What is your favorite LR cartridge for a SP?

Ernie

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Lets qualify all of this for distances 500 yards or further.
This is a tough one for me, because I prefer different cartridges for different applications.
So feel free to qualify your choice, like: Hunting antelope/deer sized game my favorite cartridge is the 284 Winchester.
Favorite cartridge for elk size game: 7mm Dakota/7mmLRM.
Etc......
Ok, let's hear it
 
Well, being new to long range hand gunning I have only played with a few. The only one I have used on game is the .243 on a pronghorn hunt a few years ago. I have flirted with the .307/.308 in the Encore and the .308 in the Striker using both on steel at 550 (longest range available so far). My current steel shooter is a 6mm/.284 Encore. That said I'm getting ready to screw an XP together for long range deer/antelope and am looking very hard at the .284 Winchester myself, the other caliber I'm considering is the 7mm WSM. I guess my answer would be that I don't have a favorite yet.

I have a question for you though Ernie. Do you neck up 6.5-.284 brass for the .284 or use Winchester?

Bob
 
On all of my SP's I have used Winchester brand 284 Win brass (Total of three 284 Win's, two of which are current [one center and one rear] and the other one from a long time ago).
For a 1000 yard F-Class rifle that is currently being built for the world and Nationals at Raton, NM this August, I will use Lapua 6.5-284 brass and open it up.
The SAUM, WSM are also great options, with the SAUM's shorter length probably being an advantage. The negatives with the SAUM is finding brass and it is not as good as what you can find for the WSM.
My 7mm SAUM is an awesome rig, and I do lightly neck turn my brass. Reamer was purpose built with a tight tolerance neck.
I also have a 7WSM as well in a rear grip.

I would choose a cartridge based on what downrange performance you want or by what MV you want with said bullet.
As a minimum I want 1800 fps as a minimum impact velocity, and ideally 2000 fps.
Run the numbers with chosen bullet and from that determine what you would want your max hunting distance in ideal conditions, and then choose a cartridge/barrel length combo that will give that to you.
I don't worry so much about efficiency, but rather performance.

Well, being new to long range hand gunning I have only played with a few. The only one I have used on game is the .243 on a pronghorn hunt a few years ago. I have flirted with the .307/.308 in the Encore and the .308 in the Striker using both on steel at 550 (longest range available so far). My current steel shooter is a 6mm/.284 Encore. That said I'm getting ready to screw an XP together for long range deer/antelope and am looking very hard at the .284 Winchester myself, the other caliber I'm considering is the 7mm WSM. I guess my answer would be that I don't have a favorite yet.

I have a question for you though Ernie. Do you neck up 6.5-.284 brass for the .284 or use Winchester?

Bob
 
I still think that my 338/375 Ruger is my favorite of the ones I have now. The 6mm BR, 243, and 300 RUM are all good, but the 338 shoots better than any of the others and hits with more authority at any range.

I've been thinking about building a 7mm but I'm still trying to figure out which one. I'm stuck in the 284, WSM, SAUM, and 7mm/375 Ruger debate. Thought about the 7mm LRH and Dakota as well. I'm just not sure what pracitcal advantage they would offer over a straight 7mm/375 Ruger.

Andrew
 
I've been thinking about building a 7mm but I'm still trying to figure out which one. I'm stuck in the 284, WSM, SAUM, and 7mm/375 Ruger debate. Thought about the 7mm LRH and Dakota as well. I'm just not sure what pracitcal advantage they would offer over a straight 7mm/375 Ruger.
Andrew

You could go with the 7mm Mashburn Super :)
 
On the LRM, I like manufactured and annealed brass, with nice full length bushing dies (Uses Redding bushings) and in-line seat dies from Hornady.

I still think that my 338/375 Ruger is my favorite of the ones I have now. The 6mm BR, 243, and 300 RUM are all good, but the 338 shoots better than any of the others and hits with more authority at any range.

I've been thinking about building a 7mm but I'm still trying to figure out which one. I'm stuck in the 284, WSM, SAUM, and 7mm/375 Ruger debate. Thought about the 7mm LRH and Dakota as well. I'm just not sure what pracitcal advantage they would offer over a straight 7mm/375 Ruger.

Andrew
 
Well beiny that I only have a .308win and a .243 win barrels for my striker I would have to say I like the .243 win for a long range caliber at the moment. I just feel it does what it needs to do at the range I am shooting. But to be honest I have only had the chance, do to weather and building a house, to shoot a few times and that was only out to 300 yards.
My goal of shooting out to 1000 yards before fall may have to wait until next year.
Rupe
 
Sort of been hankering for a 330 Dakota in a center-grip recently.
What difference if any is there between 7 Dakota brass and 330 Dakota brass?
 
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