Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

[uracowman]

greetings guys,

I am new to long range precision shooting and picked up a new sako trg 22 in 308 earlier this week and took it out for the first time today. The thing is a blast and I can see how you guys are hooked to this sport/game.

A few months from now (if all goes as planned), I may build another gun. I'm pretty sure I would want a gun built around a surgeon action, but I was unsure of the caliber to choose. Apart from 308, what type of round would you guys suggest when shooting 600-1000 yards? I was thinking 300 win mag, but it kicks like a mule and runs through barrels. 338 LM is out of the question because of the price.

I've heard many good things about the .243, .260 rem and the 6.8 SPC.

 

[Kino]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

260260260260260260 or a 260.......... If you figure in ALL variables and the range you are talking the 260 is really unbeatable. There will be guys say 6.5 Creedmore or 6.5x47L as they are very close to the 260 but that is another thread!

 

[PRDRIVER]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

.260 if you reload 6.5 Creedmoor if you don't.

 

[Trevor300wsm]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

As for your question....any of the 6.5mm's are a great choice. However, instead of building another rifle already, perhaps you should shoot the shit out of the one you just bought and master it. Spend money on ammo or better reloading equipment.

 

[TRG4ME]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

i own a trg 22 and after doing days of research this is what i can recommend ...

1.. stay with a 308 its a very good overall rnd and u can go subsonic if u want .

2..I dont have time to reload so i buy match ammo
therefore if id rebarrel its going to be 6.5 creedmore (then maiby ill start reloding practice with 6.5 Creedmore then goto / 260 / oce i know id reload my self .
And if i knew that i will never take the trg 22 hunting real game unless i will only use it for rabbit or paper at the range id go for the 243 or better 6mm super x for shooting paper is the best.

 

[NateD33]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

The 260 is the way to go. They fly SIMILAR to a 300 win mag but still quite a bit flatter than a 308. At 1000 yards a 140g 260 packs roughly 30% more stopping power than a 175g 308 believe it or not. It's high BC permits it roughly 10 inches less drift for a 10mph full value wind at 1000 yds compared to a 308. It also has quite a bit less kick than a 308, with a top end brake it'll feel like a 22. These are only a couple good reasons to go with the 260, especially now that Lapua makes brass in that caliber. I also am saving for a surgeon action mine of course will be in 260 so I think I have an idea of what your going through. A good guy to ask about caliber selection who humbly boasts 2 world records at 1000 yd bench rest with 23 years of experience and also will make my stick is Tom Sarver, he has a profile on here look him up and fire away, that guy is awesome and has forgotten more than I'll ever know about everything from calibers to scopes, you name it. Check out his website at thundervalleyprecision.com for more contact info if you can't find him on here. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Foweis]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

.260 , don't look back.

 

[kahai808]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

anything 6.5!

 

[fred650]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

I've heard great things about the 300 win mag!

 

[C23]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

I would stay with the .308 for now, you just got it,learn with it!

Your setup would be a great FT/R F-Class rig, you learn alot in competition and it's lots of fun.

Best Regards and let us know how it shoots.

 

[Senderofan]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

I converted one of my .308 rifles to a .260 Improved a couple of years ago. I shoot standard .260 loads when fire forming brass. The .260, with 140 gr. bullets, is an absolute pleasure to shoot. As was stated above....it performs really well at distance. It is a flat shooter that can buck the wind pretty darn well.

If you have your heart set on owning something a little different...that can reach out...go for something in 6.5.

 

[jswhitesell619]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

As everyone has said, a 6.5mm bullet is going to be an awesome setup. I know I plan to change my 308 to a 260 proboly middle of summer or so. But I too am planning a whole new build, with either a surgeon or defiance action, but ill be going a little different route. As someone mentioned before, Tom at thunder valley precision is a wonderful source of knowledge and an awesome builder too! I think he will be building my next rifle, hopefully in 7mm Hulk.

 

[NateD33]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

I was just out at Thunder Valley a week and a half ago and saw Tom shooting one of his 7mm Hulk's and it was awesome. He said he only needed 46 MOA of adjustment to hit at the mile target. Frickin insane!

 

[RugerSlinger]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

Anything in 6.5, I love my 260 and I am actually selling mt 308 to build another one. It is so easy to shoot and is a hammer out to 1000 yds. The 260 is also very forgiving when reloading, no matter how I load it it still shoots .5 moa

 

[turbo54]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

6.5mm cartridges seem to be all the rage here on tge hide - and not without good reason. However, I'm partial to 7mm. There is a nice collection of 7mm cartridges running from mild to wild, depending on how much powder and barrel you want to burn, how much recoil you want to deal with, and how flat you desire to shoot.

7mm Creedmoor
7-08
284 Win
280 Remington
7mm RSAUM
7mm WSM
7 Rem mag

All of them are performers. Between a 260 and 7-08, I'll take the 7 every time because it has a tick more drop, a tick less drift, moderate recoil, easy on barrels and 308 brass is readily formed into 7-08 brass.

 

[The Punisher]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

another vote for the 260 Rem!

 

[ToKeepAndBear]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

I have a 260 and a 308 TRG. The 308 is nice in a 20" barrel platform. However, if only one, then the 260 for me!

