The best 500m cartridge

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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by Westy » 15 Sep 2014, 4:46 pm

Bennybigbores wrote:FORD


Lucky to make 500M without blowing up! :lol:
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by GLS_1956 » 13 Feb 2015, 3:20 am

The only cartridge that I have personally fired at a target, 24 inch steel gong, beyond 400 yards was a friends Sharp's Rifle in Caliber .45/120. I recall the bullet was a hard cast lead, 575 grains in weight, with a black powder load less that 120 grains. Using the rifle's vernier sights I hit the gong, which was at 435 yards, four out of ten shots. My friend was able to hit the target with every shot he fired that day. Black powder cartridges are well known for their long range accuracy.
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by Wes » 13 Feb 2015, 6:34 pm

700 Nitro.

Give you self a challenge with a metre or two drop to adjust for :lol:
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by WookyMysta » 16 Oct 2019, 6:08 pm

G'day folks,

First of all, as a responsible shooter, I dont see the need to shoot at 500m. take the time to walk closer, It will give you a more accurate shot without compensation, and be more humane to what you are are shooting. !!!!!!!!

Ive got A stevens 200 $450 package rifle. Freekin awesome, but $2-3 per shot....using factory ammo,

Its cheap, nasty, and clunky af, (and an amazing hunting rifle) BUT...... with 58grn Hornady, at over 4000fps, i get consistant groups under 1" @ 200m !!!

Been at the range next to guys with $4000 scopes, with their fully sick tactical rifle and hand loads.Upwards of $8-10K $ rigs. Ppffffff.

When they see my groups, they lean over and ask me wtf is that thing. When tell them I paid $450, they pack their s**t and go home. hehehehe/

Real world situation, (not bragging rights for shooting paper). I dropped an 80kg boar at just over 140m, one sot, one f/book legend/

Hard to go past .243 as a general purpose tool.. A bit on the expensive side using factory ammo.. 308 would be better for more downrange BC.

Just my $0.02.. rounded up to $2.50 per shot.

Im a happy chappy,

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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by sungazer » 16 Oct 2019, 6:16 pm

Wooky the OP was talking about target rifle cartridge. I think you need to give the best cartridge for each discipline of Target shooting to be really fair. But strictly just a straight out best for 500 yrd or m 30 PRC and 6mm BR, 6.5 C / 47 and the 7mm SAUM all have a place on the top shelf.
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by bigrich » 16 Oct 2019, 6:31 pm

sungazer wrote:Wooky the OP was talking about target rifle cartridge. I think you need to give the best cartridge for each discipline of Target shooting to be really fair. But strictly just a straight out best for 500 yrd or m 30 PRC and 6mm BR, 6.5 C / 47 and the 7mm SAUM all have a place on the top shelf.


+1 sungazer . the OP was refering to target shooting , not hunting i believe . however as my long range "varmit" rig, i'm keen to see how my rebarreled 243 is going to perform this weekend . i have a 6.5x55 that i load pretty stoutly as a general game rifle , after playing with 243 i decided it made sense as it shoots really flat with the right loads, and doesn't chew as much powder or recoil as much as the 6.5 , and has more reach than my 222 . i found a article online where a US shooter took out some major titles with the humble 243 . interesting reading :thumbsup:
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by MrSavage » 16 Oct 2019, 7:02 pm

Its critical to decide the match first. Most matches have been around long enough that the good and bad is already known. Go to some matches and watch and talk to people.
As far as calibre goes, I shoot the fly and while some of the 6mm stuff shoots ridiculously well, the problem is that you just can't see the bullet holes at times. Its a match related issue because of how the shoot works.
If you can't see the holes it's all over in fly. It's a wind reading game and you need to make corrections "on the fly"

I shoot 284 Winchester with 180ish grain bullets and it's great. It's the happy medium between all the choices.

Calibre is only one factor in fly, it's a real gear whore game. It's the whole shooting system of gun, scope, rest, bag, flags and calibre.
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by TassieTiger » 16 Oct 2019, 7:23 pm

My 260 is not a bench rifle, it’s not a purpose target rifle - it was in fact built specifically to head shoot cape Barron geese at 500-600m.
Every person that shoots that rifle manages 1/2 moa with 120gn proj being driven by 45.5 of 2209.
I’ve now been experimenting with 95’s and 140’s and results have been equally as impressive. I don’t know if there are dedicated BR 260’s but from what I’ve seen, I think they could work.
That being said, I do like the 284 ballistics and versatility and had the 260 not have come up for sale....a 284 would have been on the short list. A friend has a 6mm and it can shoot very accurately, but it seems to be very fussy. We noted that even with only 2600fps showing on the chrono he was getting excellent groupings at 200m but as the speeds crept passed 2900, he started getting fliers across various powder charges. I’m sure it’s more rifle dependant then caliber regardless - a great 308 will outperform a s**t 6mm...
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by SCJ429 » 18 Oct 2019, 5:29 pm

TassieTiger wrote:I’m sure it’s more rifle dependant then caliber regardless - a great 308 will outperform a s**t 6mm...


