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Flattest shooting caliber?

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  • Red

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    Dont mean to start a caliber war, just wondering in you all's experience, what has been the flattest shooting round you have encountered. Commercial ammo, type of rifle, and distances tested at?

    I cannot peal myself away from the military rounds but I am trying to become a believer. Especially since supposedly they are looking at 6.5 to replace the 556. Not having to guestimate holdovers would be pretty sweet.
     

    SAWMAN

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    My 220Swift (Savage 112 Series J) could launch a 40gr NosBalTip at >4300fps.
    My Weatherby 30-378Wby Mag would launch a 125gr NosBalTip at >4100fps and a 220gr SMK at over 3200fps.
    As wildcats go,there are faster. Of course all in this category are bbl burners. Had a buddy that built a 22-243AI. Super fast !!
    There are strict laws of deminishing returns. Unnecessary bbl wear for really unneeded speed is just this.
    It is fun shooting these chamberings though. ---- SAWMAN
     
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    I know my 220 Swift and 22-250 (both Ruger #1 rifles) shoot flat, but I have been wondering what the effective range are on those rounds? I sold a 25-06, another Ruger #1, and I wonder if that would have been better for longer shots?
     

    SAWMAN

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    Love my Ruger #1's. If these guns are the #1V they would make a perfect "host" to turn into a 220AI and a 25-06AI.
    Had a buddy with a Ruger #1V chambered in 25-06 that he had rechambered to 25-06AI. It would produce speeds very close to a 257Wby Mag. The Hornady 90grainers would damn near tear a yote in half and explode a woodchuck. ---- SAWMAN
     

    Jason

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    I reckon it would depend on your application.... I swapped from a 270 to a 7-08 due to it being a little flatter and I hunt. My deer rifles (most Steyr) go from 243/270/7-08/35 REM/35 Whelen/300 WM and about to add a 308 to the mix in a week or so hopefully (Stery of course).

    That 220 has some good #'s and would be a great west varmiteer!!!
     

    SAWMAN

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    Joel, with the modern, higher B.C. bullets in the .224" offerings either the Swift or the 22-250 will have the effective range for as long as you will ever want/need to shoot. ESPECIALLY stokeing it hot like you can do in a #1 action.
    The only limiting factor will be the older and much slower twist rates. For the Swift and the 22-250,both were 1:14. To overcome this,on the plus side,you got speed on your side.
    A 1:9 twist Swift or 22-250 would be about perfect.
    The Ruger American comes in 22-250 with a 10 twist bbl. This would be a great platform for a "longer" range .224" gun. ---- SAWMAN
     
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    Joel, with the modern, higher B.C. bullets in the .224" offerings either the Swift or the 22-250 will have the effective range for as long as you will ever want/need to shoot. ESPECIALLY stokeing it hot like you can do in a #1 action.
    The only limiting factor will be the older and much slower twist rates. For the Swift and the 22-250,both were 1:14. To overcome this,on the plus side,you got speed on your side.
    A 1:9 twist Swift or 22-250 would be about perfect.
    The Ruger American comes in 22-250 with a 10 twist bbl. This would be a great platform for a "longer" range .224" gun. ---- SAWMAN

    I need to check the twist rate on my guns.
     

    SAWMAN

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    Remembering . . . back in the early days of the Ruger #1V there were only a couple .224" bullets offered that were >65(or so)gr. Speer made a 70 as I recall. It was a Spitzer or Spire point and had a flat base to keep the OAL shorter for the slower twist rate bbl's of the day. I tried them in a 1:10 twist Ruger Mini-14 of mine,and could not get them to stabilize.
    I believe that the #1V's chambered in both 22-250 and Swift were 1:14 twist until at least the mid 90's. The GOOD side to this is that the Ruger #1's are one of the absolute easiest guns to rebarrel.
    Hell . . . even ol' JJ could do it. (Or at least come close.) ---- SAWMAN
     

    joekocon

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    Back in the day (40s), the Swedes had a 6.5 mm round that was way ahead of its time in accuracy and long range! Now I believe that a "common round" that is excellent is the 7mm08. I know that wildcats are out there but for the ordinary guy, who only has limited assets, I believe a Savage or Remington, off the shelf would give you 1 MOA accuracy.
    A story! Back in the fifties I lived in Erie, Pa. We had a local Polish guy who's (neighborhood) house, on the first floor was a gun shop and had old mil. rifles stacked to the ceiling. His main business was converting Mausers to custom rifles. He had a young son that experimented with crazy rounds, necking down 3006 brass, etc. One day he went to the range and set up at 100 yards and started shooting. He couldn't hit the target, nothing was hitting the paper! After shortening up the range, he found that the bullet was vaporizing on the way to the target! After reworking his custom loads he told me that when he shot woodchucks, their remains would be "steaming" when he found them!
    Another friend of mine used a 300 magnum for shooting woodchucks...he didn't like to have to bury them. He'd rather blow them apart!
    Over-an-out!
    Olde Joe
     
