Need a little help picking a caliber

[acloco]

My goal - shoot a couple prairie dogs at 1000 yards.
#2 goal - shoot a deer sized game at 800-1000 yards.

#3 - have my sanity checked.....


The foundation:

Savage, stainless steel, light accutrigger, single shot action (two sizes of bolt faces)
Savage laminated BVSS stock
Nightforce 8-32x56 in Leupy one piece base and Burris Signature Zee rings

#1 rule - I am NOT going to go broke buying brass for the caliber (in other words, I will not spend $1 per brass or more)
#2 rule - I do not want to buy another barrel after 1000 rounds
#3 rule - Off the shelf dies available

I have the following...(does not mean I have to stick with this)

500 new 6.5x55 brass
400 new Lapua 223 brass ( I also own a 223 AI reamer)

New 30" 1:8 twist stainless match barrel (unchambered)

or...

Sniper's Hide website is having a group buy on stainless barrels in whatever caliber you want (unchambered/threaded).

[Hawkeye Joe]

Barrett model 99 in .416

[KIM204]

Acloco, Have you looked at the 6.5-284 WIN.

[acloco]

kim204 - Yep....$1 per piece of brass...at 2007 prices. At best, I could neck down some 284 Win brass, but finding new 284 Win brass is nearer to hen's teeth.

Hawkeye - good thinking....how much is brass? Cost of bullets? ugh!!!

[jayph]

.300 Win Mag

Other than that I can't think of too many calibers that will have the Energy at 1000 to put down a deer that won't have barrel wear or have expensive brass. Tough criteria.

[WrzWaldo]

Hawkeye - good thinking....how much is brass? Cost of bullets? ugh!!!

Not to mention 200+ Grains of powder per round...


I'd probably go with the 7mm WSM or the 300 WSM.

[Hotshot]

acloco,

Rule number two is a big stumbling block in this puzzle. 308 or 7-08 would fit your action well and might last for more than 1000 shots. If I wanted to kill an 800 yard deer I'd do it with a 30 caliber bullet 165 or 180 grain.

[acloco]

Yes....all of you are little bit right. This is a hard one to pick. Only want to do this once.

Have thought about 6.5x55, 6.5x55 AI, 6.5x06, etc, etc.

Here is some ballistics....

All of these with a 100 yard zero and I used SP style bullets (no AMax, BT, etc, etc).

6.5x55 140gr., .465 B.C. http://www.hornady.com

Range Muzzle 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Velocity (fps) 2850 2653 2464 2283 2110 1944 1787 1639 1502 1377 1267
Energy (ft.-lb.) 2561 2219 1914 1643 1403 1192 1007 847 711 598 506
Trajectory -1.5 0.0 -3.4 -12.6 -28.4 -52.0 -84.9 -128.7 -185.6 -257.9 -348.7



300 Win Mag 165 gr., .435 B.C. http://www.hornady.com

Range Muzzle 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Velocity (fps) 3142 2917 2704 2500 2305 2119 1942 1774 1617 1473 1344
Energy (ft.-lb.) 3617 3118 2678 2289 1947 1645 1381 1153 958 795 662
Trajectory -1.5 0.0 -2.6 -9.9 -22.7 -42.2 -69.4 -105.8 -153.4 -214.3 -291.3



300 WSM 165 gr., .435 B.C. http://www.hornady.com

Range Muzzle 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Velocity (fps) 3069 2848 2638 2437 2245 2062 1887 1723 1570 1430 1306
Energy (ft.-lb.) 3451 2971 2549 2175 1846 1557 1305 1088 903 750 625
Trajectory -1.5 0.0 -2.8 -10.5 -24.1 -44.7 -73.4 -111.9 -162.2 -226.7 -308.4



7mm WSM 154 gr., .433 B.C. http://www.hornady.com

Range (yards) Muzzle 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Velocity (fps) 2986 2768 2560 2362 2173 1992 1821 1660 1512 1377 1260
Energy (ft.-lb.) 3049 2620 2242 1908 1614 1357 1134 942 781 649 543
Trajectory (100 yd. zero) -1.5 0.0 -3.0 -11.3 -25.9 -47.8 -78.6 -119.8 -173.8 -243.1 -330.9

[acloco]

Hotshot - anything will fit the action. It is a single shot.

I am probably staying with the single shot short action, it is stiffer than anything else.

[Hotshot]

I think the magnum and other overbore cartridges would not qualify under rule number 2.
6.5-06 would be my choice for mostly long range varmints and occasional deer. 7STW if mostly deer and occasional varmints.
I have a 6-06 and so do several of my friends. They will drop a deer like a sack of rocks at 600 and I've killed pdogs at 700 and 800. Never tried your 800 and 1000 distances. At 1000 rounds there is significant bore erosion with any rifle shooting this cartridge. How badly it effects the accuracy is a matter of luck. I save my 6-06 mostly for showing off and the current barrel is shooting well in its tenth year, but it has less than 1000 rounds through it.

[Rick in Oregon]

acloco: My two offerings are based on guys already shooting game that far, all personal friends.

1: 260 Rem Ackley Improved (6.5-08 Improved)

2: 280 Ackley Improved

Both have been proven to whack deer at 1K, a buddy with the 280AI has taken it to Africa for plains game twice with remarkable success on game as large as eland, kudu and zebra. Another in TN uses his for whitetails from benches atop a hill at 700 to 1K yards, and has racked up an impressive record. He shoot squirrels with me every year, and is a true rifleman of the first order.

Another friend (former USMC Scout/Sniper) routinely uses his 6.5-08 Improved to snipe deer from 700 to 1K yards, and with few exceptions, all are one shot kills.

Both easy on barrels, no "magnum mania", standard brass available, decent barrel life. One is a short action affair, the other is a standard action offering, both are accurate and proven performers. Many Service Rifle competitors use the 6.5-08 Improved for competition...that says alot too. You don't need to blast your molars lose just to reach 1,000 yards with good accuracy. Let us know what you come up with.

[acloco]

Thanks everybody.

No...wait...I hate everybody! LOL! You have raised as many questions as you have answered! LOL!!!!!

I have only been debating this over the last 6-8 months.

I am tending to want to stay with the 6.5 (.264) caliber, as the BC and SD of these bullets just cannot be beat. 7mm's are close, but they don't fly was well.

I wondered out loud about the 6.5/08 - did not know it was called a 260. I have never seen one in person.

RIO - got a rougher and finish reamer in 6.5x08 Improved to loan?

[blackblue]

30-378 weatherby? interests me for some reason.

[Rugerdogdog]

I'm just sticking my nose in here because I dont know how they are on barrel life but, IMO, .30-378 Weatherby and 7mmSTW have way lotta cool factor for me. I saw a friend shoot a deer under 100yrd with the STW and it was WAAAAY too much gun at that range. I've been seriously contemplating a .270STW. FWIW.
EDIT: The weatherby may well be a buck a shot. ???

[acloco]

rugerdog - everybody's input is welcome.


Of note, I bought a reamer...in 6.5x55 AI.

I also bought another reamer in 6.5x06.

...and another...in 6.5x08!

(the price was right)

I went with the 6.5 caliber because the BC and SD of these bullets in the 139-155 range is phenomenal. The 6.5's fly straight and have little wind drift.

By going with the Ackley Improved version, I should be able to step down to some slow(er) burning powder, fill the case, and go. Should cut down on throat erosion at the least.

Now...got to order a 6.5 barrel.

Of note, in case members on here are not aware, there is a group buy happening on snipershide.com for mikerock cut rifled stainless barrels.