Difference between revisions of "Sniper Rifle Ammunition"

Latest revision as of 18:07, 19 April 2011

With emphasis on military application or "Military Sniper Rifle Ammunition" - Past, Current, and Potential Active Service.

Popular NATO Sniper Rifle Cartridges (Long Range Medium Heavy Class)

308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO)

The T-65 cartridge was introduced in the 1950s as a shortened 30-06 with the same caliber bullet. The new case length is 51mm. In 1957 the US Army adopted the M14 rifle in this 7.62x51mm round.

30-06 Springfield (7.62x63mm NATO)

This cartridge has also been known as the 30 Government M'06 and is made from an adapted 30-03 back in 1906 for the Springfield model 1903 Service Rifle.

The 30-06 is a longer, at 63mm, than the 308 and can hold more powder. The 30-06 was superseded by the 7.62x51mm (308 Win) but in Europe the 30-06, designated 7.62x63mm, is still widely used.

The 30-06 is considered the most flexible, useful, all around big game cartridge available to North American hunters. Although loads up to a 220 grain bullet may be used, many expert hunters consider 180 grain loads the best choice for a wide variety of medium to heavy game under almost any hunting condition. The 220 grain bullet is generally recommended for large African game, but remains inadequate for the heaviest species.

The most common factory loaded bullet weights for the .30-06 are 150 grain, 165 grain, and 180 grain. This refers to the mass of the bullet. Powder loads range from 47.5 grains to 59.0 grains. See Loads, Grains, and Bullets for a better understanding of grains and how it relates to ammunition.

footnote: The civilian 270 Winchester is necked down 30-06 and, although never adopted by the military, is considered to be a standard of comparison for long range rifle cartridges. With a 130 grain bullet it has a maximum point blank range (MPBR) of 305 yards.

300 Winchester Magnum (7.62x67mm)

Introduced in 1963, the 300 Winchester Magnum is considered in the same class as the 300 Weatherby and suitable for any North American game.

The U.S. Army is upgrading its M24 bolt-action sniper rifles to fire the .300 Winchester magnum (7.62x67) round. They will become known as the M24E1. The rifle previously fired the less power 7.62x51mm round. There are many Popular 300 Winchester Magnum Rifles on the market today for civilian use.

338 Lapua Magnum (8.58x71mm)

The cartridge that is supposed to fill the gap between the 50 BMG and 308 Winchester. The 338 Lapua Magnum launches a 250 grain bullet at 3000 fps and is reported to be very effective at over 9/10ths of a mile (1500 meters, 1640 yards). The commercial soft point bullet is for hunting very heavy game.

The cartridge was developed as a specialized rimless bottlenecked centerfire cartridge for military long-range sniper rifles. It has been put into service, performing well in the Afghanistan War and Iraq War. The military wanted a cartridge capable of penetrating five layers of military body armor at 1,000 m (1,094 yd) and still make the kill.

The 338 Lapua is a 416 Rigby case necked down to take a 0.338-inch (8.6 mm) bullet, which is more efficient for modern smokeless powder.

The 338 Lapua Magnum has been designated a "cartridge of interest" by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). It is being groomed to replace the 300 Winchester Magnum and the 50 BMG for anti-personnel long-range service in the U.S. military.

NATO Sniper Rifle Cartridges (Long Range / Ultra Heavy Class)

416 Barrett (10.5x83mm)

Introduced by designer Pete Forras, this cartridge is designed to be an alternative to the .50 BMG in long-range high-caliber rifles. The .416 Barrett is a little flatter shooting than the 50 BMG, with an effective range of 2,500 yards, versus 2,000 yards for the 50 BMG. It has a similar in width case to the 50 BMG, but is shorter and necked down to .416.

footnote: The 408 Cheyenne Tactical (408 Chey-Tac) is a challenger to the 416 Barrett, although it has not seen military service. According a British source, the CheyTac M200 Intervention "Sniper" rifle is superior to the Barrett M107 and Accuracy International AS50. The cartridge is also reported to have an effective range of 2,500 yards.

