Long range proficiency IN THE FIELD

[C.W. Richter]

I'm not sure I can fully agree with all of that. 15-20 years ago I will agree. Today some very fine factory rifles with factory ammo are being offered. My 308 shooting federal GMM had a 10 shot string of 3.2fps for the SD. Back in 2009 factory 6.5CM ammo I shot a 3/4" steel hanger 3 times in a row at 350 yards, it was horizontal.

Rifles like Seekins and Bergara as well as others will make it happen too, at distance with factory ammo. Things have come a long ways in just the past 10 years.

i own neither a Needmore or .308 as neither has enough steam for my purposes, and i'd not use either for PG in Africa (and certainly do not consider either long range hunting cartridges). just my preference based upon past experience with more lightweight cartridges designed to kill (or maim) 100 lb humans. my 1st rifle deer was with a beautiful, loaner gun (custom .308) at <100 yds. It ran a ways then slid down a snowy mountainside, but we got it! 'Had a 30-30 and wasn't pleased w/ that either, so upgraded to 30-06 then 300 WM as a teen...Use More Gun (Ruark) and to take Any Shot You Want (A. Alphin), you're going to need more gun! Accuracy is one thing, but having enough SD/E to drive a bullet home at any angle at any (long, practical for your setup) distance, and pull the shot off, are entirely different things. The higher V of the bigger cartridges alone makes the windage component much more favorable.

 

[Inline6]

My preference (for potentially costly longer range shots) is rifles where every single accurization facet has been gone over and improved as necessary, with the highest quality components. Also NOT a fan of the CM for long range hunting shots, either! 3,250+ fps with heavier pills. 350 is a chip shot for most rigs, but if your factory rig happens to shoot well (I consider Wby, Christiansen, etc. semi-custom factory) go with it. Watching many ibex/argali hunts over the years, I can tell you 90% of those hunters (with the poor, long range shooting) wished they had a better rig (and lungs!) lol I'd also bet that not many factored in the effects of altitude (which can be a big factor in Africa, but the PHs are aware of it.) I've shied away from factory for decades, but I'd buy another Weatherby. I shy away from anything advertised on TV (MSM, Coca-cola) like the real plague. In my experience, if you believe the exact opposite, you'll be closer to the truth.

Get what you are saying, you are not wrong with your statement either. If dropping that kind of money to shoot one of them I would also want the very best of every single component too.

My comment is more of some factory rifles and ammo are better now than they have ever been. I love my rifles and if it doesn't hammer to my expectation down the road it goes. My expectation and OCD about it, is why to this day I do not own a double rifle. One of my most accurate rifles to date was a off the shelf AIAX in 6.5CM it would put 5 rounds in less than 1/2" group at 300 yards (that was rolling my own ammo 130 Berger VLD hunting bullets).

 

[Inline6]

i own neither a Needmore or .308 as neither has enough steam for my purposes, and i'd not use either for PG in Africa (and certainly do not consider either long range hunting cartridges). just my preference based upon past experience with more lightweight cartridges designed to kill (or maim) 100 lb humans. my 1st rifle deer was with a beautiful, loaner gun (custom .308) at <100 yds. It ran a ways then slid down a snowy mountainside, but we got it! 'Had a 30-30 and wasn't pleased w/ that either, so upgraded to 30-06 then 300 WM as a teen...Use More Gun (Ruark) and to take Any Shot You Want (A. Alphin), you're going to need more gun! Accuracy is one thing, but having enough SD/E to drive a bullet home at any angle at any (long, practical for your setup) distance, and pull the shot off, are entirely different things. The higher V of the bigger cartridges alone makes the windage component much more favorable.

I really enjoy shoot long range, lately I have been playing 22lr. Longest to date as been 800 yards. Waiting for things to cool off a little, goal is 1k. We will see how that goes.

 

[C.W. Richter]

i do like the idea of the 6.5 CM in an AR (as it was designed, did not sell all that well and was re-purpose-marketed as a hunting round. like Coke, it worked out for 'em!) might get one for defense purposes only.

 

[WAB]

i do like the idea of the 6.5 CM in an AR (as it was designed, did not sell all that well and was re-purpose-marketed as a hunting round. like Coke, it worked out for 'em!) might get one for defense purposes only.

Honestly, if you want a 6.5 in an AR go with the 6.5 Grendel in an AR-15 platform. The 6.5 CM requires the AR-10 platform, and for my money that is just too cumbersome.

My AR-15 in 6.5 Grendel is a pig killing machine!

 

[C.W. Richter]

Honestly, if you want a 6.5 in an AR go with the 6.5 Grendel in an AR-15 platform. The 6.5 CM requires the AR-10 platform, and for my money that is just too cumbersome.

My AR-15 in 6.5 Grendel is a pig killing machine!

sounds good!

 

[Corey0372]

Honestly, if you want a 6.5 in an AR go with the 6.5 Grendel in an AR-15 platform. The 6.5 CM requires the AR-10 platform, and for my money that is just too cumbersome.

My AR-15 in 6.5 Grendel is a pig killing machine!

That or 6mm ARC, hearing some really good stuff about this from different guys, will probably be my next AR build

 

[Inline6]

i do like the idea of the 6.5 CM in an AR (as it was designed, did not sell all that well and was re-purpose-marketed as a hunting round. like Coke, it worked out for 'em!) might get one for defense purposes only.

My son killed a bison with a LMT chambered in 6.5CM on his 8th birthday. He and some of his friends have used it at 170 yards to take whitetail on our place. I have it to shoot competitions, have taken it to 1200 yards without issue.

I enjoy the hate of the 6.5CM, it leaves more ammunition for me.

 

[C.W. Richter]

LOL 'Just watched a video of 4 women that went to Kodiak for Sitka Blacktail...One had a brand spanking new Bergara PRC/MRC-looking plastic POS that would NOT fire when she lined up on a dandy! (She had to borrow someone else's finer rifle to make the shot!) LOL Just Say No to Factory on a Hunt of a Lifetime!

 

[Inline6]

LOL 'Just watched a video of 4 women that went to Kodiak for Sitka Blacktail...One had a brand spanking new Bergara PRC/MRC-looking plastic POS that would NOT fire when she lined up on a dandy! (She had to borrow someone else's finer rifle to make the shot!) LOL Just Say No to Factory on a Hunt of a Lifetime!

I have seen all forms of rifles fail. I have an Accuracy International, the same system the British snipers use, it will operate in temps as low as -50°F. I shot a match in Florida with it, was on the 800 yards line. It started raining so hard I could no longer see the targets. As soon as the rain stopped enough to shoot I had a dead trigger. This system is one of the most reliable in the world. Well the night before it had white grease on the hook of the trigger, I cleaned it off. In that action I caused the malfunction. I had grease in my bag, applied nee grease to the hook. No problem after that, the point is. We can cause trouble for ourselves, it is not necessarily a manufacturing problem.

 

[C.W. Richter]

with properly maintained guns, i've only had 3 failures: ALL factory-mauser firing pin spring/extractors (after 1,000s of rds) Rem 7600 firing pin freeze-up and the newer Rem X-mark pro trigger. No issues whatsoever with semi-custom Wby, Win, Montana, Shaw, Bansner, Jaeger, etc. EVER after 1,000s of rds. The Rem pump issue was not being aware of this issue (and utilizing spray graphite lube for sub-freezing weather thereafter solved the problem.) The M98 was just old parts breakage from time and use. The Rem trigger was just poorly designed, mass-produced junk and a large liability that aided in them shuttering operations. Ooops...almost forgot. Had a S&W 629 revolver cyl hangup too! Factory fixed that and did some custom work for free-no issues afterward.