Best all around rifle caliber

[Trooper]

Trooper I like the 6.5. I think it is a great round and hope that the military picks it up as their new round. With that said I don't want it for hunting bear or other large game. I want something larger, like a 358 Winchester or bigger.

As far as the 338 replacing the 50 BMG. I don't see how you are going to get any where near the same results out of a 338 that you get with a 50 BMG. First off you have the size of the rouond then the weight of the round. Yes the 338 can be pushed faster. That is just because it is much lighter and smaller.

I understand that you can carry more, but isn't that idea what got us stuck with the 5.56? Some one makes a 40 that competes with the 50 that moves even faster than the 50 and only gives up 100gr of bullet weight. Then that is why it is faster, it's smaller and lighter than the 50. No making things faster with out giving up something. Now you could reduce the size of bullet and put it in the same case and push it faster, but it would eat up barrels faster than the 220 swift goes through them. So yes you can reduce the size of the case and reduce the size of the bullet and reduce the weight of the bullet. It will move faster, but there is no way it is going to do the same thing as the 50, because it is missing all those things. Before the fifty ever had the specialty rounds it was known for is ability to take things out. Like a building, plains and armored vehicles and such. I can't see a 338 doing that.

Given the .338 (8.59mm) BC (similar to the 6.5mm at .600), it delivers more energy down range than does the .50 cal. It is the same problem that the 7.62x51 has when compared to the 6.5mm rounds. The bigger round loses too much energy. Thus a smaller round does better.

For large game, look at the .338LM (8.59x70) or the .338NM (8.59x64). One would only need two rounds, a 6.5mm and a .338 cartridge.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I keep going through books I have and I just don't see what you are talking about. You are trying to tell me that a 50 BMG with a 750 Gr bullet moving at 2800 has less power than a 338 caliber 225 gr bullet moving at 2800 FPS. The only advantage the 338 has over the 50 BMG is you can carry more rounds. As I said before that type of thinking got us stuck with a 5.56 round.

Why would I want to go to a 338 what ever when I already have a 358 Winchester that will take anything I will ever hunt and not have to use as much powder or carry as much weight with less kick. I see no advantage to your wonder round.

 

[Hohn]

I keep going through books I have and I just don't see what you are talking about. You are trying to tell me that a 50 BMG with a 750 Gr bullet moving at 2800 has less power than a 338 caliber 225 gr bullet moving at 2800 FPS. The only advantage the 338 has over the 50 BMG is you can carry more rounds. As I said before that type of thinking got us stuck with a 5.56 round.

Why would I want to go to a 338 what ever when I already have a 358 Winchester that will take anything I will ever hunt and not have to use as much powder or carry as much weight with less kick. I see no advantage to your wonder round.

At long range, the .338 is superior. At shorter range, the .50BMG has much more energy. But it bleeds it off so much faster than the .338 that by 800 yards or so, the .338 is leaving the .50 in the dust.

The .338 LM is the best long range caliber that's reasonably widely available. Only specialty rounds (CheyTac, Barret) may eclipse it. You aren't finding that ammo locally, I promise.
On Edit: there are some super-heavy .50BMG loads that have higher BCs than the .338LM, so they do perform better at range.

 

[HD1911]

Wrong about the .338 Lapua having more Kinetic Energy downrange, than the .50 BMG.

@ 1,500 Yards, the .50BMG with 750gr Amax has 4x the Energy over the .338 Lapua with 300gr SMK. We're talking literally 4,150 Ft. Lbs of Energy, versus 1,015 Ft. Lbs., at 1,500 Yards.

That same .50 BMG load also has 40% Less Wind Drift @ 1,500 Yards versus the aforementioned .338 Lapua Load.

Furthermore, the .50 BMG also has 20% Less Drop @ 1,500 Yards, over the .338 Lapua.

Notice a trend here?

Oh and btw, I have no dog in this fight. Facts are Facts and I hate seeing disinformation/misinformation spread.

Cheers!

 

[6mm Shoot]

HD1911 thank you for the information. I should have ran the rounds through the program I have and I would have known that. I just couldn't see how a 338 is going to beat out the 50 BMG. There is no replacement for size, weight and speed.