But, as an extreme range competition shooter recently told me, the number of cold barrel, first round hits he sees at 1,000 yards in competition is well below 50%. That's pretty dang flat. Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. The 6.5 Creedmoor will remain supersonic out to 1,400 yards and is quickly becoming the most popular long-range, big-game cartridge in the world. These lists are awesome to go over. When you havent time to engage a laser rangefinder, knowing you can reach the kill zone with a dead-center hold at any distance out to 373 yards is pretty comforting. The new Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent load with a muzzle velocity of 2825 fps shoots flat and the bullet is tough enough to handle up close impacts while still delivering good expansion at distance. Its very clear that you went through a huge amount of work to pull all of this info together. At 500 yards even the flattest shooting rounds are going to be dropping somewhere around 30". This should be recommended reading for all shooters learning to shoot long range shots. 1.5" high at 100, would be dead-on at 250, and only drop 30" at 550. 95% of your shots will be inside 500 yards, and probably 80% inside 300. . Do you have any of the data on the weight of the bullets, the brand of the bullets, the BC, any of the information related to the data youre posting? I am looking for a really flat shooting cartridge up to 500 yards for a Remington rebarrel project I have. MY 45 cal ball travels at 1633fps with a standard charge, and 74-5gr for a full charge (2040fps). As you can see, one of our gold standard flat-shooting cartridges (.270 Winchester) does not compare favorably with either of the Noslers or the Weatherby Magnum. Yep, me too. However, the lead that the 25-06 has is pretty small. drops 6.7 inches at 300 yards and just under 20 inches at 400 yards. Up until that time, there had only really been two .277-caliber hunting cartridgesthe .270 Winchester and the .270 Weatherbyso the .270 WSM was almost immediately popular. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. But truth be told, every Weatherby cartridge is a long-range cartridge. With their Vanguard line you can do it for less than $900. Besides recoil, the downside is the limited availability of factory ammunition and rifles. 30-378 weatherby (214). inspired a lot of comments, dissent, and different candidates for the title, so lets take a more detailed look at the flattest of the flat. So it Im guessing to summarise it doesnt really matter what you shoot as long as you know distance to target & your maths The .277 is an oddball bullet diameter, in that it doesnt fall into the much more common 6.5mm, 7mm, or .30-caliber categories. As soon as a projectile leaves the muzzle, the earths gravity instantly begins to affect the trajectory of the round. It's not until you get farther out that BC starts making a big difference. Gravity impacts all objects the same. When a bullet is fired, many forces are immediately working against it: gravity, wind, and atmospheric drag. . But lets have a round of applause for our antiquated 220 Swift, just 0.2-inch off the record! Right now, shooters are obsessed with flat-shooting rifle cartridges. From 600 to 1000 yards they use a 300 Winchester. If you like the idea of a six-five for going long, but hate the Creed and want something a bit different, the 6.5-284 Norma is the way to go. The lesser charge is a flatter, close group load. I realize that you looked at several different loads for each cartridge to figure out which one was the flattest shooting. The .17 HMR is based upon the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire casing, necked down to .17 Caliber. Another one or two probably should have made the original list. Mag. The 26 and 28 Nosler as well as the 6.5300 Weatherby Magnum all utilize heavy for caliber bullets with high ballistic coefficients that are stabilized by barrels with fast twist rates. Introduced by Remington in 1962 along with their Model 700 bolt-action rifle, Remingtons Seven-Mag was the beginning of the end of Winchesters .264. MPBR with a 150-grain spire point from a 308 Winchester might extend to 317 yards on an 8-inch target while a 300 RUM might push that same bullet to 373 yards. The multiple loads for each cartridge are not at all pulled at random. In 2022, he was named as the brands Shooting Editor. I stopped there because few hunters are going to tolerate the recoil or rifle weight needed to operate a flat shooter above 338-caliber. Im going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. A big 7mm like the 7rum can put a 140 with nearly a .500 bc downrange at over 3500 fps or a 120 with about a .400 bc in the 3600+ fps range. It just murders your shoulder, ears, and pocketbook at the same time . Despite its relatively low B.C. Just curious have you ever looked at the 284 Winchester for flat shooting. But a reputation for burning out barrels ultimately doomed the cartridge. A few specialty matches, such as the Farr trophy at Camp Perry, are fired at 1,000 yards. Thanks. . The muzzle velocity is a plus in windy conditions, with the bullet arriving on target with minimal drift. Notice that it is only 3 grains lighter than the 150-grain .264 atop that Weatherby. Generally, traditional Weatherby Magnum cartridges perform slightly better than their Winchester or Remington magnum counterparts. Heres a chart from my Popular Hunting Cartridges Compared article. I believe the 6.8 SPC is that alternative. Noslers first proprietary cartridge is basically a steroid-monster 6.5 Creedmoor. Its drop at 1,000 yards is 330.30 and at 500 yards its drop is 50.00. Zeroing for 100 yards or farther will change drop significantly. It has the best BC and is hands down the flattest shooting of the AR15 calibers. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. But there is a big contender missing I think. Many people found it informative, but some of the hunters wanted to know if you have any statistics available on the calibers as listed above. of energy at that distance more than enough to drop a deer humanely. Warm greetings from S.W. With the highest BC bullets, the 26 Nosler remains supersonic beyond 1,750 yards. Any cartridge that drops less than 40 inches at 500 yards or close to 200 inches at 1000 yards should be considered a flat shooting cartridge. .25-06 AI with a Berger 115 VLD that's moving 3,600 fps That should be pretty close to flat. With its rebated rim and 1/2-inch diameter at the base, it is essentially a longer version of the 6.5284 Norma; ballistically equivalent to the .264 Winchester Magnum. Those, then, are my conclusions. I have not identified bullet make and type because that doesnt change impact drop. If the hunter is looking for a flat shooting caliber with good energy and speed of distances around 400-yards, then the .270 would be the obvious choice. It really is the best all-around hunting rifle caliber. Mag. Time of flight impacts bullet drop more than anything else. Answer (1 of 5): Trajectory flatness is a function of muzzle velocity. I suspect Weatherby got wind of Noslers work on its superb 26 Nosler, so they released Roys old wildcat to steel some of Noslers thunder. Thats what makes a long-range hunters heart go pitter patter, and its what has kept Weatherby in business since 1945. Impeccable analysis here. The 27 Nosler bests the .270 Winchester by about 400 fps with 150-grain bullets. I ran the numbers with the 180 grain Ballistic tip at 3420 fps. Muzzle velocity certainly makes a difference in how fast the bullet reaches the target, but it is by no means the only factor to consider. Its trajectory is awesome. Its muzzle velocity is 1880 fps, and muzzle energy is 2355 ft. lbs. bullet. Our blog and video on the Flattest Shooting Cartridge Ever! It seems a bit odd to consider a .22-caliber cartridge of any design suitable for long-range hunting of even smallish big game. At 300 yards, the hold over (assuming a 250 yard zero) is only 2.6 inches. For flat shooting over a relatively close range you need a lot of velocity, BC doesn't matter that much over shorter distances. The URSA gongs are 37 inches round and if you get 4 out of 10 you advance in 500 yard increments. With the popularity of this cartridge due to America's favorite rifle, the AR15, more and more people are stretching the . By way of comparison, the .270 Winchester (based on the .30-06 Springfield) offers a case capacity of 67 grains. Meantime, lets enjoy our deeper dive into flat shooting hunting cartridges (hand carried and shoulder fired. (This is essentially what Hornady did to the .260 Remington to make the 6.5 Creedmoor.) We like the 257 STW we're loading 115 gr bullets around 3600fps with 1/2" groups.We can run it hotter and a Berger vld would be pretty flat. If it makes you feel better to hate the 6.5 Creedmoor, go ahead. Accuracy, knowledge of your rifle and its drops at different ranges, and knowledge of the conditions will dictate your very long range shots. Not to mention the different variations in grains in each individual caliber,Ogive and BC. Here we go! Its biggest disadvantage, in some people's opinion, is .25 caliber bullets have low BCs. For example , the chart I used showed about 67-70 drop for .270 at 600 yd.. My father has been shooting a 6.5300 wby we had made for him in the early 80s and it was only limited by bullet construction. On the other hand, wind speed and direction are