Do all Caliber

[Rokbar]

If I had to pick one caliber for all, .300 win mag. It's stood the test of time!

 

[Reburn]

My 300wm is good to 1000 yards and my new 6.5 Creedmoor should be good to 1200.

Yawn. Here we go again.
May want to check you ballistics on you minimum expansion velocity there bud. The creedmoor runs out of juice well before 1000 yards. Mine runs out at 700-750ish where I hit the 1800 fps minimum expansion velocity on eld-x.

 

[Laramie]

The key statement by the OP is asking for ammo availability. 30-06 is the only one that will be available everywhere and still do what is asked. I would find a good, controlled expansion, 165 grain bullet and use it for everything. Never have to adjust sights or stress anything. You will need to practice a lot though. On forums 600 yards seems easy. In reality, consistently hitting beyond 400 takes repetition. I have been shooting for 40 years and my self imposed limit on game is 500 yards. Good luck in your search.

 

[204guy]

I recommend something with a tremendous amount of recoil and is expensive to shoot. That'll practically guarantee it'll be good for elk @600yds, and that you'll never be good to 600 yds. Seems to be the popular choice around here anyways.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Yawn. Here we go again.
May want to check you ballistics on you minimum expansion velocity there bud. The creedmoor runs out of juice well before 1000 yards. Mine runs out at 700-750ish where I hit the 1800 fps minimum expansion velocity on eld-x.

Spend more-get more. 3050fps. https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/the-6-5-creedmoor-a-serious-one-mile-gun/#:~:text=In the right set of,that's not always the case.

I put a NightForce 5-20X56 on my rifle. Next time I go to the range I'll take some video ringing steel at 1000 yards (furthest target the range offers). New rifle was built for ADC work.

 

[TNKnoxville]

I covered my all the bases and got both a 308, 30 06 and a 300 win mag!!!!!!!!!

 

[Reburn]

Spend more-get more. 3050fps. https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/the-6-5-creedmoor-a-serious-one-mile-gun/#:~:text=In the right set of,that's not always the case.

I put a NightForce 5-20X56 on my rifle. Next time I go to the range I'll take some video ringing steel at 1000 yards (furthest target the range offers). New rifle was built for ADC work.

Since I have to assume your reloading if your using A-tips. And you can get 3000 fps out of a 135gr A-tip then yes you would reach 1800 fps at roughly 1100. There was a long thread on A-tips a while back somewhere. I dont remember if people were getting reliable expansion on animals much below 1800 fps.

The bullets you tossed the picture up are 129gr sst. They chronoed for me at 2950 out of a 21" barrel. The sst needs 1800fps to open. Its hitting that at 800 yards. Still not 1000. You can surely ring steel that far. Hornady claims that it will reliabily open to 1500 fps. That will get you to 1050 @1515 fps. This has been widely debated if that bullet will acutally open that low. There is no sense in beating that dead horse again. 1800 is a safer bet. you can ring steel with a creedmoor a long ways due to the high BC keeps the bullet out of the transonic window. However the OP question was about taking game.

As per relevant to the OP's question on a gun that will do it all and have off the shelf ammo avalibility....its not going to be hot reloaded A-tips.

 

[slowelk]

I think since this was posted to the LONG RANGE hunting section, not the firearm section, it would be a mistake to recommend the 308 or 30-06 because neither carry enough velocity or energy much beyond 500 to kill.

The recommendation would have to be 300 win mag, or perhaps a high BC 7mm.

 

[Bighunt531]

I know I’m going to get a lot of different answers but here we go. I am looking for a caliber/round that I can use from antelope up to elk. Would like to have the knock down power from up to 600 yards and be able to buy ammo almost anywhere. What would you guys suggest? Thinking about 6.5 PRC.
TIA

.270 win will take whitetails to moose no problem

 

[PrimeArcher]

.300 Win Mag. Ultimately you will want to get a round that you can find at just about any sporting good store.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

With your 600 yard range and also wanting ammo available almost anywhere, you have a very short list.

Many of the rounds stated run out of steam before 600 yards (ex: 308 Win). Ammo availability, or the lack there of, will filter out some rounds such as the 6.5 PRC or 280 AI.

Like others have stated, it is pretty much either the 300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag, or 270 Win due to your criteria.

 

[wind gypsy]

Yawn. Here we go again.
May want to check you ballistics on you minimum expansion velocity there bud. The creedmoor runs out of juice well before 1000 yards. Mine runs out at 700-750ish where I hit the 1800 fps minimum expansion velocity on eld-x.

How dare you, he is putting a nightforce on it!

 

[wind gypsy]

I love how everyone's Creedmoor outperforms the 300 WM.

"Nah man, they just equal them with less recoil"

It's almost like people don't realize that regardless of which bullet you put in a 6.5 CM, there is a 30 cal bullet with a higher BC that can be pushed to a faster velocity in a 300 wm. That's all the number crunching that is needed.

 

[wind gypsy]

My votes: 30/06, 270, 7 RM.

 

[Laramie]

I think since this was posted to the LONG RANGE hunting section, not the firearm section, it would be a mistake to recommend the 308 or 30-06 because neither carry enough velocity or energy much beyond 500 to kill.

The recommendation would have to be 300 win mag, or perhaps a high BC 7mm.

The OP asked for a readily available cartridge to take game out to a maximum of 600 yards. The 30-06 is very capable of being that cartridge and imo is the only one that would be readily available anywhere ammo is sold. Your standard 165 grain factory Hornady load is still over 1850 FPS at 600 yards and is producing 1300lbs of energy. That is plenty of velocity and energy to kill anything in the lower 48. The 300 win mag is simply not available everywhere ammo is sold otherwise I would be in complete agreement in that cartridge recommendation.

 

[mooretitan]

30-06. I would get one a little on the heavy side. 9-10lb range. They still give a good kick. In fact mine with no recoil pad hits me harder than my 300 WM. Also put a break on it if you are going to be doing a lot of range shooting.
but a 30-06 done right will last you a life time and get the job done at almost any range. Mine has counted for lots of kills.

 

[Trr15]

I'll be the first (and likely only) vote for .338 win mag.

 

[elkguide]

.300 Win Mag.
Next question.

 

[OneSkinnyHunter]

I'll be the first (and likely only) vote for .338 win mag.

Nope - Im with you all the way

 

[marshland_max]

Like others have said 30-06, 7 mm RM (my choice), 300 mag of what ever flavor and I also agree with the 338 WM!