• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

What caliber to shoot 140 - 142 grain bullets 3300 fps or more?

Just guessing, but I believe he doesn't want to calculate holdovers so he is limiting himself to 500 yards, a 250 yard zero and a super flat shooting rifle. I don't believe he wants to use a ballistic calculator, etc. to calculate holdover or twisting turrets. My guess on the motivation for his guestion.
Dead on the money sir. Tribb
 
I would like to shoot as flat a trajectory as practical. I'm not concerned about recoil,action length, price of brass, price of factory ammo or whether to reload. I can shoot factory loads and be happy. I just want to shoot deer, antelope and occasionally an elk to 500 yards.Any and all comments, suggestions are appreciated
 
A big 30 like an ultra mag, 30-,378, or a 300 Lapua shooting a 140 or 150 is going to put you way above 3300. I guess that will extended your MPBR, but you're going to suffer the typical issues with these setups. One is bullet performance. You'll need to choose a tough bullet to be sure you get good symmetric mushrooming and enough enough bullet shank left to drive straight through the vitals for clean kills at closer ranges. These popular soft LR bullets will give poor results at close ranges and super velocities. Plus inside 500 yards they are uneeded.

A copper bullet of some sort would be where I'd start since you're only going to 500 yards, a partition type like a Swift would be my second choice.

The other issue these setups usually suffer from is finicky accuracy. It can be tough to find a combination to shoot consistently accurate. It can be done but sometimes you gotta roll the reloading dice a bunch, which can burn barrels fast. But, keeping under 500 yards you could suffer 1.5 to 2 MOA accuracy and still work on a lot game shots less than 500.

Depending on atmosphere you're going to be so where in the 20-30in drop range at 500 yards, so due on holds on deer and Antelope with no correction is gonna be iffy. On Elk you could likely get away with some Kentucky windage as they say.
Recoil you said wasn't an issue, plus with a good brake that nullified.

With as easy as it is these days you range and dial elevation correction, I'm just curious why choose such a setup? With a good Rangefinder and good BDC Reticle and proper practice you could have really fast shot setups to 500 yards and shoot something a little slower and a lot more forgiving..

Just saying, but to each their own. 😀. Good luck
Power line rights of way figures heavy in this so range finder and BDC wo have to be used.
 
300 RUM, hands down I can shoot 150 grainers 3550fps and groups under 1moa, and a lot of times 1/2-3/4" as well. Retumbo powder is awesome! Can't shoot flimsy bullets at short range! I love the newer Barnes ttsx bullets.
 
Have to agree with the 300rum guys, you can push a 130tsx very fast. That tsx leaving in the 3800's and impacting at over 3300 works pretty well.

I am running the 127lrx in my 26n, just under 3500fps. Really any big magnum case shooting the ligjtest tsx in that caliber will be pretty flat shooting and effective inside 500y.
 
I thought this was going to be another "6.5 discussion".
yes, the 264 Win will do what you want. 270 Weatherby will, my 270 based off the 7MM Rem Mag did it, I am told the 270 sherman will, 6.5-06 AI will not, but close. 300 win mag with 125, 130, 150 grain slugs will. 26, 27, 28 and 30 nosler will do what you ask. 7MM and 30 RUM will do what you ask, dare I say the 20MM solothurn will, GAU 8 will, l am sure the 50 BMG will not (limited to 3029 with a 655 grain slug but if you sabot it, the 30 caliber 190 grain will travel at nearly 4800 FPS). getting back on track, the 30-378 Weatherby will with a 150, 165, and 180 grain slugs. 308 Norma will send a 130 and 150 grain slugs at 3300 FPS. 300 H&H will do what you wish with 130 and 150 grain slugs. There might be some other cartridge that will do what you wish.. but the other twelve I know will not take down the animals you are after..
 
My .02 is 27 nosler or a 6.5-300, maybe a 26 or 28 nosler. You want to watch out for the recoil and the weight of the gun as well. I was considering a 6.5-300 or 27 nosler myself, i like the small fast high bc rounds. I currently have a 257 bee as well.
 
I know you specified 140 grain bullets, but with what you are trying to achieve, and the animals you will be hunting, you can get by with a lighter bullet. I'd do a 257 wby with a 100 grain ttsx. Can be pushed to 3700 pretty easy. 300 yard zero is only 2" high at 100, and 6.5" down at 400.
 
You want to shoot antelope to elk at ranges "to 500 yards". First thing is you don't need 3300fps to do that. Second, be sure to choose a bullet that won't turn to shrapnel and give shallow penetration at closer ranges. I've taken elk at ranges as short as 25 yards and had a buddy take one under the same pine tree. Most (by far) have been under 300 yards.

Shot an elk with my 7mm RM and a 140g North Fork bullet (3214fps M.V.) at 400 yards and had a through-and-through. Shot another at 411 with buddy's 7mm RM and a 160g Speer Grand Slam
(pretty low B.C. and around 2950fps M.V.) with 4 steps and down results. I'd use either load at 500 yards or 5 yards. Cup-and-core bullets, not so much. Nosler AccuBond or Partition, Swift Scirocco II or A-Frame, Barnes TTSX or LRX, no problem.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 5 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top