50 Browning / 50 BMG (12.7x99mm)

The 50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge was adopted by the US Military in 1918 for use in the Browning machine gun. The cartridge has been adopted in the civilian world as a large sporting round used in long range competition shooting with some events exceeding 1 mile in distance.

The world record for distance on a kill shot made by a sniper as of 2010 is 1½ miles (2,430 meters, 1.51 miles) by Canadian sniper Rob Furlong using superior U.S. ammo with a .50-caliber McMillan Brothers Tac-50 rifle and ammunition loaded with 750 gr Hornady A-MAX ammo. The inferior Canadian ammo would not have served to make the kill according to the sniper. Before the war in Afghanistan introduced several new records, the record had been held for 35 years by Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock in the Vietnam war, also firing a 50 cal. from a Browning M2 machine gun. Hathcock was one of several individuals to utilize the Browning .50 caliber heavy machine gun in the sniping role. He used a mounted telescopic sight to make the shot.

update: see "Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison" latest long distance sniper kill record ... using 338 Lapua.

The 308, 30-06, and 300 Win Mag Debate

Some of these points vary depending upon source and so called expert opinion. Here is a culmination of various talking points from different sources.

• The 30-06 is a longer cartridge than the 308 and can hold more powder.

This argument tries to explain how the 30-06 is ultimately more powerful. However, due to advances in smokeless powder and primers, the modern 308 can match, if not exceed the energy of the original 30-06.

• The 308 has slightly less power but was a good compromise.

In civilian ammunition terms, the reloader may utilize the greater case capacity of the 30-06 to create a supercharged cartridge that will have more muzzle energy than the maximum loading capacity of the smaller 308 shell. The "compromise" being that the smaller case of the 308 is more efficient to pack and carry. The argument is that the smaller case can't be loaded with as much gunpowder.

• Civilian designation is 30.06, military equivalent is 7.62 X 63mm
• Civilian designation is 308, military equivalent is 7.62 X 51mm

according to specifics the .308 win. and 7.62x51mm/NATO are technically different and arguably interchangeable. They can and have been used interchangeably, however, some experts warn about safety considerations and a negative impact on accuracy. (dimensional differences and the chamber gap are taken into consideration on military rifles versus civilian models.)

• US Military reports indicate that the 7.62 X 51mm is slightly more accurate than the 7.62 X 63mm.

one may argue that the military 7.62 X 51mm (308) has underwent more updating and received more attention by researchers since it is in current service while the 7.62 X 63mm is considered obsolete by the military, therefore not being improved. However, with a specific load of modernized smokeless powder, the military has tested and proven the 7.62 X 63mm cannot achieve greater accuracy than the 7.62 X 51mm because the optimum powder load is easily facilitated by either shell casing. More powder isn't better when it comes to long range sniper shooting (especially at 1000 yards), it is a matter of the right load, not the most loaded.

• 7.62x51 (.308) is 180 grains. The 7.62x63 (.30-06) can load 220 grain

a somewhat pointless civilian expert dissuasion on current military loads versus the 30-06 capability of maximum load.

• More precision ammunition is made for the .308 Winchester rifle.

When military research is applied to civilian ammunition, much more study has been invested in the 308 versus the 30-06.

• The .308 also has less recoil and barrel life will be longer
• The .308 is a short-action rifle that is less expensive and more common
• there is a larger variety of ammo types offered for the 30-06 than any of the .308 win. and 7.62x51mm/NATO combined.

This talking point compares civilian loads, mostly for North American game hunters, available for the 30-06 to the much more specialized military 7.62x51mm, and civilian 308, where the ammo available is mostly extracted from military data. However, what is available for the 7.62x51mm is more highly refined and task specific, since the military has a very specific purpose.

