what is the flattest shooting cartridge?

[xcaribooer]

just wondering what you all think the very best long range cartridge is in the 270-308 class? is it as easy as comparing a bunch of different loads with the same weight of bullet and see which one has the least amount of drop at 500yds??

 

[Gatehouse]

In the 270/308 class, a 7mm Remington Magnum shoots pretty flat.

 

[Camp Cook]

270 Weatherby held the title for many years my 300RUM smashes its title now with heavier bullets.

 

[rem338win]

You will have a very hard time beating the 7mm STW with 160-180gr bullets without going to a wildcat or proprietary cartridge like a Lazzeroni.

 

[Gatehouse]

STW's and RUM's and Lazeronis are not really in the 308/270 class...

 

[xcaribooer]

actually I am asking what is the flattest shooting in 270/7mm/308 -magnums included, I guess I should also say lets look at just bullets in the 150-160gr class.stuff you might typically use for sheep and mountain mulies.
the 7wsm looks pretty good..

 

[Charlie38]

270 WBY with 130's @ 3400fps.
257 WBY with 100's @3550fps is FLAT!!!

I realize that Camp but there is not much difference between a 120 in a 257 and a 130 in a 270. On paper yes but in taking game not much, I've used both. A 100 in the 257 is FLAT as you are going to get . 7mm WBY and 300 WBY too if you want a heavier bullet.

 

[Camp Cook]

He didn't ask about 257...

GH what are you talking about my 300RUM is a 308 cal the last time I checked it always was and always will be or do you miss on this 308 caliber stuff...

 

[blargon]

actually I am asking what is the flattest shooting in 270/7mm/308 -magnums included, I guess I should also say lets look at just bullets in the 150-160gr class.stuff you might typically use for sheep and mountain mulies.
the 7wsm looks pretty good..

7mm Rem Mag with 120 TSX...

 

[dan belisle]

Pretty hard to beat a 7 STW/RUM with high BC 160 gr bullets. I don't know of much that's flatter. - dan

 

[Win 38-55]

Some general rules regarding flat-shooting/bullet drop:
1. For the same caliber and muzzle velocity, the lighter bullet will loose speed/drop faster
2. For the same velocity and bullet weight, the larger caliber will loose speed/drop faster

So you want some combination of the heaviest bullet and the fastest velocity and the smallest caliber. You can't have them all. The 50 BMG is pretty flat shooting even though its got a larger caliber, but it makes up for it with a heavier bullet and a respectable muzzle velocity. If you can get yourself a set of ballistics tables, such as published in volume II of Hornady's Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, you can see which bullet/velocity/caliber combinations drop the least at 400 yards.

 

[Pathfinder]

Pretty hard to beat a 7 STW/RUM with high BC 160 gr bullets. I don't know of much that's flatter. - dan

Ill second that.....My STW with 160 accubonds at 3200+ is on standby for longe range work..... Now I just need a situation to use it in Since most of my hunting requires the ballistics of a Black Powder 45-70.

 

[alta780]

Wouldn't the combination of a mid size, medium weight bullet 180 gr, with hi BC, make for the flattest shooting to longer ranges such as 500yds, and up. I am certainly not as versed as most here, but from my reading I assumed, hi muzzle speed, good weight and
high BC, is the combination, which I thought would put the 308 in 300wby, and rum at the top for flatest in most hunting calibers, without including wildcats like the lazzaroni 308 warbird, which I am thinking may be a reduced life barrel burner.

 

[Gatehouse]

He didn't ask about 257...

GH what are you talking about my 300RUM is a 308 cal the last time I checked it always was and always will be or do you miss on this 308 caliber stuff...

He seemed to be asking about cartridges since the .308 and .270 are cartridges, but only the .308 is a caliber.

Guess he wants to hear about larger magnums now, as well

 

[Gatehouse]

actually I am asking what is the flattest shooting in 270/7mm/308 -magnums included, I guess I should also say lets look at just bullets in the 150-160gr class.stuff you might typically use for sheep and mountain mulies.
the 7wsm looks pretty good..

Sheep and mountain mule deer...Any of the .25 caliber to .308 caliber cartridges with the word "magnum" behind them will do fine for flat shooting and kill the animals dead. The plain ol .270 is no real slouch,either.

7WSM or 7RM would be a fine choice.

 

[Camp Cook]

Quit messing around and get yourself the ultimate long range rifle/cartridge available a 338 Edge...

Yes it uses relatively inexpensive and readily available Rem 300RUM & 375RUM brass and it is supposed to out do anything else out there, I'm thinking of re-barreling my spare Rem 700 LSS in 375RUM to it.

 

[Dogleg]

Quit messing around and get yourself the ultimate long range rifle/cartridge available a 338 Edge...

Yes it uses relatively inexpensive and readily available Rem 300RUM & 375RUM brass and it is supposed to out do anything else out there, I'm thinking of re-barreling my spare Rem 700 LSS in 375RUM to it.

It may not be the ultimate, and it sure isn't the flattest, but boy can you lay a hurtin' on those little specks in the next field.

 

[dan belisle]

Quit messing around and get yourself the ultimate long range rifle/cartridge available a 338 Edge...

Yes it uses relatively inexpensive and readily available Rem 300RUM & 375RUM brass and it is supposed to out do anything else out there, I'm thinking of re-barreling my spare Rem 700 LSS in 375RUM to it.

May as well go all the way then and get a 338 Lapua AI or the 338-378 Wby. - dan

 

[Camp Cook]

that brass is just to expensive for my tastes and tougher to find...

 

[Dogleg]

that brass is just to expensive for my tastes and tougher to find...

They aren't giving away the .300 Ultra anymore. It isn't Lapua expensive, but it isn't Lapua tough either.