Thread: calibre advice

I think the general consensus may be that you are trying to run before you can walk!
1600m is a LONG way to hit a target, let alone to be trying to humanely dispatch an animal.
In your post you give the impression that you aren't yet very familiar with firearms, calibers, ballistics, reloading, reading wind, or any of the other basic skills required to shoot at long range?!
What rifles do you own at present?
How far have you shot them to already?
What is your current level of experience?
Perhaps answer some of these questions to give people a better understanding of where you are currently at and people may be able to offer some useful guidance.


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I am not looking at dispatching animals at 1600yds just targets but I have successfully killed animals out at 800yds with a .270, .308 and a 7mm 08, the accuracy is for target shooting as I seem to be losing it past 1000 yds, I would like a new gun to both target shoot out at 1600 but which I can still use for hunting the ranges at 500 to 750 yds without the expense of having two rifles, it is my opinion that the more time you spend shooting your gun the more familiar you get with it and the more comfortable you get with shooting at long distances. my longest shot is 1150 yds (target) but seem to lose the consistency past this range hence the question,

Originally Posted by sika77

I am not looking at dispatching animals at 1600yds just targets but I have successfully killed animals out at 800yds with a .270, .308 and a 7mm 08, the accuracy is for target shooting as I seem to be losing it past 1000 yds, I would like a new gun to both target shoot out at 1600 but which I can still use for hunting the ranges at 500 to 750 yds without the expense of having two rifles, it is my opinion that the more time you spend shooting your gun the more familiar you get with it and the more comfortable you get with shooting at long distances. my longest shot is 1150 yds (target) but seem to lose the consistency past this range hence the question,

A braked .338 Edge/Lapua/Lapua imp/Norma Mag with 300 grain Elite Hunter Bergers as a minimum.

Anything smaller past 15-1600 is really going to struggle

Originally Posted by sika77

I am not looking at dispatching animals at 1600yds just targets but I have successfully killed animals out at 800yds with a .270, .308 and a 7mm 08, the accuracy is for target shooting as I seem to be losing it past 1000 yds, I would like a new gun to both target shoot out at 1600 but which I can still use for hunting the ranges at 500 to 750 yds without the expense of having two rifles, it is my opinion that the more time you spend shooting your gun the more familiar you get with it and the more comfortable you get with shooting at long distances. my longest shot is 1150 yds (target) but seem to lose the consistency past this range hence the question,

thats probably a lot further than most people have shot in this thread...

338 about sums it up tho i reckon. If i was to do it again then probably would go some sort of lapua imp

Originally Posted by sika77

Looking at a new gun to push out to 1600yds for hunting and target shooting and would like some advice on calibre choice, I need accuracy and dependability (don't we all) and will be reloading my own ammo, would really appreciate some advice feedback and personal experience.

@sika77, i suggest you clarify your intent a little more and you might (and that is a big might around here!) get some more constructive advice. Hunting to 1600yds... are you hunting rabbits? Because the larger NZ game is going to require a heavy calibre for hunting at that distance. A .338 would be your minimum at that distance for hunting. And even then the slightest breeze uncorrected at that distance and you will hopefully miss completely because a gut shot deer with a .338 is still just a gut shot deer - it won't magically die because you used a big calibre. If you are consistently expecting shots out to that distance i seriously suggest you step up to the .375 calibre or .416 to give you even better performance in the wind.
If you are more likely to hunt out to 1000yards and target shoot out to 1600yards then sure get yourself a 7mm, .300 or .338 and you will be fine with practice.
Shooting anything with a reasonable chance of success on a deer chest sized target to 1600m is a very serious undertaking - you are talking nearly 0.5MOA to 1600m. Working the elevation will be entertaining enough but a wind call that accurate at that distance takes a huge amount of time, practice and expertise. I know plenty of guys with 0.5MOA guns, even 0.25MOA guns that won't put money on themselves to hit a 0.25MOA dot at 100m let alone 1600yards.

If those are your specs for what you want i wouldn't get into it unless you have $8000-$10,000 to throw at it (minimum really) and a shit load of time and commitment.
Good luck!

It's hard to even see a bloody deer or pig at 700m let alone shoot the bugger....
But 1400m

I shoot a measly little 7mm WSM so far from qualified to comment here. What I can say is the WSM shunting the 180 Hybrid kills goats very convincingly between 1100-1200y. I have never found a shot beyond 1300y and expect 1600 to be expedientially harder than say 1000y. Despite my fetish for long range I have decided to cap it at the capabilities of the 180 Hybrid. The capital expense of what you are about to setup is considerable. An over bore 7mm may well punch paper at that range but it would not be my pick. I think what Greg recommended is where you will end up. I'd talk to the guys at DED if I were you. Don't bullshit them and you will find them helpful and Tom who is doing the gunsmith work recently did a couple of guns for me and I was very impressed. They play with this stuff a lot and have all the reamers, loading gear etc. The gear available to us these days is mind boggling, if you really want to shoot this range I can assure you it is possible but be prepared to drop 10+k on the counter and that may not do it by the time you get the big press all the reloading gear and 100 projectiles @ $7.00 each and a couple of drums of powder to feed the bitch and I'd hate to think what the brass is worth. My favorite is still the 50 BMG but there are better performing calibers out there now.

408 chaytac or the 375 version

The 375 CT imp is currently the king of the heap.

If you want to consistently shoot well past 12-1400 in non perfect conditions it is extremely difficult to go past a 425 or 450 grain .375 CEB projectile with a genuine BC of over 1.0.

All that comes at a cost in $$$ & weight.

Sure the big .338s go pretty well but comparing them to a .375 is like comparing a 6mm to a 7mm

Wow, some pretty embarrassing posts on here. Lucky some decent posts started coming towards the end.

I wouldn't blame him for not coming to this forum ever again, by the looks he has more long range experience than 95% of the people on here.

Good on you Sika77, ignore all of the haters.

Ha ha They lurk waiting keenly to pounce on an unsuspecting potential meal... Stealthily they approach with the quarry unaware that they even exist or what they are contemplating ..

What will unravel as the hunt progresses, who will handle the pressure and win the ultimate prize ??

Yum yum we not going hungry tonight .. Over the top boys and into him !!

Team work and numbers win again !!

End of month gone quiet .. No ducks to shoot dam I'm bored already .. Best go find some work to do I guess ...

Maybe I could start a Blaser or .270 thread , maybe extoll the virtues of a Tikka even .... ???

A 1/2 MOA gun which is very good for a hunting rifle will be 8 inches either way at 1600yds, plus human error, no way would I consider it humane or sane to shoot an animal at that distance.

I also found the 308 to struggel past 1140

I think it may just have been the fact that the OP had 2 posts and was asking about hunting to 1600m.
It just screamed "Troll" and cynical me cauldn't help myself

Who uses yards in the year 2015 anyway