Anybody have personal experience shooting ELR big calibers? I'm looking to get into the game and have a way to shoot out to a mile on some private land. I've only got a 6.5 creedmoor and want to invest in something that is better suited for that task but don't know where to start. What are the go to big boy calibers and cartridges for the ELR game? Opinions and personal experience welcome!
- Thread starter Northtogladwin
- Start date
What are you shooting
What cartridge are you shooting at 1 mile +\-? Pondering a build to make consistent hits at a mile. 6.5CM just doesn’t seem quite enough. Two categories (randomly divided): Less than 45 gr powder… More than 45 gr powder.
www.snipershide.com 
Push it!!!
Push that 6.5 as much as you can. Start at 1000 and work your way out.
Push that 6.5 as much as you can. Start at 1000 and work your way out.
I have looked into 300 norma and 338 lapua magnums. I don't want a Goliath or a cheytac.
Something I could buy loads for if I needed to
I'll take a lookWhat are you shooting
What cartridge are you shooting at 1 mile +\-? Pondering a build to make consistent hits at a mile. 6.5CM just doesn’t seem quite enough. Two categories (randomly divided): Less than 45 gr powder… More than 45 gr powder.
I have seen the 300PRC work well out to 2500 yards with heavies.
If all you have right now is a 6.5CM and you have said something about wanting to be able to buy loads, I'd seriously recommend you go with the .300NM
Learn to run it all the way to its limits & then if you have the place to be able to shoot further, you'll have a good knowledge of mid long-range shooting.
.300NM is the easy button for extended distances.
Once you start moving up from there, it's a lot more work and money.
You could also do a .338LM if you wish, but you might find it easier to work with the .300NM and a bit cheaper.
Both will get out about the same distance, with a slight edge to the .338LM if you use solids and push it hard.
Learn to run it all the way to its limits & then if you have the place to be able to shoot further, you'll have a good knowledge of mid long-range shooting.
.300NM is the easy button for extended distances.
Once you start moving up from there, it's a lot more work and money.
You could also do a .338LM if you wish, but you might find it easier to work with the .300NM and a bit cheaper.
Both will get out about the same distance, with a slight edge to the .338LM if you use solids and push it hard.
I feel like I'll end up going that route, the bigger calibers make the rifle bigger and less portable for me too
7mm saum my pet project mostly cause I shoot 6.5 creedmoor and the 7mm saum will just bolt straight onto my chassis I have for my creedmoor with zero modifications needed just need a new bolt and trigger and barrel and another delta scope and it will switch back and forth for me , 308win , 6.5 saum ,tons of others .
Go big or go home...
cheytac and above. in my view cheytac is entry-level cartridge.
cheytac and above. in my view cheytac is entry-level cartridge.
.375 Cheytach Improved or .408 Cheytach...
If you don’t reload(you should reload, especially in the elr game) go with 300 Norma
If you reload go with 338 Lapua or one of the Tubb XC variants
But now I’m going to throw a monkey wrench into the gears. Do you have a plan set out for this rifle? Or at least a vague outline? Are you interested in firearm Legos? If you want to build your own elr Lego set you can choose from literally dozens of cartridges and just swap barrels as you wish
Yeah I was thinking of building or buying from short action customs again, because i have a rifle made by them that shoots lights out. I don't want to go with AI or another brand like that. But probably build as I've never built a bolt gun before
Is the juice worth the squeeze though
If you want to build your own then you could pick a cartridge out of a hat. Maybe limit your choice to 7mm and larger. With the ease of barrel swaps you can have a shelf full of barrels.
Sorry for the confusion.
Choosing 300 Norma is still an easy button and nobody will question that decision
Since op stated he was looking in the realm of 300 Norma or 338 LM and wanted something he could buy off the shelf if needed I’d recommend something in the 7mm or 30 cal area. Lots of 7mm and 300 WM/PRC or especially Norma can do a mile efficiently.