With your stated range of 600-1000 yards (which is the range I shoot at most of the time) it does really well. It is also a pleasure to shoot. Less recoil (similar to a 223 with my TBAC 30p-1) and very accurate. I do not have trouble keeping up with my buddy that shoots a 7mm Rem Mag with 168 Bergers (and I don't end up with a headache). Everyone, from my 11 year old nephew to my dad, just shake their heads at the ease of shooting it!

 

[Ratbert]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

No reason to build a 300 WM for 600-1000yd comps.

The 6.5 option is a popular choice for a reason. Good selection of bullets, brass, dies, performance, and barrel life.

That said, I've been looking real hard lately at the 6CM option using the DTACs or Berger Hybrids for competitions where 95% of the shots are inside 750yds. They have certainly gained enough of a following to justify a little research before you make your pick.

I have a spare 7mm blank in the safe that I keep intending to turn into a 7-08AI, but I'm still just not convinced it'll be able to get the 162s going fast enough for my taste without having to run slow powders and long barrels. I keep hoping Hornady will come out with a 149gr 7mm AMAX specifically for the 7-08 crowd.

 

[turbo54]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ratbert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No reason to build a 300 WM for 600-1000yd comps.

The 6.5 option is a popular choice for a reason. Good selection of bullets, brass, dies, performance, and barrel life.

That said, I've been looking real hard lately at the 6CM option using the DTACs or Berger Hybrids for competitions where 95% of the shots are inside 750yds. They have certainly gained enough of a following to justify a little research before you make your pick.

I have a spare 7mm blank in the safe that I keep intending to turn into a 7-08AI, but I'm still just not convinced it'll be able to get the 162s going fast enough for my taste without having to run slow powders and long barrels. I keep hoping Hornady will come out with a 149gr 7mm AMAX specifically for the 7-08 crowd.
</div></div>

Not sure I follow you on the 7-08... Standard 7-08 (non AI) will zing the 162amax at 2800++ out of typical barrels, not exceptionally long ones. In fact, I contend that 7-08 is more tolerant of shorter barrels than 260.

How fast is fast enough to suit you with a 162amax? At 2800, it has less drift than a 140-class 6.5 bullet @ 2900.

 

[leadbullet]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

after many years of shooting all kinds of 308, i finally built a .260 and it now my favorite, i can't wait for my last 2 308 barrel to get burned up so I can rebuild them as 260 for all the reasons stated in the above posts.
cheers.

 

[WhiskeyWebber]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TRG4ME</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

i own a trg 22 and after doing days of research this is what i can recommend ...

1.. stay with a 308 its a very good overall rnd and u can go subsonic if u want .

2..I dont have time to reload so i buy match ammo
therefore if id rebarrel its going to be 6.5 creedmore (then maiby ill start reloding practice with 6.5 Creedmore then goto / 260 / oce i know id reload my self .
And if i knew that i will never take the trg 22 hunting real game unless i will only use it for rabbit or paper at the range id go for the 243 or better 6mm super x for shooting paper is the best.

</div></div> ooh, what kind of trigger is that?? Looks like an Anschutz air rifle deal.

 

[mortarguy5611]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

Is it just me or does that TRG trigger look like its made of leggos haha?

 

[Ratbert]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turbo54</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ratbert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No reason to build a 300 WM for 600-1000yd comps.

The 6.5 option is a popular choice for a reason. Good selection of bullets, brass, dies, performance, and barrel life.

That said, I've been looking real hard lately at the 6CM option using the DTACs or Berger Hybrids for competitions where 95% of the shots are inside 750yds. They have certainly gained enough of a following to justify a little research before you make your pick.

I have a spare 7mm blank in the safe that I keep intending to turn into a 7-08AI, but I'm still just not convinced it'll be able to get the 162s going fast enough for my taste without having to run slow powders and long barrels. I keep hoping Hornady will come out with a 149gr 7mm AMAX specifically for the 7-08 crowd.
</div></div>

Not sure I follow you on the 7-08... Standard 7-08 (non AI) will zing the 162amax at 2800++ out of typical barrels, not exceptionally long ones. In fact, I contend that 7-08 is more tolerant of shorter barrels than 260.

How fast is fast enough to suit you with a 162amax? At 2800, it has less drift than a 140-class 6.5 bullet @ 2900.</div></div>

I suppose it comes down to one of those "I'll believe it when I see it" things. I'm just a bit pessimistic of MVs I read on the internet, that's why I'm trying it for myself. I understand that the 7mm SHOULD be more efficient than the 260 but my 20" 260 only clocks in @ 2680 with the 139s and the 162 amax is not really the same weight class. More like trying to get that out of 20" with a 175 SMK 308, IMHO. I think it's possible I'll be able to score 2750 with it, but it seems everyone else gets better speeds than I ever seem to see.

 

[oneshot.onehit]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

Any of the 6.5s

That said my favs being the 260 and 6.5x47

 

[pappy83]

Re: Recommendations on caliber other than 308?

I really like the .308 I shoot it alot, so does my oldest daughter(Palma, FClass) but I recently built my son a rifle in 7mm Saum and now I think i need a few more. It is very accurate and throws a 168gr bullet around 2900fps without much effort and recoil is fairly light.