• the .300 Winchester Magnum is superior to the 308 [7.62x51 NATO]

this talking point is based on US Military studies showing the 300 Win Mag maintains a flatter trajectory at super sonic speed up * The .300 Winchester Magnum military designation is (7.62x67)7.62x51mmto 100 yards. The military is actively migrating from the 308 to the 300 Win Mag.

According to a 1000 yard bench shooting expert, to achieve 1000 yard accuracy it is necessary to keep the bullet above the speed of sound until it passes though the target. The .308 does so well due to its extremely low muzzle velocity spread, because too much velocity variation results in open groups at 1000 yards. Exceeding the optimum load creates excess velocity variation due the the properties of how the bullet travels though air particles at the speed of sound.

More power isn't the secret to a tighter group at distances between 500 and 1000 yards, it is a matter of getting enough power to stay ultrasonic, but nothing more. This is why the 308 outperforms the 30-06 at 1000 yards, even though the latter gets a little more velocity. Theoretically the 30-06 can be loaded lighter to match the optimum 308 load and achieve similar results, however, in practical military testing the combination of the right contemporary rifle and 308 cartridge outperforms the 30-06 rifle and cartridge combination.

In the civilian world where most North American large game are taken at well under 300 yards, a more powerful "hot" 30-06 load is going to have a "take down" or "kill" advantage. But even for hunting purposes, many experts consider 180 grains in a 30-06 superior or simply sufficient for any medium or large game in North American, and a 220 grain load is simply overkill. Also, gunpowder burns most efficiently at loads less than the maximum possible load.

Finally, keep in mind that a soldier can carry more 7.62 X 51mm (308) ammo because the smaller size takes up less space when packed. No one wants to lug around excess weight on the battlefield when either will deliver comparable results, and no soldier wants to run out of ammo in the heat of battle.

Sniper Long Range Ammunition

Cartridge	Weight	fps	Description 
			
.223 Rem 	69 gr 	2800	69gr HPBT Match 
.223 Rem 	75 gr 	2700	75gr HPBT Match (Hornady T1) 
.223 Rem 	77 gr 	2680	77gr HPBT Match 
.223 Rem 	80 gr 	2650	80gr HPBT Match 
.223 Rem 	90 gr 	2600	90gr HPBT Match 
5.56x45 NATO 	69 gr 	2800	69gr HPBT 
.260 Rem 	123 gr 	2800	123gr HPBT Match (Lapua Scenar) 
.260 Rem 	142 gr 	2700	142gr HPBT Match 
6.5x55 	142 gr 	2700	142gr HPBT Match 
6.5x284 Norma 	142 gr 	2840	142gr HPBT Match 
6.8 SPC 	110 gr 	2680	110gr VMax 
6.8 SPC 	115 gr 	2625	115gr HPBT Match 
7mm Rem Mag 	162 gr 	2950	162gr Amax Match 
7mm Rem Mag 	168 gr 	2950	168gr Berger VLD Match 
7mm Rem Mag 	168 gr 	2950	168gr HPBT Match 
.308 Win 	155 gr 	2860	155gr HPBT Palma Match 
.308 Win 	155 gr 	2875	155gr Amax Match 
.308 Win 	155 gr 	2860	155gr HPBT VLD Palma Match 
.308 Win 	168 gr 	2600	168gr Amax Match 
.308 Win 	168 gr 	2625	168gr Berger VLD Match 
.308 Win 	168 gr 	2625	168gr HPBT Match 
.308 Win 	175 gr 	1090	175gr HPBT-Match Sub-Sonic Moly 
.308 Win 	175 gr 	2600	175gr HPBT Match 
.308 Win 	178 gr 	2600	178gr A-Max Match 
.308 Win 	190 gr 	2500	190gr HPBT Match 
7.62x51 NATO 	168 gr 	2625	168gr AMAX Match 
7.62x51 NATO 	168 gr 	2625	168gr HPBT Match 
7.62x51 NATO 	175 gr 	2580	175gr HPBT M118LR Equiv. 
.30-06 Spr 	168 gr 	2790	168gr HPBT Match 
.30-06 Spr 	175 gr 	2650	175gr HPBT Match 
.30-06 Spr 	190 gr 	2600	190gr HPBT Match 
.30-06 Spr 	208 gr 	2700	208gr AMAX Match 
.300 WSM 	178 gr 	2900	178gr AMAX Match 
.300 Win Mag 	168 gr 	3150	168gr HPBT Match 
.300 Win Mag 	185 gr 	3100	185gr D46 FMJBT Match 
.300 Win Mag 	190 gr 	2900	190gr HPBT Match 
.300 Win Mag 	200 gr 	2850	200gr HPBT Match 
.300 Win Mag 	210 gr 	3050	210gr Berger Hunting VLD 
.300 Win Mag 	220 gr 	2836	220gr HPBT Match (Mk248Mod1) 
.338 Lapua 	230 gr 	3137	230gr T-50 Match (Solid) 
.338 Lapua 	250 gr 	2911	250gr HPBT Match 
.338 Lapua 	300 gr 	2735	300gr HPBT Match 
.338 RUM 	230 gr 	x	230gr T-50 Match (Solid) 
.338 RUM 	250 gr 	x	250gr HPBT Match 
.338 RUM 	300 gr 	x	300gr HPBT Match 
.338-378 Weath	230 gr 	x	230gr T-50 Match (Solid) 
.338-378 Weath	250 gr 	x	250gr HPBT Match 
.338-378 Weath	300 gr 	x	300gr HPBT Match 
.50 BMG 	690 gr 	2910	690gr Armor Piercing 
.50 BMG 	750 gr 	2700	750gr T-50 Match (Solid) 
.50 BMG 	750 gr 	2719	750gr AMAX Match 
.50 BMG 	773 gr 	2650	773gr T-50 Match (Solid) 

