What Caliber for 600yd Whitetail? (New rifle Build)

[Chad Erickson]

To help with your choice of a big game rifle out to 600 yds, here is a kill zone comparison chart. Just add one or two of your favorites into the two blank spaces. It prints on 8.5x14. It started as an exercise to see what cartridge, if any, could be used for close-range elk in an AR-15 platform and grew from there. Of the rounds studied, except for the belted magnums, only the 30-06 with a 24" barrel and a 180 grain BTSP would qualify as a 600 yard elk gun. If you wanted to study for deer sized game, use 1000 ft/lbs of energy instead of the 1300 ft/lbs in this study.

 

[sailorjim]

I'm looking to build a 600yd hunting rifle. I'll be starting with at Rem 700 LA left hand, trued. I'm planning on a 24" bartlein barrel. I'm not scared of wildcats or Ackley Improved either. I reload so, I'll be developing the loads. The current rifle is a 270win, but I'm thinking there is more bang for the buck in LR performance and aftermarket support. Most of my hunting is within 350yds or so, but I'm wanting a reliable option out to 600yds. This will double as range gun for some fun and probably run 2-300rds per year on the high side.

I'm leaning towards a 260rem or 7mm 08 in the LA. These guys not restricted to mag length can be pretty impressive.

I currently load for:
308, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm 08, 270 win, 223
And I have a 6.5 Creedmore on order for my son. We'll be loading for it as well.

Must haves:
-Long Range Support in brass and projectiles, at least in the manufacturing side. I'm not expecting everything to be in stock. (I'm not against fire forming good brass)
-Decent barrel life ~1800-2000rnd minimum
-Enough kinetic energy for deer at 600yds

Would like to haves:
-cross over powders or projectiles to current reloading stock
-Factory ammo options are nice, but not required.
-Something that is powder efficient
-No one ever complains about low recoil...

Feel free to add details of barrel length, twist, reamers, and load data.

Thanks very much for the info!

My .270 Win with 142 gr bullet and RL-26 = 3150 fps. It is plenty of gun for 600 yard bambis.

 

[GAHunterJim]

Easiest decision all day...7mm PRC, it's what it was made for! Good luck!

 

[westexhunt]

My 600yd deer gun was a 270 loaded wirh 150gr Berger's. Now it's a 7mag with a variety of bullets. If your action is std bolt face I would go 280AI. If it's magnum 7 rem or 7wm. Might look at the 7prc or one of the Sherman mags too.

 

[trebark]

.284-06 would be my choice.

Isn't that a 280Rem? Great choice for an all-around deer rifle with 150grain bullets. It's inexpensive (everybody makes a 150g 7mm bullet), brass can be bought or made, a range of powders works and it's an accurate round.

 

[Hard rock]

Being , I have 6.5-284s, ,a 25-284 and 6,.5 P.R.C,S ,the 25 P.RC, does raise an eyebrow. I'm betting 4000 fps with the 90 gr HAMMER ABSOLUTE . The O.P, cant go wrong with the 6.5-284 though.

 

[crazymonkey]

I say 7-08 will do the trick .Mine is a custom build on my grandfather's inter arms Mauser action with a brux 26 inch barrel and will push the 140 ttsx north of 3000 fps and a 120 in the 3100 to 3200 range.But I'm also building a 280ai just because it's something different and I don't have one .Should fit in between my light guns and the big magnums nicely

 

[Xescane]

I been shooting my faithful 1975 rem 700 30-06 out to 600 yards with Hornady 150gr boat tails for 30 years. It's only recently that I build myself a 300 win mag that shoots 208eldm out to a mile and a 6.5cm that I wouldnt shoot at a animal with past 400. While the 6.5 is accurate it simply does not have enough punch once it gets out there. My 300 mag has more muzzle energy at 1,000 yards than my 6.5 does at 400 yards.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Oh I am going to order some 6.5 right now!

Order some 150 Bulldozers for your "Lady" also!

 

[Hard rock]

The 6.5-284 and the 6.5 PRC has a lot more vel than the CREEDMOORE , not all 6.5 calls are equal.

 

[jessej]

I would imagine that in Alabama, you would like your white-tail to drop where it stands and not run off into the woods / briars / swamp. To do that at 600 yards I think you're going to need a big magnum, so you may want to keep your current .270 as-is for range gun and shorter-range hunting.

For a 600 yard shooter in the US Southeast, I'd pick a 300 RUM / improved Norma Mag / Lapua Mag.

YES YES YES.

 

[nralifer]

I'll second the 6.5x284. I built mine on a tenacity long action using a 300wm (3.715) magazine with slight adjustment of the lips. It feeds great and holds a better cold bore zero than a lot of rounds I've run in the past. I built mine heavy, but you don't have to. I'm running 142 SMKs and they are hell on a WT. I took three this year with it, two at 400 and one at 527 and they were all DRT with a high shoulder shot. You can put the 6.5x284 where you want it. MV is 2960 with 48.1 of Varget. This round also really likes 4831SC and H4350.

Here's a 600yd target with my current setup, and a pic of the rifle because, why not.

I definitely agree wit the 6.5x284 but have significant reservations about using SMKs to hunt with. Had enough problems with 30 cal SGKs in Africa with over mushrooming , poor penetration and jacket/core separations at 100-200 yds to know that a bullet constructed to only hit steel or punch through paper was not engineered or tested to perform like a real hunting bullet. The SGK is supposedly a hunting bullet but yet, in my experience is not consistent at adequately penetrating animals. Even though they are a "hunting " bullet they perform unreliably within 200 yds especially when pushed hard. Accuracy was not an issue.

 

[JarHeadTim]

280 AI

 

[BigNate]

You didn't say exactly if you are using the 270 as the donor for the project, or if you just have an action available in your opening post.(didn't read the pages of opinions yet)

If you want a caliber that crosses a couple rifles 6.5 or 7mm would make sense. Of those the choice is obviously the 6.5-06 AI. Twist rate needs to be based on the bullets you want to use obviously, and I'd go to a 26" barrel to squeeze a bit more velocity out.

If you are willing to try a new caliber, an AI .25-06 with about a 1:8.5 twist would be my choice if it's a standard bolt. If magnum face I'd probably do a .25 PRC or 257 Weatherby also twisted for 130-135gr.