What is your favorite long range (+1000 yds) rifle cartridge?

[REDLINE]

Even if you don't have it at this time, or you just feel it isn't pratical and you won't own one but still take interest in thought, what is your favorite long range (good beyond 1000 yards) rifle cartridge?

Someday I'm hoping to have a custom Weatherby rifle in 7mm Weatherby Magnum.

[sqlbullet]

Not sure if it is my favorite, but it is the one I have now.  Remington 700 PSS in 300 Win Mag with a Bushnell 3200 10X40 mil-dot scope and a Harris BR bipod.

[BEEMER!]

Savage F-Class,  6.5-284 with a Leupold VX-3  8.5-25 x 50mm Scope.  Best shooting rifle right out of the box that I have owned.

I must admit I have never shot it past 1000 yds but I know it will do it.

[Yondering]

I don't have a place to shoot to 1000 yards here, but my long range rifle is a 6mm Rem AI that I built on a Mauser 98 action with a custom Benchmark 28" barrel in the Remington Sendero contour.

Redline, I've never owned a 7mm Weatherby, but according to my load books, it's ballistically very similar to the 7mm Remington Mag. Downside of the Weatherby is the cost of brass and ammo, without any real gain. My 7mm Rem was a Tikka T3, sweetest out-of-the-box rifle I've ever owned.

[BEEMER!]

I agree with Yondering on the 7mm Weatherby and I am a Weatherby fan.  The gain they have on the 7mm Rem Mag is loading to higher pressures because of the Mark V action and then free boring the chamber which is not conducive to 1000 yd accuracy.

[REDLINE]

I agree with Yondering on the 7mm Weatherby and I am a Weatherby fan.  The gain they have on the 7mm Rem Mag is loading to higher pressures because of the Mark V action and then free boring the chamber which is not conducive to 1000 yd accuracy.

That's why I said custom Weatherby rifle.

Custom Chrome Moly Krieger Barrel anywhere between 26" and 30" with whatever twist rate you want with their custom target crown in Weatherby's #4 contour.

Also both the receiver and bolt faces would be trued.  Hand-honed action.  Custom trigger pull set to 3.25 pounds.  Glass bed recoil lug.  They lap the locking lugs.  And in the Accumark stock style I would choose, it would have a mercury recoil reducer installed, not to mention the Weatherby Accubrake on the end of the barrel.

It should be well under MOA @ 100 yards.  I'm not sure if you have to have the extra free bore in the custom Krieger barrel or not, but I don't think so.

You can go to the Weatherby website and build one however you want within the realm of what they offer.

[REDLINE]

Redline, I've never owned a 7mm Weatherby, but according to my load books, it's ballistically very similar to the 7mm Remington Mag. Downside of the Weatherby is the cost of brass and ammo, without any real gain. My 7mm Rem was a Tikka T3, sweetest out-of-the-box rifle I've ever owned.

In my studies it seems from equal barrel lengths the 7mm Weatherby offering offers an honest +100fps advantage.  I also like the 7mm Weatherby offering has a longer neck.  And just general FYI;  SAAMI says:  7mm Rem Mag - 61,000psi, and 7mm Wby Mag - 65,000psi.

But yes, much more expensive brass.  Though in this case I don't really care as I don't intend to go through ammo like I do in my 22LR, let alone my 10mm handguns.

The 7mm RUM I simply don't care about (not that you brought it up, just saying) as not only is the brass expensive too, but a much larger scale waste of powder with little benefit over the 7mm Weatherby.  I know, I'm nitpicking at this level, it's just how it works out in my mind for what I want.

[The_Shadow]

My heavy rifle for distance is the Remington 700 chambered in 30'06 utilizing a 6x24x40 scope, they were in the process of building a long range in my area, I don't know but I think it stalled.  I had hopes of going test it at distance there.

[REDLINE]

Had you settled on a bullet for the 30-06 toward testing at distance specifically?

178gr A-MAX?

[michael e]

1000 yards,    I would love to have a place close to shoot over 100.

[sqlbullet]

I guess I am lucky. There is a range less than 5 miles from my house that has 18" gongs out to 800 yards.  And for a 45 minute drive out to the west desert I can find open spots measured in miles.

Shadow, that 30-06 sounds great.  I have considered selling my 300 Win Mag and getting an '06 bolt gun so I could share ammo with the Garands in my safe.  But I haven't followed through on the threat yet.

[The_Shadow]

I have mostly loaded the Speer and Nosler 165 gr boat tail Spitzer...

Speer Technical Information Speer #2034
Caliber: 30 Caliber
Bullet Diameter: .308"
Bullet Weight: 165 Grains
Bullet Length: 1.215"
Bullet Style: Spitzer Boat Tail
Bullet Coating: Non-Coated


Ballistics Information:
Sectional Density: 0.248
Ballistics Coefficient: 0.520



Nosler Features:
The Ballistic Tip Hunting bullet's polycarbonate tip resists deformation in the magazine and initiates expansion upon impact.
Fully tapered jacket and special lead alloy core allows controlled expansion and optimum weight retention at all practical velocity levels.
Heavy jacket base acts as a platform for large diameter mushroom.
Ballistically engineered Solid Base boat tail configuration combines with the streamlined polycarbonate tip for extreme long-range performance.

Technical Specifications:
165 Grain Spitzer (Green Tip)
Diameter: .308"

Sectional Density: .248
Ballistic Coefficient: .475

Sectional Density: The ratio of a bullet's weight, in pounds, to the square of its diameter, in inches.
Ballistic Coefficient: The ratio of a bullet's sectional density to its coefficient of form, used to describe the bullet's effectiveness in overcoming air resistance during flight.

Note: These are component bullets, not loaded ammunition.
Mfg No: 30165
Manufacturer: Nosler

[REDLINE]

Good stuff.  I would just say that the Hornady A-Max bullets are less expensive than the Nosler Ballistic Tips, while terminal performance it about equal.  You might want to check them out unless you already have a monster supply of the other offerings.

[The_Shadow]

REDLINE, I'm totally understand, the Nosler are sold now in 50 round boxes, Years past I bought them in 100 round boxes.
Bullets in general are getting priced because the copper base metal has risen so much.

My past bullet purchases have been paying dividens.......

[REDLINE]

In that case I wouldn't change a thing!