If op wanted to go 2500+ I’d say the juice is worth the squeeze. But for a mile your increasing your cost of rifle and components for a distance even your 6.5 CM could hit. Just maybe not as consistent as the bigger cals
I’ve had my 260 out over a mile with 142 smk with ok results for the few times I shoot that distance with that rifle
If op wanted to go 2500+ I’d say the juice is worth the squeeze. But for a mile your increasing your cost of rifle and components for a distance even your 6.5 CM could hit. Just maybe not as consistent as the bigger cals
I’ve had my 260 out over a mile with 142 smk with ok results for the few times I shoot that distance with that rifle
Wouldn't the 6.5 be subsonic at a mile? Just seems like it's a screwdriver when you need a hammer.
Something along the lines of a 7mm-08?
I’m not saying it won’t be sub or in the transonic range. Likely yes it will be going subsonic at that range. Your muzzle velocity and altitude comes into play at just where that line is. Your bullets ability to handle the transition will also effect its performance. 6.5 isn’t what I would choose. I’m just saying you don’t need to go from 6.5 cm to 408 cheytac to shoot inside 2000 yards
Absolutely not what I would choose. That’s going to be closer to a 308 in performance
7 mag/7 WSM/28 Nosler type variant. Something that can sling high bc bullets at faster speeds. I’d even say a 284 win would be lacking in the 1 mile game.
Thanks again, looks like I got more research to do!
??? So you bring a knife to a gun fight? ELR starts at 1500 yards and goes to 3500+ yards if you can't compete to the very end you not shooting ELR. If you cant see your splash what are you going to correct. . So to answer you question yes its worth the investment if your planning on being competitive if not your just wasting money on a hope and prayer to try to connect on steel .
If your really serious about ELR the above is quite true. It also falls in the buy once, cry once school of thought.
One thing to consider though is those large cartridges are in a whole other league, not just in performance but also cost of actions and ammo/components, weight of the weapon, muzzle blast, etc.
I would highly recommend starting with one of the intermediate / beginner ELR cartridges; 300 PRC, 300 NM, 338 Lapua on an action you can grow with. Then you can rebarrel with a larger more capable round as your experience grows.
I guess we should ask what you plan to do with this setup? You state ELR and have a friend with a mile to shoot
Are you just wanting to shoot at or around a mile as a hobby? Which is what I assumed just based on your posts and what many are looking to do
Or do you plan to compete? For a hobby shooter to 2000 yards I think the 300 WM/PRC or 300 NM/338 LM for a bit more coin are decent choices. With ammo availability being decent at most times
Now if your looking to do some king of 2 mile type stuff and plan to use the 1 mile as a practice range then yes go big like cheytac. 375 or 408. The 338 LM isn’t even a decent choice for that game
But most are looking at this as a hobby. Which my recommendations would be more geared towards
Are you just wanting to shoot at or around a mile as a hobby? Which is what I assumed just based on your posts and what many are looking to do
Or do you plan to compete? For a hobby shooter to 2000 yards I think the 300 WM/PRC or 300 NM/338 LM for a bit more coin are decent choices. With ammo availability being decent at most times
Now if your looking to do some king of 2 mile type stuff and plan to use the 1 mile as a practice range then yes go big like cheytac. 375 or 408. The 338 LM isn’t even a decent choice for that game
But most are looking at this as a hobby. Which my recommendations would be more geared towards
If all you have now is 6.5cm and one mile or even 2000 yards is as far as you can go currently I’d not recommend a 375 or 416. You’ll just waste money faster.
300wm or prc will be more affordable as you learn.
Idk your budget or skill level but I assume if you’ve been doing this a while you wouldn’t be asking this question.
Yes the 375’s will be more consistent but if 2k is your maximum range currently it’s a waste of money. Like buying a 338 lapua when you can only shoot 500 yards
300wm or prc will be more affordable as you learn.
Idk your budget or skill level but I assume if you’ve been doing this a while you wouldn’t be asking this question.
Yes the 375’s will be more consistent but if 2k is your maximum range currently it’s a waste of money. Like buying a 338 lapua when you can only shoot 500 yards
It depends which action you build this rifle around, but yes. Some manufacturers offer replaceable bolt heads like Savage and some you can just buy the entire bolt. This depends on your intended use though, like hafejd says. If you just want to pursue this as a hobby you can get away with quite a few actions. If you’re looking to compete the choices narrow down quite a bit.
