What Caliber for 600yd Whitetail? (New rifle Build)

[nksmfamjp]

6.5 SS, 6.5x284, 6.5prc would be my short list.

 

[bsnyder]

Just built the wife a 270 Sherman. Love what the case looks like after fire forming. I know @codyadams has one or two as well. Don't have any crono speeds yet but upper 3200 is my guess and a bullet that runs a .333 g7 will be an ample deer prescription to 600 and then some. Hers will likely see a little high round count though.

 

[codyadams]

I know you can open up the bolt face, but with what your wanting to do, no need. With what you said your looking for, I would look at -

6.5x284
Excellent option, great brass and component options, easy to find solid load data, easy to get to shoot well, will fit into your desired barrel life, and while they are optimum in a medium action, they should run in a long just fine.

6.5 Sherman
A step up from the 6.5x284 performance wise, mainly if you just want to be different. Peterson makes quality .270 brass to fireform, and while there is some load data out there showing some pretty outstanding velocities, if you load it a little more conservatively (say, a 140 @ 3100 from a 24"), your barrel and component life will be really good all things considered. If you run it jist below pressure signs though, it may or may not get you the barrel life you want.

270 Sherman
Again, if you want to be different. A *little* better barrel life than the 6.5 Sherman. I have done a lot of work with three of them. A 19" runs the 140 badlands SBDII @ 3030 fps with a conservative load of rl26, max was around 3150-3175 range. Out of a 25.5", the same 140 runs at 3240 with vv n565, pressure signs began to show up around 3325 fps. That 25.5" also sent the 170 Berger at 2940 using H1000, pressure showed up around 3000 fps. Again, using Peterson .270 brass. The downside to these two, is no factory options to even fireform with. All roll your own. But a cool cartridge, with plenty of performance.


280 ai
Mainly because of the factory support. Good brass available, well known load data, and just a little behind a 7 mag. With this, your getting into heavier bullets to get a good bc, so recoil will start to increase, but so will barrel life over all the others.

i also have a couple .260ai's built on short actions that I love, and with proper throating in a medium or long action can really get some stellar performance. My 29" barreled one is shooting the 156 Berger at 2935 with rl26, initial pressure signs came around at 3000. If it was throated about another .200" to where seating was appropriate, OAL would be around 3.150" iirc (currently 2.950 to fit in my aics mag), I'm sure I would gain a fair bit of performance. At that point, I would be equivalent to a 6.5x284. Or if I'm going to use a medium/long action, I could just get a normal 6.5x284 and not worry about forming.....

 

[Hugnot]

Most anything with a suitable bullet having adequate velocity, penetration & energy. Like 7 foot or less drop at 600 with 200 yard zero & able to shoot thru 2 feet of deer with 1000 ft lbs or energy

.270 Win would work fine. My self-imposed limit for shooting deers is 400 yards because of rapidly increasing drop after 400 yards & time of flight increases probability of wounding.

I have shot numerous rodents at ranges from 500 to 600 yards with a 6.5-06 using a variety of 120-123 grain bullets. 6.5-06 ballistics are sort of like the .270 Win but selection of pointy 6.5 bullets is much greater. If I had to shoot deers at 600 with a 6.5-06 I would go for mono core pointy bullets at 3000 fps plus. Lots of easy to find cheap brass, feeds better than rebated head brass, no bolt face modification, lots of suitable powders including many that are available now.

White tail deers are not that hard to kill.

 

[rodney7370]

6.5x284 Norma =DRT @600

 

[436]

I think I'm in the 6.5x55 or the 7.5x55 Swede camp... either would be a find 600-yard Deer rifle caliber. Cheers

 

[nralifer]

I'm looking to build a 600yd hunting rifle. I'll be starting with at Rem 700 LA left hand, trued. I'm planning on a 24" bartlein barrel. I'm not scared of wildcats or Ackley Improved either. I reload so, I'll be developing the loads. The current rifle is a 270win, but I'm thinking there is more bang for the buck in LR performance and aftermarket support. Most of my hunting is within 350yds or so, but I'm wanting a reliable option out to 600yds. This will double as range gun for some fun and probably run 2-300rds per year on the high side.

I'm leaning towards a 260rem or 7mm 08 in the LA. These guys not restricted to mag length can be pretty impressive.

I currently load for:
308, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm 08, 270 win, 223
And I have a 6.5 Creedmore on order for my son. We'll be loading for it as well.