Are you fishing there Tassie?. And no bites. I am surprised.
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by flutch » 18 Oct 2019, 5:40 pm

243, 25-06, 257 rob, 303-25, 6mmbr, 6.5x55, 260rem, 6.5 creedmoor, 6.8spc, 270win, 7mm-08, 280rem, etc etc etc etc
Guns:
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by flutch » 18 Oct 2019, 5:45 pm

also recoil is very subjective... my friends 260 has more felt recoil than my 270 despite a lighter/slower round. likewise my uncles 308 has more felt recoil than my 300win with a lighter/slower projectile. comes down to the exact rifle and how much weight is hanging off of it, and well yourself.
Guns:
Rossi S/S 410
Lanber U/O 12 gauge
Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
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Weatherby 300 Winmag

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G5 Prime Defy
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by Stix » 18 Oct 2019, 6:15 pm

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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by flutch » 18 Oct 2019, 6:27 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :drinks: :drinks: :drinks: :drinks: :friends: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

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Lanber U/O 12 gauge
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Ruger 22lr
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G5 Prime Defy
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by duncan61 » 18 Oct 2019, 10:21 pm

.243W will do many things in the right equipment.Perhaps target shooters feel you need exotic chamberings to be successful.When I first started F class a shooter had developed a 6mm Rem and he could do 1000 yards better than most.The Ackley .243 is similar ballistics
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by SCJ429 » 19 Oct 2019, 1:31 pm

duncan61 wrote:..Perhaps target shooters feel you need exotic chamberings to be successful.


Do you think that successful target shooter choose a particular case design for a reason?

Are there particular case designs that seem to dominate the winners circle, is this because the best guys are using them or in fact they provide an advantage over established case designs offered as factory chamberings?
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 19 Oct 2019, 2:33 pm

Nearly evening can reach 500m. For hunters it not much of an issue.. heard plenty of hunters saying their 243/308/xxx shot 1" group's at 500m and many bench rest shooters at the range with their 10k setup weren't even hitting 20" targets at 50m.

If you are in a discipline like f class etc. Find out what other people doing good are shooting, get their setup and implement that... once you are good enough as them... then try and change things around
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by duncan61 » 19 Oct 2019, 3:00 pm

SCJ429.I only have limited experience and it goes like this When I first bought my .222 for culling roos in 2003 I got all excited and went to a range and tried to shoot 52 gn MK at 400 yards and they did not make it.To land on the 3 foot square I had to hold over into the forest behind to land on the paper so at work the next week I went into my LGS at lunch and browsed all the fall of shot charts and decided I needed a 7mm Rem Mag as it had the least drop at 1000 yards.As it happened the Electrical Contractor was selling his Sendero in 7mm Rem Mag and I bought it from him.With 168gn MK on 2213sc it was very easy to plop the bullets into the centre at 500 yards.We were using the fullbore targets and I believe the proper F class are much smaller.Anyhoo I went a few times but the recoil and cost wore me down and I moved away from the area.My point is the equipment being used is far more important than the case selection.I am positive I could tune up a .243 to be accurate at 500 yards
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by bladeracer » 19 Oct 2019, 4:57 pm

duncan61 wrote:We were using the fullbore targets and I believe the proper F class are much smaller.


F-Class targets are enormous, like six-feet square at 1000yds. How big are full-bore targets?
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by SCJ429 » 19 Oct 2019, 6:27 pm

Ziad wrote:Nearly evening can reach 500m. For hunters it not much of an issue.. heard plenty of hunters saying their 243/308/xxx shot 1" group's at 500m and many bench rest shooters at the range with their 10k setup weren't even hitting 20" targets at 50m.


It is one thing to say you can shoot a one inch group at 500 but another thing to deliver the goods. If you can do one inch or better at a Fly Shoot they recognise it with a screamer patch. I have not come close.

What bench shooters cannot hit a gong at 50 metres, I don't understand what you are saying there. Was it pitch black?

I have used a 243 at 500 and it is very capable. Check the link out for a 243 that can deliver the goods.
https://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek024.html
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by Apollo » 19 Oct 2019, 8:37 pm

SCJ429 wrote:
Ziad wrote:Nearly evening can reach 500m. For hunters it not much of an issue.. heard plenty of hunters saying their 243/308/xxx shot 1" group's at 500m and many bench rest shooters at the range with their 10k setup weren't even hitting 20" targets at 50m.


It is one thing to say you can shoot a one inch group at 500 but another thing to deliver the goods. If you can do one inch or better at a Fly Shoot they recognise it with a screamer patch. I have not come close.

What bench shooters cannot hit a gong at 50 metres, I don't understand what you are saying there. Was it pitch black?

I have used a 243 at 500 and it is very capable. Check the link out for a 243 that can deliver the goods.
https://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek024.html


Well, I've shot at 500m quite a bit. Only on a few occasions got close to an inch group, just over an inch before the Screamer Patch idea started which is actually a 5 shot group of 1.250" or less. Saying you can do 1" groups at 500m is all bull crap, it takes quite a bit of skill to be that accurate all day. Too many variables happen.

Unless the 243W is a special built custom rifle with a special twist rate it isn't going to go very well at 500m compared to other purpose built rifle calibres. I shoot a Sako 85 .243W Varmint in 300m competition, have won with it against a number of other calibres including the likes of a .308 and it does have an edge over smaller calibres BUT...it's nowhere near the ballpark required to compete at 500metres by a long, long shot.
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by duncan61 » 19 Oct 2019, 10:29 pm

My 7mm Rem Mag with the 26 inch stainless barrel and 168gn Match Kings will out shoot my .243 Howa all day long at any distance but the recoil lying down gets a bit much on the 7mm.If the range is set at 300 yards I will go the .243 and do O.K.I am more into zeroing than competing against the top guns
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Re: The best 500m cartridge

Post by duncan61 » 19 Oct 2019, 10:50 pm

https://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek024.html Great link.My point exactly.I have read in earlier post shooters tuning up .223 however the few I have seen at the range struggled with wind drift and elevation at 1000 yards even with the 1.7/8 twist and 80gn pills
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