And if you are looking for specific recommendations about competition rifles, I’m about at my limit. I don’t have direct experience in this game, I’m just a casual observer
I would have to disagree with the statement that Extreme Long Range starts at 1500 yards these days.
I'd suggest that 1500 yards to 1 mile is mid-range long distance and actual ELR currently is something that really is in the 2500 yards and beyond range. The ones in serious ELR circles are pushing 3000 and 4000 yards with a mile and 2500 as like the first stops to making sure you have your wind calls correct.
The Op mentioned he had a place to shoot up to a mile.
The Op also mentioned his current experience is with 6.5cm
Telling someone that only has range to shoot to a mile and doesn't seem to even have any magnum experience to jump into the deep end of the pool, seems like something that would be setting them up for failure.
Assuming 1 mile is all they have range to shoot, I think they would be much better served by a simpler system in the .300NM (or .338LM if they prefer) that can easily handle that distance while not being too expensive or too exotic. You can grab good target factory ammunition for the .300NM in a pinch that would let you get to a mile and loading for it is cheap and easy compared to the bigger stuff.
Sure, you can jump into the deep end with the .375, .408, .416 .50 caliber types in the 50 pound gun class for shooting to a mile.
But you might have more fun at a mile and get more shooting done with a much more standard setup in the above suggested calibers.
Then once you get good at shooting to a mile and find a place to shoot out much further then get something bigger.
I'd suggest even in that case, they might find themselves still putting a lot of use on their smaller stuff as well.
I dont want to compete, I'm shooting on private property
The most I could shoot at the cutting place I have access to is like a mile and a quarter. I wasn't using "ELR" as a competition word just as a long damn way to shoot.
I'm not trying to be king of 2 miles, or shoot in a competitive environment. I'm also not trying to carry a 40 pound rifle out with me when we go to shoot.
408 Cheytac looks to be about $14/rd if you don’t reload so there’s that.
I think you’ve found your answer anyway.
I think you’ve found your answer anyway.
Then in your case something like a 300 PRC would work perfect. Easily handles the heavier high bc bullets and ammo isn’t crazy expensive compared to the Norma or 338 LM. Pending you can get it the PRC comes loaded from factory with rounds like ELDM designed for its long range capabilities
You’d have a caliber that provides more shots down range for your money, less recoil compared to the big ELR rounds and can be done using a relatively lighter weight gun.
Even 300 PRC/WM vs 300 NM barrel life could be taken into account. Especially if your firing a decent amount in a session shooting steel.
300PRC hands down.... maybe 300NM if you want a little more performance. My 300PRC handles a mile easily, I'm decently consistent out to 2200 and my most recent goal is 1.5 miles but I've got some work to do to get there reliably.
I've also got a 338LM barrel for my mrad..... hoping now that I've got a load with the badlands ICBM that seems promising I can push these to 1.5 miles but won't be able to test this until I can get more bullets in.
Here is a video I put together showing my experience with these calibers:
Youtube Video
I've also got a 338LM barrel for my mrad..... hoping now that I've got a load with the badlands ICBM that seems promising I can push these to 1.5 miles but won't be able to test this until I can get more bullets in.
Here is a video I put together showing my experience with these calibers:
Youtube Video
Looks like your just trying to get into the long range game and have fun. I would recommend 7mm rem mag 300 win mag are the easiest for components. 7 saum is a good one. I'm having good luck now with a 30 nosler but depends on I'd your going to reload or shoot factory and if you reload what powders you have on hand.
Caliber we have shot to 1 mile and to 2k
300 win mag
7 mag
7 saum
280 ackley
7mm-300 win mag
30 nosler
Caliber we have shot to 1 mile and to 2k
300 win mag
7 mag
7 saum
280 ackley
7mm-300 win mag
30 nosler
.338 LM with a 300g Berger is a pretty easy/economical way to get started at that distance.
Just my $.02.
Just my $.02.
I shoot my 7/300 Norma hunting rifle to 2,000yds. The 195 Bergers give you great efficiency.
I just ordered a 300 Norma and a 7-300 PRC, both 28" and 8 Twist. Switch barrel for Teds new Coup de Grace
Specifically for the 2000-2500 ball park.
I've had great luck to a mile with a 7mm Rem Mag and 180 hybrids