Must haves:
-Long Range Support in brass and projectiles, at least in the manufacturing side. I'm not expecting everything to be in stock. (I'm not against fire forming good brass)
-Decent barrel life ~1800-2000rnd minimum
-Enough kinetic energy for deer at 600yds

Would like to haves:
-cross over powders or projectiles to current reloading stock
-Factory ammo options are nice, but not required.
-Something that is powder efficient
-No one ever complains about low recoil...

Feel free to add details of barrel length, twist, reamers, and load data.

Thanks very much for the info!

At that distance almost anything will work. If you load for the 308 Win then use that. 22-24"1:10 barrel,Lapua Palma or Peterson SRP primers, CCI450 primers, Leverevolution powder and 150 gr Badlands BD2 bullet going about 3000-3100 fps.

 

[338 dude]

Sounds like a 6.5-284 would fit the bill, although almost no factory ammo. Share bullets with a 6.5CM, low recoil, no downside really.

I love my 6.5 x 284 norma!

 

[Bearman375]

264 win mag, low recoil and huge B.C. with 140 grain bullets

 

[Floundertrap]

I'll second the 6.5x284. I built mine on a tenacity long action using a 300wm (3.715) magazine with slight adjustment of the lips. It feeds great and holds a better cold bore zero than a lot of rounds I've run in the past. I built mine heavy, but you don't have to. I'm running 142 SMKs and they are hell on a WT. I took three this year with it, two at 400 and one at 527 and they were all DRT with a high shoulder shot. You can put the 6.5x284 where you want it. MV is 2960 with 48.1 of Varget. This round also really likes 4831SC and H4350.

Here's a 600yd target with my current setup, and a pic of the rifle because, why not.

 

[rbTanzan]

Yes, the 270 and 7mRM will already work, but if you want a little upgrade I would look long and hard at a
300 PRC.
You already have bullets 30 caliber and the powders for the 7mRM and 270 will work with the 300 PRC. Lapua makes cases for the 300PRC.

You would need to open the boltface, as easy job for a smith.
If you wanted a long, high-BC bullet in .308 you might need a powder in the H1000-Vh170-Rel26-WinStaBallHD range. Your LA Rem action should handle the long SAAMI COL of the 300 PRC.
If you went fast and light, like a 137HH, 151AH, or 168grain your choice, then your bullet drop out to 400 yards would be very little.

 

[marksman66]

I'm looking to build a 600yd hunting rifle. I'll be starting with at Rem 700 LA left hand, trued. I'm planning on a 24" bartlein barrel. I'm not scared of wildcats or Ackley Improved either. I reload so, I'll be developing the loads. The current rifle is a 270win, but I'm thinking there is more bang for the buck in LR performance and aftermarket support. Most of my hunting is within 350yds or so, but I'm wanting a reliable option out to 600yds. This will double as range gun for some fun and probably run 2-300rds per year on the high side.

I'm leaning towards a 260rem or 7mm 08 in the LA. These guys not restricted to mag length can be pretty impressive.

I currently load for:
308, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm 08, 270 win, 223
And I have a 6.5 Creedmore on order for my son. We'll be loading for it as well.

Must haves:
-Long Range Support in brass and projectiles, at least in the manufacturing side. I'm not expecting everything to be in stock. (I'm not against fire forming good brass)
-Decent barrel life ~1800-2000rnd minimum
-Enough kinetic energy for deer at 600yds

Would like to haves:
-cross over powders or projectiles to current reloading stock
-Factory ammo options are nice, but not required.
-Something that is powder efficient
-No one ever complains about low recoil...

Feel free to add details of barrel length, twist, reamers, and load data.

Thanks very much for the info!

No Brainer. 9 twist 270. Just be done.

 

[ncfireman83]

I'm building a 280ai for that very purpose. I had a 270 WSM that I rebarreled to a 300 WSM and recently started working loads with a 166g HH in hopes to another one for that kind of range. Now granted even shooting the 180's out of the 300wsm I think it would have been fine but wanting to work up a lighted load. Not sure when my ackley when he done but again that was the sole purpose of doing that one

 

[JAYgs8163]

7-08 throated long for the 150 Badlands or ELDX. 8twist barrel. Like this. I did mine with 8.24 twist barrel. Running 65 StaBall gets it moving nicely.