inconsistent. And while that pokey 300 grain 338 Lapua round drops quite a bit compared to the others in the list, its carrying a lot of energy: enough to take a deer at 1775 yards. Generally, a 300 Win Mag's 150 grain bullet delivers a 3,260 fps muzzle velocity, while its 180 grain bullet achieves approximately 3,000 fps. It was introduced in 1962 and essentially knocked the .264 Winchester Magnum several notches down on the popularity list after hunters and shooters put the 7mm Mag to the test. Shane Olson, nope, no sarcasm involved, simply pointing out a straight fact, which I stand by. No exotics just yet, theyll come later. Just $1 per month , These rounds have the reach and the power to put down big-game animals way out there, By modifies results at some point. The wise longer range shooter errs on the side of a higher B.C. The .223 Remington will easily take care of any varmint out to around 500 yards, but at extreme distances loses its punch. I\d be curious to know what the minimum cost is for just the rifle or a quality budget build. Despite its relatively low B.C. However, I fully admit that that a flat shooting cartridge is not nearly as important as a cartridge which is resistant to wind deflection. It is a flat shooting cartridge, able to hit a target at 300 yards with negligible hold over. So since it doesnt work AT ALL for serious shooters, it doesnt get much air time, and then the average hunter who only shoots 2-3 boxes per YEAR never hears about it. So, Winchester slightly modified the .270 WSM case so it was a bit shorter and then specified barrels with a faster twist. Just curious if you included the 300 Norma or maybe I missed it. HOWEVER after going through Cartridges of The World by Barnes and Skinner it has come to my attention that 7.21 Lazzeroni Firebird is ever more overbore. Heck, I cant even find agreement on maximum muzzle velocities in handloading manuals from Speer, Hornady, Nosler, Berger, Swift, Hodgdon, Norma, Sierra, Barnes Furthermore, just because the manual lists those speeds does not mean your rifle will deliver them. It's muzzle v. Jim, Shot from SAAMI-mandated 1-8 twist barrels, the 6.5s long, slender bullets seem to almost defy wind and gravity and allow this cartridge to deliver clean kills at distance. This is with a 58gr charge of Hodgen 4831 powder. The 300 PRC in 225G exceeds this and the 338 Lapua Magnum by a noticeable difference. Dear Adriel, please be so kind to provide statistics on the following calibers as well: Twenty years ago, Winchester introduced the .270 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum). Really enjoy your youtube channel. Obviously this list doesnt include every possible bullet/BC/MV combination, but it gives us a pretty good picture of the likely winners at three distances. But you did such an awesome job with this data. For optics, I use a Leupold Mark 6 with a Horus reticle. Im going to include a few in here, and my basis for including them is going to be inclusion in Federals 2013 catalog, because thats what Im basing my numbers off. Check out more F&S long-range shooting coverage, including advice for getting started in long-range shooting competitions, the reason why rifle groups keep shrinking, how Heavey did at Gunsite Academy, and what makes long-distance shooting so difficult. The advent of precision rifle competitions and the laser rangefinder has increased the publics desire to go long. It makes for easy reading in an \all in one place\ comparison, rather than spending time trying to find this data all over the internet. But what are the flattest shooting rifle cartridges? . Hornady's ELD line of bullets is considered the most precisely made, and the flattest shooting for any specific caliber. Not many of us can afford the ammo, let alone the rifles and scopes that chamber it, in such calibers as 375 CheyTac, 408 CheyTac, or 416 Barrett. Still, by using G1 across the board, we are on a level playing field. = 3002 inches = 250 foot = 76m above target at 1000 yds now thats a challenge ! Most service rifle matches include stages at 200, 300 and 600 yards, from various positions, some timed, while others are slow-fire. It is capable of sending a 55-grain bullet from the muzzle at 3,700 fps. What a gentleman. Fantastic information. Take a look at the MPBR column and note how close they all are. Please, keep up the great work! 1.5" high at 100, would be dead-on at 250, and only drop 30" at 550. At 500 yards . The 220 Swift would be my pick for coyotes, rodents, and probably pronghorn if it werent for the wind deflection issue. Thursday nights they do IDPA. The ballistics coefficient of the bullet (a formula which considers the mass, diameter, and aerodynamic drag of a bullet to