Caliber for new Savage Build

[Barrelnut]

Bugz, welcome to the forum.

There's lots of environment parameters and calculations needed to get to 1k. Some of them change by the minute, like wind and temp. The best way to get a solution is to use a ballistic calculator. There is a link to very good one on this site. (link is below). What is really good however are some of the ballistic apps for smartphones. They are extremely popular and some are even free. Shooter, Strelok, and Applied Ballistics are some of the more popular ones. Get one and try it. They will help you merge all of this into a fairly accurate vertical and windage solution for your shooting situation. Sometimes you have to tweet things like the BC entry or velocity to get them to line up with your rifles actual drop, but it is usually easy to do.

Long Range Hunting Ballistics Calculator

 

[Bugz]

Ok thank you for your help.

 

[toddc]

Ok so I found some ballistics charts for the rounds I'm running but I still don't have a spin drift chart my barrel is 24 inches long and has a 1:8 twist to it. Does anyone have any charts for that?

Strelok is a free app for your phone, done deal.

Also IMHO the 6mm and 6.5 mania is doing some disservice to the LR game. TOF to 700 is enough for a deer to move about 20 ft in extreme instances and 20" very commonly. A 300 WM in the guts is still a gut shot critter but its better than a 6.5. I personally have shot everything from a 22-284 to a 50BMG out to 1500 on deer. We shot control and shot hundreds a year. At long range stuff happens. I have gone back to the 300SMK out of a 338 for anything past 300 yds. I had a few deer move on me with the smaller stuff and had to follow up. A supersonic 300SMK provides a lot of insurance when things go wrong.
We hear a lot of success stories with the Creed and such at LR, I will assure you that there are some horror stories out there that a bigger round would have fixed. A deer shot in the guts with a fast 338 isnt the same thing as a 6.5. Yeah I know nobody ever makes a mistake but NOBODY controls a deer taking a step at the wrong time.

 

[Timinator]

I'll throw a wrench into this and suggest a .264 Win Mag. You get to use all the great BC bullets offered in 6.5 and it's faster and flatter shooter than a Creedmoor and even a bit faster than a 257.

 

[hometownhero]

From your list I would go 7mm rm with 180 eldm. Not from your list I would choose 280ai or for short action 7mm-08 with 162's.

Never been a fan of the needmoor

 

[ohiohunter]

Its hard not to appreciate what the creedmoor offers in a true short action package, even more so that the 150gr pills are coming out. Considering I've seen a video of an elk dropped in its tracks at 600yds w/ the CM and given the ranges I would opt for the creedmoor and some lapua brass pushing 140-150gr bullets.

Hate it all you want, but its an asskicking round that is here to stay. As it stands, it doesn't needanymoor... it has. I also think its introduction will lead a few other calibers to their grave.

 

[hometownhero]

Its hard not to appreciate what the creedmoor offers in a true short action package, even more so that the 150gr pills are coming out. Considering I've seen a video of an elk dropped in its tracks at 600yds w/ the CM and given the ranges I would opt for the creedmoor and some lapua brass pushing 140-150gr bullets.

Hate it all you want, but its an asskicking round that is here to stay. As it stands, it doesn't needanymoor... it has. I also think its introduction will lead a few other calibers to their grave.

As with anything the reason it because successful is the marketing behind it. If the 260 had the same support as the creed there would never have been a creed. Same goes for many other rounds that have been forgotten.

 

[ohiohunter]

I don't have time for excuses, gonna have to bring something better to the table. The 260 is not a true sa round, the cm is.

 

[Capt RB]

6.5's are killers for sure the speedier the better. If your expecting to shoot most shots 500-700 I'd go 7 or 30 cal. If you just want to be able to make a once in a lifetime shot at 700yds and expect most shots inside of 500 the creed will be fine. I would go with a 264 or 6.5 -06 of some flavor for game. The extra speed will help considerably. 2800ish to 3200ish is a huge upgrade in the 140 or bigger class.
Step up to a 7 and the 160-195 allows for considerable upgrade in energy on target.
30 cal would be an even bigger step up with 200+grn bullets. With modern brakes and electronic ear muffs you can wear 100% of the day you have some great choices to consider.

 

[CaptnC]

6.5's are killers for sure the speedier the better. If you just want to be able to make a once in a lifetime shot at 700yds...I would go with a 264 or 6.5 -06 of some flavor for game. The extra speed will help considerably. 2800ish to 3200ish is a huge upgrade in the 140 or bigger class.

I have both 264wm and 6.5-06...pick up 6.5 Creedmoore brass every time I go to the range...I have about 200 pieces of Hornady once fired and just can't pull the trigger on a Creed build....I keep going back to doing another 6.5-06...

 

[ohiohunter]

If you already have the horsepower of a 6.5-06 who needs a CM? Unless you're tired of LA.


Now that Lapua is putting out CM brass... hornady brass has lost value quick!