best long range caliber?

[bankwalker]

well after having 3 monster blacktail around 400-600 yards this season and not being able to get within 300 yards due to steep hills and stuff like that. and having some cross canyon shots that i just didnt wanna take with my 30-06

also i hunted the sage on the eastside for the first time this season. and loved it. so now i wanna start saving and buy a new rifle for next season incase i come to the situation where a 300+ yard shot shows itself. 

so whats the best long range caliber.

there are a few calibers i have in mind, that when zero'd 2" high @100 yard will have a drop of around 10" give or take at 300-350 yards. which is what im looking for.

is they any caliber that will stand out as a long range caliber.

[Navyhunter]

My dad shoots a 300WSM and I shoot a 300RUM.  He shot his last deer at 592...

[jeepasaurusrex]

Oh.... this is gonna get good! (ALA .270 vs 7mm thread) 

[Gobble]

I shoot Federal Premium High Energy 180 gr Noslers in my 30-06 that turns it essentually into a .300 win mag. The energy and ballistics are the same and of course the bullet is .300 cal. You might give them a try.

[jackelope]

maybe you should stick with your -06. it will do for you what you are looking for with the right ammo.

[jackelope]

the last mule deer i killed was 298 yards lasered and i killed it with my 06 shooting federal premiums with 165 barnes tsx bullets. put the crosshairs on top of his back and squeeze. i was sighted 2" high at 100.

[TeacherMan]

I guess I can fall into the trap of what caliber gun is the best for distance  I really like my 338 RUM with 168 or 180gr Barns bullets. Smoken fast (over 3400fps) and a gun that can be loaded up aswell for really big game. My wife got it for me when we thought we where moving to Alaska. I currently have it loaded with 250X bullets now that rock out over 3000 fps.

[Ray]

I think it will depend on what you intend to shoot and if you care about it being merely wounded, just good enough to kill, or mangled,vaporized or disintegrated on impact or not.

[Yak-NDN]

I would look very hard at the 270WSM flat shooting with some power. There are many other choices but do look at the 270 WSM

[Wacenturion]

Might want to check out the .325 WSM.  Just bought one a month ago.  Zeroed at 200....-7.0 to -7.7 depending on bullet weight at 300 yards.   Lots or energy at that range to boot.



    

[DOUBLELUNG]

Here is a great place to start: http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm

According to the table, the round with the greatest point blank range is the .240 Weatherby, with a 322 yard trajectory that is within 3" when properly sighted for maximum point blank range.  

There are several others within a few yards of that which have a substantially heavier bullet (e.g., .300 mags).

If you are looking for that kind of performance in your own rifle, you will need to develop your own, individual trajectory chart through practice.  

The other consideration is your own shooting ability and behavior.  The only big game rifle I've ever re-sold was a .300 Win Mag Winchester M70.  The gun performed fine, but I started to develop a slight flinch - too much gun for me.  I do a lot of open country hunting, and have never felt undergunned with a 7mm Rem mag or my .30-06.  Both are reliable out to 400 yards, though I personally try to limit shots to 300 or less.  I shot my buck this year, twice, at 304-306 yards with a .308.

I'd also look strongly at the various ballistic compensating scopes, if you want to shoot beyond your MPBR.  You can very realistically stretch your effective range 100 yards or more beyond MPBR, if you are a capable shooter and practice at those ranges.  Don't shoot game beyond the ranges at which you have demonstrated your own proficiency on paper - if you want to take 400 yard shots, you need to practice shooting 400 yards.  If your .30-06 shoots accurately, a new scope with a ballistic compensating reticle scope is probably all you need.  To shoot consistent sub-8" groups at 400 yards, you need to be shooting sub-2" groups consistently at 100 yards.  To shoot with game-killing accuracy at 500 yards (and there are lots of reasons to NOT attempt that ...), you need to be shooting sub-1.5" groups at 100.  

[Axle]

I have an older book somewhere that shows a 25-06 with a maximum PBR at around 325 yds. Nice gun to shoot too. Won't take off your shoulder when you pull the trigger.

I would also try to sneak up a bit better though.

Shot placement is everything. You don't need to cut them in half.

[Vek]

Once you're out beyond 300 yards, it matters very little what you're using for a rifle, so long as it can deliver 1000+ foot lbs of energy at the desired range.  Your '06 will do that, way out there.  A big magnum will allow you to spend lots of money on ammo and miss your target with a bullet that's moving much faster...

Once you're shooting past 300 yards, and particularly when you're out past 400 and 500, a small error in range estimation will result in a miss or a wound.  Laser rangefinder is mandatory.  A 10mph crosswind can also do interesting things to a bullet's flight out that far.  Magnums aren't immune to the effects of wind and gravity.  

The fact that you're asking this question means that you're probably not a gun-nut.  Do you reload?  Do you plan to?  If so, get a rifle in whatever chambering you want and figure out what it likes.  If not, your options are a bit more limited.  Finding a factory load that a factory rifle likes is a crapshoot.  Once you find it, you'd better be prepared to buy enough of that lot of ammo to last you for a while.  You will have a better chance of finding something that shoots well if you buy a 308.  



  

[Bob33]

What is "the best long range caliber"?

There is no simple answer.  What is long range, and what criteria define "best"?

Out to 400 or even 500 yards, you can kill an animal with a 30-06 just fine.  You need to (a) know the distance, (b) know the drop and drift of your particular load, and (c) know how to estimate hold-over.  All those require practice and a rangefinder.

The flatter shooting the caliber, the easier it will be to estimate hold-over.  A 30-06 bullet may drop 18 inches at 400 yards, while a Weatherby 257 bullet may only drop 6 inches.  If you can estimate 18 inches of holdover, what difference does it make?

The really serious long range hunters tend to use cartridges such as the 30-378 (378 Weatherby necked down to use .30 caliber bullets).  The guns are generally expensive, heavy, and recoil intensive.

If you have the itch to get a new gun and really don't want or need "the best", the 270 WSM would be an excellent choice.  It's available in many guns, is pleasant to shoot, has lots of factory ammunition choices available, and is quite flat shooting.

[elk311]

Shot my bull (311 4/8) with my Mauser 30-06 at 400 yards. 180 Grain Sierra Boat-Tail Federal Premiums. It was a fairly long shot but it could go further...

Definately do-able, and yes knowing my bullet drop was key!

Another KEY area to think about is retained energy. How many foot pounds will you be delivering to make a CLEAN KILL. I would say no less than 1500ft/lbs for elk. So after 400 yds it becomes questionable for an '06, in my opinion.