understand its ability to fight wind and continue on its path) greatly impacts time of flight because it keeps the bullet from slowing down due to inefficiency of flight. The 7mag is one of the calibers he mentioned for the original 7 in the test. This newer Weatherby 6.5 combines plenty of gas with manageable recoil. It outperforms the .280 Remington (also known as the 7mm-06 and the 7mm Express), and for years wildcatters and handloaders have been singing its praises. I\m also a huge fan of Ron Spomer so well done for the recognition of his great work too. It takes 200 rounds to fully break in a barrel, so theyd finish it off in just 2-3 competitions (where you fire 200 rounds in a weekend). The 6.5300 Weatherby magnum, as its name suggests, is based on the 300 Weatherby mag and has a case capacity of 98 grains of water. Different shooters will all have different calibers that are better suited for their specific goal or mission. For example, the .50BMG and the 6.5 Creedmoor both launch bullets at approximately the same muzzle velocity of 2,700fps. The 243 Winchester and 6mm Remington have reputations for shooting flat, but the lesser known 240 Weatherby magnum fires the same bullets at higher velocities, so its the flattest of the 24-calibers. Mag. Richard Mann RELATED: How the Brand-New 27 Nosler Revives the .277. Even at 500 yards the Hornady 225 SST is traveling over 2,000 fps and carrying over 2,000 ft/lbs of energy. Another issue is recoil. And it gets there with a lot less powder the either of the two Weatherbys. While that incredibly fast 6.5-300 Wby. Now I have some facts for my creedmoor pal to chew on. As much talk as there is about the .270 Winchesters ability to shoot flatly, it does not compare with these three flat-shooting options. Kind regards. In 2015, Mann began contributing to Field & Stream to cover guns, ammunition, ballistics, and hunting. In 2019, Nosler submitted the cartridge to the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Institute (SAAMI) for approval, and in 2020, you can expect to see Nosler and other ammunition manufacturers offering factory loaded ammunition and even rifles for it. Do we compare the fastest factory loads or top end handloads from select handloading manuals? Caliber Flattest Shooting Load BC; 7mm R Mag: Hor 139 gr InBd HvMag.480: 270 WSM (1) Fed 130 gr Nosler BT.428: 300 Win Mag: Hor 150 gr InBd . Thanks for your hard work and entertaining videos, your passion shines through! The flattest shooting caliber and load I could find was the .300 RUM shooting a 150 grain bullet. In ballistic terms, a 235-grain .375 bullet at 3,000 fps exits the muzzle with lots of energy: 4,695 ft-lbs. Oldmarine >>> GO I know you like your Bushnell scope but you should know that they make a lot of good scopes but the one that is favored by many Long Range shooters is the Elite Tactical XRS 4.5 . I have neither the scientific knowledge nor mathematical skills to figure out the perfect blend of factors that produces the flattest trajectory winner. The caveat here is that fastest becomes a bit murky. Flattest at 500 yards Weatherbys wildly overbore 6.5-300 wins again! wins again with just 218.5 inches of drop, the 27 Nosler moves into second place with its 150-grain bullet falling only 225.8 inches. While there are not a lot of ammunition choices for the 6.8 Western, there are some good ones. Something like a 7mm Ultramag shooting a 120 TTSX would be pretty flat shooting to 500. Since I have shot my .270 Winchester primarily with the Hornady 150gr spire point and I know at 500 yards it drops close to 50 inches. It combined flat-shooting ballistics with hard-hitting bullets in a package with lighter recoil than the .300 Weatherby Magnum, which debuted in 1944. Perhaps you, dear reader, can provide the formula! Great job. Jim Harmer is a host of the Backfire Youtube channel. But to do this, it must launch a heavy bullet and that means recoil can be stiff; from an 8-pound rifle, it generates more than 33 foot-pounds of recoil, which is more than twice that of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Save big on firearms, accessories, tactical gear, clothing, and ammunition from now until March 29. If you are looking for the flattest shooting caliber to 500 yards, you should read anything else. You can argue that you can get the 243 WSSM shooting flatter, but that cartridge is already considered obsolete. Feb 17, 2023. It shoots as flat as a Kansas prairie and holds its velocity way out there. However, it proved to be mostly a flash in the pan. As with Hornadys two recent 6.5 caliber introductions, it has found favor with long-range competitors, but also with hunters who like to hit at distance with heavy bullets. Also, same bullet, but a .257 Wby Mag will also work if you hit the same velocities. The new Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent load with a muzzle velocity of 2825 fps shoots flat and the bullet is tough enough to handle up close impacts while still delivering good. The reason why 6.5mm cartridges are exploding in popularity is because they are ultra-efficient. Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. Both are of course bolt-action rifle cartridges. All are welcome. Im not sure Im reading this right but there seems to be a decimal missing. This is an example of how different loads in different rifles can produce different results. However, the .220 Swift and the .22-250 have been used to take deer out to distances a lot of folks got no business shooting, for a long, long time. A relatively flat-shooting cartridge, hunters with skill regular make shots out to 400 and 500 yards with the cartridge on small gamesome hunters even farther. I know you won't find them in the US, but just wanted to mention them because it's fun. Top You still need excellent range finding equipment and preferably have tested drops in your rifle in case your bullets have exaggerated BC claims. Trust but verify. This lets you focus on having only one caliber to maintain. http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator, 338 Lapua with a 300 grain projectile (you can run 250s in the Lapua as well, but most run a 300). The wildly overbore 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum wins or places near the top of the flat-shooter podium at most ranges to at least 1,000 yards. . Enforcermj, Im not sure if your comment is sarcastic or not. As for targeting game at extreme distances, yes, I realize there are thousands of dedicated, well-trained long range shooters who are as good at 1,000 yards as many of us are at 500 yards and some of us at 200 yards. .468 BC, 1. Why? At 600 yards, most common cartridges are running out of juice to take down larger game like Elk or Moose, though the 300 win mag/300 WSM still have a bit left in the tank. Even though high-BC .30-caliber bullets need to be heavy and pushed hard to shoot flat, many American hunters love them enough to tolerate the recoil. Fun? All three cartridges also offer ample case capacity, allowing enough powder to send bullets at drag-defying velocities. Light bullets driven fast shoot flatter over shorter distances. I already have a Swarovski Z6 3-18 bt. A .270 caliber rifle loaded with a 130 or a 140 grain bullets will drop respectively 33 and 35 inches with each bullet have over 1400 lbs. It would help one decide on if a cartilage was up to a specific task and if one would be willing to take the kick. Before we check that out, lets give a nod to the 240 Wby. Also, I used something called G1 B.C. You are using an out of date browser. Have fun hunting! All same bullets for each of the numbers that are then averaged. So lets roll with this! I noticed the WSSM family was not on your list I assume because of the higher velocities they would be higher than the standard calibers. For good reason. What a great tool that you have built. You can't go wrong with a .308 for a 500 yard rifle. At 300 yards it has dropped around 13 inches, and at 500 yards it's just under 60 inches (5 feet). projectiles begins to add up and they shoot flatter at extreme range. Thanks Its a top choice of military snipers and can launch heavy bullets with high speed and exceptional precision. For the Top 5 you have listed, what manufacturers offer a complete rifle in those calibers? Forums. Nope, pretty much matches a 308Win to 500 yards. Good points, which are all things Ive considered. I prefer larger calibers for elk, but the .270 is perfectly adequate for elk, and I have personally used it for elk all the way to 400 yards with no problems. Brownings 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing load has an advertised muzzle velocity of 2835 fps and a very high ballistic coefficient. The Nosler AccuBond is one of the best all-round big-game bullets offered, and Weatherby has smarly offered the 140-grain version for their 6.5 RPM cartridge. Every rifle is different. The best long-range cartridges are those that are flat shooting, feature aerodynamic projectiles and have enough power to go the distance. Loaded with a 130-grain bullet, it will carry more than 1000 foot-pounds of energy out past 600 yards. