Best Cartridge for out to 500 yds???

[IndianaHunter]

I am trying to decide on which cartridge is best for both bench rest and game hunting out to 500 yds. I have it down to three. The 7mm Rem. Mag, the .308, and the 7mm Rem ultra Mag. Which of these is the "best" in your mind? I am looking for "fast and flat".

[Boyd Heaton]

For flat,the ultra win's hand's down....For accuracy stick with the 308.My pick out of those three for 500 yard's would be the 308......

[hyena]

flat shooting goes hand in hand with wind drift.
even cartridges with rainbow trajectories can be accurate.
at 500 yds, all calibers have to be adjusted for drop.

[MontanaMarine]

Indiana,

To put it in your tems, "flat" goes hand in hand with "velocity".

"Accuracy" goes hand in hand with "consistency".

The .308 has proven itself in the accuracy department. It is one of the most consistent ronds that delivers superb accuracy and game killing power, in a user-friendly package.

Ther are more accurate rounds, more powerful rounds, flatter shooting rounds. But the .308 is one of the best "jack of all trades" cartridges around. A benefit of that, you can fing .308 ammo off-the-shelf for any practical application. Precision, varmint, big-game, and dirt cheap NATO surplus ammo for plenty of cheap shooting. Then look at the available options for reloaders, nearly endless, bullets for every application imaginable.

You can't go wrong with a .308 for a 500 yard rifle.

MM

[IndianaHunter]

Am I wrong in thinking that "flat" goes hand-in-hand with "accuracy"?

[speedbump]

IN,

A .308 is a great teacher & surely capable at 500. Since wind does have a bigger effect on it, you have to pay closer attention, but will do the job.

That being said, if you're looking for fast & flat, but with super accuracy, you might consider a 300WSM or 6.5-284. I do shoot a 7mmRUM for LR & the wind hardly effects it at 500, but the WSM & 6.5 will do wonders out to that distance. Past there, the RUM & other big mags walk away from them a bit.

Speed reduces time-of-flight, generally ups the ballistic coefficient, is more forgiving for a distance estimation error due to the flatter trajectory, & reduces lead time with moving targets. It doesn't necessarily produce a more accurate cartridge, as many Palma shooters (800, 900, &1,000 yards with iron sights) have smoked guys shooting magnums with scopes.

Depending on what you're hunting, you might do well to consider a smaller/ lighter recoiling piece for starters, then once you get wind/ mirage/ distance reading down, go to a boomer. Just my $.02. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Dan Conzo]

I don't see where the 308 has anything over the other cartridges, except good bullets. It's marginal even for 500 yards, if you want fast and flat. The only thing it has over the 7mm's is good bullets. But the 6.5's and other 30's would be much better, especially with powders available today with the near perfect burning rates.