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    no woryz

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    My 220Swift (Savage 112 Series J) could launch a 40gr NosBalTip at >4300fps.
    My Weatherby 30-378Wby Mag would launch a 125gr NosBalTip at >4100fps and a 220gr SMK at over 3200fps.
    As wildcats go,there are faster. Of course all in this category are bbl burners. Had a buddy that built a 22-243AI. Super fast !!
    There are strict laws of deminishing returns. Unnecessary bbl wear for really unneeded speed is just this.
    It is fun shooting these chamberings though. ---- SAWMAN

    Ahem, Who's 220 Swift........ lol ...... I did kill 2 prarie dogs in Kansas last November in mild wind at over 380 yards with "our" rifle and took just 1 shot each after I took 1 shot & learned the windage/elevation holdovers....3 shots total...... very flat shooting rifle.... called in & killed my first yote 2 days later.... I dont shoot it enough though, probably only 25+ total shots since buying it from you... couldnt find a better load than the one you prepped with the Berger's.... damn fine rifle.....
     
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    SAWMAN

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    My "normal" load for that gun was a 50 or 52gr at 3850. Saved the bbl. Cleaned thoroughly even after killing just a couple chucks. Used JB Cleaner once a year or so.
    I shot a .216",5 shot group with that gun. Many groups <.350" . . . MANY !!
    A solid hit on a big fat crow,high up in a tree,was a sight to behold. I'll tell ya . . . not much of him would hit the ground. --- SAWMAN
     

    SAWMAN

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    My "normal" load for that gun was a 50 or 52gr at 3850. Saved the bbl. Cleaned thoroughly even after killing just a couple chucks. Used JB Cleaner once a year or so.
    I shot a .216",5 shot group with that gun. Many groups <.350" . . . MANY !!
    A solid hit on a big fat crow,high up in a tree,was a sight to behold. I'll tell ya . . . not much of him would hit the ground. --- SAWMAN
     

    wildrider666

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    Shooting paper leaves the field open. There's a ton of info on 1000yd Benchrest shooting and equipment on line.

    Fur is a different, terminal ballistics matter more. The size and structure of what you intend to kill is more important in cartridge selection, then comes terrain followed by trajectory but good compromises exist. Add that most big game is taken within 300 yards which is a stretch for many (man has probably been lying about kill distances almost as long as he has been lying about the size of his junk). We may bust varmints at extended distances but thats rarely a first single shot victory as far as I have seen. Often those super fast light bullets are replaced with a more substantial weight (sacrificing speed) on medium size game. There is big and fast too, it will get the job done but there's cost in weight, recoil, and high potential for excessive meat damage. If we talk in terms of this ain't no shit instead of Once upon a time; if you have killing power to 400yds and the norm is well under 300 yds: why burden yourself with too much cartridge/gun?

    Flat trajectory is nice but its not difficult to to deal with the trajectory of any caliber/gun/ammo combination when you know the specs or are intimately familiar with your gears field performance. Unless you intend to just use a Point Blank Zero, your still going to use some form of Kentucky or mechanical elevation adjustment. Flat always means fast and fast means less time for adverse conditions to shift POI from POA but if we're only hunting in the 300yds+-range do you really need it? I'm sure some folks hunt and hit on the far side of 300 yards and that's great but not the norm. This is why I split paper and fur. IMHO

    As mentioned in above Posts/comments there are some calibers flatter then others but you still need the consistency of match ammo or better yet, your own handloads tailored for your specific firearm.

    I'm not a flat and fast hater. I've got a Ruger VT 22-250 and a .300WBY Accumark, both "hunters" but not more then 150 rounds down the pipes total. Other cartridges did the job quite well too.
     

    Red

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    man has probably been lying about kill distances almost as long as he has been lying about the size of his junk.

    hahahaha, love the junk comment! Very true!! Good points also thanks. I have never been hunting before and lean more towards "shot placement" line of thinking. But I would be foolish to go deer hunting with a 22LR I imagine regardless of shot placement. I am slowly getting myself informed on hunting, laws, etc. Look forward to harvesting my own chow one day.
    More and more I read, looks like I will likely stick to a 308. Its a round I am familiar with already and hear it is good enough to take most game in North America.
    Just curious, and yes I have google'd, what is the magazine capacity for hunting? I have read conflicting things. Some say 5, others 10. I would like to hunt with my SOCOM 16 within reasonable distance of course. Just wondering if I need to stock on the 5rd or 10rd mags. If 20rd mags are legal then I am all set. Just gotta splurge on some nice glass and should be GTG for whenever the next season is.
     

    TK5o

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    Mag size and caliber vary by state but I believe most are 5 round limit. Sometimes the caliber and capacity also vary depending on what game you intend to hunt.
     

    SAWMAN

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    In Fla. 5 in mag max for deer. Of course you can have one in chamber.
    If a mag that could origionally hold more than 5rds it must be permanently altered to hold only 5.
    Hogs and coyote hunting,you can use any capacity mags. ---- SAWMAN
     

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