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Links or names greatly appreciated, Thanks! By the way, while the 6.5-300 has been on the market just five years, Roy was shooting it in the mid-20th century. Been there done that, so Im not playing holier-than-thou. Cheers. Lots of hunters consider the .270 Winchester one of the best all-purpose, short- and long-range cartridges of all time. Aug 31, 2013. Well, Im done Adulting for Today and Tomorrow. Omg I wish I seen this alot earlier than I did.. Ive literally spent hours on hours on ballistics calculators trying to figure out which new cartridge was the flattest shooting but also had enough energy for an ethical kill at long range and it took me countless hours to basically come up with what your chart told me in seconds grrr.. A 100-grain .243 bullet with a G1 ballistic coefficient around .400 at a muzzle velocity of 2,960 carries just over 800 foot-pounds of energy at 500 yards. The best long-range cartridge in the world might be the .408 Chey-Tac. It was also a resounding success and has remained popular with hunters looking to stretch their effective range. Thats true, but the bullets have been vetted. This is the darling diameter for American big-game hunters. Sight in 3" high at 100 yards and 6" low at 400 yards. Prairie dogs?). Lets start by acknowledging we can minimize our search by ignoring all cartridges within each caliber that dont produce maximum velocity in that caliber. A long-time favorite of snipers, the .308 Winchester will remain supersonic out to around 1,200 yards. Misjudging a 5mph crosswind as 8mph will make a 5.3 difference at 500yd with my favorite varmint load (BC0.400/MV3,400). I wonder if you could possibly make that load available to me, so I can compare which loads are the best? Your Knowledge is greatly appreciated! etc. These cartridges all drop less than 255 at 1,000 yards. The spin rate helps to stabilize the projectile along its path, cut through drag and higher case capacities give the projectile more velocity thus delivering the bullet to the target more quickly. At 150 yards the target is a 6 inch hole and the gong is behind it. The 147-grain ELD-M bullet has a sectional density of .301 and a G1 Ballistic Coefficient of .697, which is arguably the highest ballistic coefficient of any 6.5 Creedmoor bullet. This lead-free copper monolithic, fragmenting hollow-point Liberty Ammunition round is the next generation of one of the most popular hunting and long range rounds in existence. A 100 yard miscalculation short or long will vary your hit by a vertical of 2.3-2.9 feet, enough to completely miss or wound the deer. Often theyre inflated. I work at a very large and popular firearms dealer, and I have sold dozens (if not hundreds) if the 6.5, but I havent sold 1, or had anyone even ask about the top 3 in this list. Since this article originally went live, several excellent long-range big-game cartridges have it the market. Now if you pulled all of your data from Nosler and they shot their bullets out of the same length of barrel then I would trust the ballistics youre speaking of. Best Ive been able to do is run ballistic charts on many combinations, knowing that muzzle velocity is of major importance and bullet B.C. At 1000 yards a .308 Winchester will have dropped around 400 inches (30 feet) where it has lost 55% of its velocity. Flattest Shooting Hunting Bullet 257 Weatherby Vanguard 26" pipe. Best .270 Rounds I have a 27 3/4" barrel 264 Win mag that shoots 130 Accubonds 3350 fps with Retumbo. Velocity, drop, energy and the use of bullets with their own factors which create their ballistic coefficients all should be considered. 6.5-300 WBY (-204) Federal Premium, 130-grain Terminal Ascent, .308 Winchester will win no ballistic awards. I know its a great round, but its by a long shot the best selling rifle chambering of the last several years. Its like a shorter, beltless version of the .300 Winchester Magnum. So what can we learn from these numbers? It will push a 90-grain Fusion bullet to 500 yardswhich is probably the limit for . Great information! I took multiple loads from each, but identical sources. Nosler Trophy Grade with a 150-grain Nosler AccuBond Long Range at 3300 fps. 500-yard drop: 45 inches (based on a 100-yard zero). With those thoughts in mind, it is easy to see why the 26 Nosler, 28 Nosler and the 6.5300 Weatherby Magnums are the best flat-shooting cartridges offered to rifle shooters today. I still shoot a .270 caliber cartridge and the same 150gr bullet, but with a 3gr powder charge boost. . I know it is very uncommonly talked about. unfair comparison, Hornady makes a 139 grain BTSP for the 7mm mag very flat shooter, Great info, thanks for your difficult work. Not sure if the OP is considering them or not. Choosing the proper ammunition and knowing your own capabilities at those distances is most important. Great information you have come up with. It's still possible to get factory ammo for the cartridge, but current production .223 WSSM ammo normally uses heavier 50 or 55 grain bullets at .