E.Shell
Ultimate Member
The advantages of the .308 are that some long range matches are limited to the .308, and that match ammo is normally plentiful. While it can be quite precise at closer distances, long range performance is not especially impressive. It remains popular due to the military using it (mainly for logistical reasons and not for exceptional long range performance, which it lacks) and the mindset that 'if it's good enough for the military...'.I agree with the advice of .308 or 6.5CM for under 1000 yards.
.338 makes no sense UNDER 1000 yards. Same with .50 cal...
The 6.5 Creedmoor (.260Rem clone) is popular for several very good reasons and is an excellent choice. For trajectory and wind deflection to about 1k, the Creedmoor's numbers rival a .300 WinMag, while using way less lead and powder. Recoil is modest, barrel life is better than many long range cartridges and there are quite a few very accurate factory rounds available. For casual shooting to about 1,200 yards, the 6.5 Creedmoor does a VERY good job.
Anything smaller than 6.5 gets hard to spot at long distance, and in steel matches, you can lose points due to inability to see hits and get credit for them, or to see misses and have the ability to correct.
As Pinecone points out, the .338LM and the .50BMG don't make sense until you exceed a certain distance. Based on average trajectory and wind numbers, you really need to get past about 1,400-1,500 yards for the Lapua to exceed what performance is available with a good .300 WinMag load.
Additionally, as cartridge cases get bigger, it gets harder to establish a good working load with low SD, critical to long range success. So yeah, you might have less drop and wind, but groups just went vertical.
The .50BMG is in the same boat, and add to that the problem of finding a place to shoot one.[/QUOTE]