Long-distance calibre choice
ON TARGET •••
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JAN-LODEWYK SERFONTEIN
CALIBRE CHOICE IS A BROAD SUBJECT AND FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN AN EVENING ’ S DISCUSSION AROUND THE BRAAI .
The first question will always relate to the purpose for which the fire-arm will be used . For self-defence a heavy , large and uncomfortable . 45 Auto would probably not be the best choice . For the hunting of dangerous game a heavy , large . 375 H & H would not be a bad choice . How important is your choice of a specific calibre ? Are new , unknown calibres better than the older , more familiar calibres ? Is the choice of calibre really so important or is it being used by manufacturers to market and sell even more calibres ?
Since the 2016 hunting season is a thing of the past , I decided to look at the benefits of a few unknown calibres which are mostly used for target shooting purposes . Due to the high prices of game and a few other factors , target shooting has become more popular over the past number of years and calibres for this purpose should be looked at .
Long-distance shooting is becoming very popular nowadays . Longdistance shots analyse and study every aspect of shooting . The wind , the BC of the bullet and the length of the barrel are a few aspects which shots analyse . Of course they also look very carefully at the best calibre for long-distance shooting .
How do you determine the best-long distance calibre ? Unfortunately long-distance shooting is a sport with many variables . The wind and the shot himself are two important variables when it comes to long-distance shooting . For this reason we have to depend upon technology for a better answer than what we can find on the shooting range . With the assistance of a computer programme , the writers of www . precisionrifleblog . com ' tested ' 4 calibres to assist with the choice of a calibre .
They used the following calibres with the following loads :
6.5 Creedmore loaded with a 140 gr . bullet and a muzzle velocity of 2850 fps . 6 mm Creedmore loaded with a 105 gr . bullet and a muzzle velocity of 3100 fps . 308 Winchester loaded with a 175 gr . bullet and a muzzle velocity of 2600 fps . 26 Nosler ( 6.5 mm ) loaded with a 140 gr . bullet and a muzzle velocity of 3300 fps .
The application calculated the number of accurate shots at a 10-inch target at 700 paces , based on the variables and a lot of other information . It was taken into account , however , that no human factor was involved .
The results of the four calibres were as follows :
80 % of the 6.5 Creedmore shots were accurate . 79 % of the 6mm Creedmore shots were accurate .. 56 % of the 308 Winchester shots were accurate . 89 % of the 26 Nosler ( 6.5 mm ) shots were accurate .
We do not have to use the specific calibre used in the test , but merely a calibre which launches a projectile of the same weight and diameter at the same speed , which should give us the same results .
What we do see from the results is that the 6.5 mm bullet is more accurate over long distances than the 308 bullet . At shorter distances the difference in accuracy should be less . The reason for which the bullet is to be used is therefore still the most important consideration when choosing a calibre .
The 140 gr . bullet of the 26 Nosler ( 6.5 mm ) at 3300 fps may be the winner in the specific exercise , but unfortunately the barrel does not last very long . However , barrel life is a subject for another weekend around another fire .
SENWES Scenario • OCT / NOV 2016 51