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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurt505
With the advancement in bullets these days, particularly in the 6.5 and 7mm catergory, extremely high BC's and controlled expansion, more and more I think the 30cal is becoming obsolete in terms of hunting.
Am I wrong in thinking less is becoming more in terms of modern cartridges?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurt505
Isn't BC a determining factor in how much energy the bullet retains in flight? A 140gr ELDX bullet out a 260rem at 500yds will have more energy than a 168gr ELDX bullet out of a 308, will be traveling almost 200fps faster, and have much better penetration. Minimum performance speed for most hunting bullets is 1800fps, so by about 565yds, and about 1200ftpd energy the 168gr out of the 308 is done, where the 260rem will make it out to 750yds while having about 1000ftpds of energy. Even though the 260 will have less energy it will still penetrate deeper and have enough speed for the ELDX to perform properly. For reference, at 550yds the 260rem is still traveling at 2025fps and has 1275ftpd of energy, and at 750yds the 308 has about 900ftpd energy and is traveling at about 1550fps. As far as wind drift is concerned, the 6.5 is the clear winner.
Apples to apples the 6.5 stomps the 30cal with less recoil.
Dean, I've got 3 new rifles to develope loads for, I just don't know how bad I want to do it in -20!!!!
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If we are focusing on 99% of hunting done in North America, it is not at the 500 yard range. So for 99% of hunting, 30 cal is going to stay strong. If you are talking about some special long range rifle for hunting beyond 500 yards, then a whole bunch of other factors come into play. And depending on your target, you might be happy with 6.5mm or 7mm or you might even want 338. Are you talking about hunting in general and if 30 cal applies to that, or are you talking some long range dream shot?