl!

 

[yobuck]

You do have a very good selection at this point.
What type use would I want it for would be the decision maker for me.
Since its a custom action, I wouldn't personally be in a sence wasting it on a small cartridge unless it's for competition. The 300 Norma and others are best built on the larger bolt faces. As for the 338s, just like others the name dosent actually mean all that much.
There is not much point to going to the trouble unless the one you choose drives a 300 gr bullet 3000 fps, and more is better.
But regardless, since you have the opportunity, go for a big bolt face on the action.

 

[WildRose]

Wow, nice sows. Great shooting also.

Thanks, I'm 5'8 and around 210 for perspective. That gal on the left was "heafty" and her little sister was a toad!

I just took that to send to the CEO of CZUSA a dear friend, customer, and the lady who gave me the rifle as a thank you for teaching her husband to shoot a rifle.

I am still utterly amazed at just how reliable and accurate those 527's are and they have the best trigger I have ever touched on a production gun. They utilize their proprietary "single set trigger" system, the same as is available on their precision LR 550's.

That company just doesn't get the credit they deserve for great precision LR guns and their prices are extremely reasonable on their precision packages.

The varmint models are just ridiculously dirt cheap and freakishly accurate right out of the box.

The first kill I had with that was actually after someone else sighted it in for me 4" high at a hundred. I dropped a running coyote with a 40mph tail wind in front of 8 witnesses at 520 paces.

The first shot I actually misled him and put the bullet a body length ahead of him, fired the 2nd as quickly as I could work the action and put it through the back of his head.

I actually ended up having to lead him from a body length and a half behind to compensate for the low bc and tail wind.

That was among the most interesting rides to lunch I ever had as a guide, those guys were still just freaking out about it the rest of the day.

I ain't braggin on anything but the gun and the round, all I had to do was point it in the right direction and they did the rest.

 

[yobuck]

Thanks, I'm 5'8 and around 210 for perspective. That gal on the left was "heafty" and her little sister was a toad!

I just took that to send to the CEO of CZUSA a dear friend, customer, and the lady who gave me the rifle as a thank you for teaching her husband to shoot a rifle.

I am still utterly amazed at just how reliable and accurate those 527's are and they have the best trigger I have ever touched on a production gun. They utilize their proprietary "single set trigger" system, the same as is available on their precision LR 550's.

That company just doesn't get the credit they deserve for great precision LR guns and their prices are extremely reasonable on their precision packages.

The varmint models are just ridiculously dirt cheap and freakishly accurate right out of the box.

The first kill I had with that was actually after someone else sighted it in for me 4" high at a hundred. I dropped a running coyote with a 40mph tail wind in front of 8 witnesses at 520 paces.

The first shot I actually misled him and put the bullet a body length ahead of him, fired the 2nd as quickly as I could work the action and put it through the back of his head.

I actually ended up having to lead him from a body length and a half behind to compensate for the low bc and tail wind.

That was among the most interesting rides to lunch I ever had as a guide, those guys were still just freaking out about it the rest of the day.

I ain't braggin on anything but the gun and the round, all I had to do was point it in the right direction and they did the rest.

Not to be trying to pick an argument here W R, but a lefty CZ 527 in 223 was the absolute worst gun experience in my now very long life.
It was to be a special birthday gift from me to me, but it for sure didn't turn out that way.
Actually there was a total of 4 of them before the thing was over. I couldn't get any to shoot the many different loads I tried under 1 and 1/2 inches, and when each was sent back to CZ they confirmed that it in their words (didn't perform well), and sent me another. After the 4th they agreed to what I had asked for on the first one, my money back. Which they finally did, but the final insult was they wouldn't refund the 6% sales tax I had paid on the roughly $800 gun, nor the almost $50 I paid to ship the first one back.
So I bought a Savage, and the very first load shot a nickle sized group, which for me is pretty good for a cheap factory gun.