Competition Shooting

To shoot accurately at long range, one must have the proper rifle. While a 25-06, 270 or even a 30-06 will shoot a long way, one must have an even more powerful, flat shooting rifle to reach 1000 yards or more, with precision. This requirement is how the 6.5-300 was born. The 7mm-300, the 30-378, 308 Norma Magnum, 300 Ackley and others, all came about through wanting a rifle that would shoot long range with extreme accuracy. This accuracy is exercised in long range varmint hunting, and in sport shooting such as popular 1000 yard bench rest shooting competition.

A Modified 308 Winchester

The world record set for 1000 yard bench rest shooting was in 2003 by a competitor using a rifle firing the small 6mm BR Remington cartridge. The BR is for Bench Rest, a designation for a round based on a modified Winchester 308 necked down and standardized in 1978. This modified 308 Win has a small rifle primer pocket, thinner walls and annealing to facilitate reforming. The factory load is 100 grain with muzzle velocity of 2550 fps and muzzle energy of 1444 fps. It is also considered a good varmint shooting round.

A More Efficient 300 Winchester Magnum

In 2009 the record was broke again by a shooter using a 300 Winchester Short Magnum (300 WSM) with 210gr Berger VLD bullets. The 300 WSM is more typical for record shooters, considered to be a member of the popular big 300 class of cartridges typically used in 1000 yard bench shooting. The 300 WSM was introduced in 2000 and chambered in short, light Browning and Winchester rifles. The round could duplicate 300 Winchester Magnum velocities while consuming 10 percent less powder. The SSK Industries AR-10 has been re-barreled for the 300 WSM.

CheyTec M200 World Record

According to difficult to confirm sources (and ChyTec reports) the CheyTac M200 Intervention holds the world record for best group at a distance, landing 3 bullets within 16⅝ inches (42 cm) at 2,321 yards (2,122 m) near Arco in Idaho. On the Discovery Channel TV show Future Weapons April 9, 2007 episode "Massive Attack" the host Richard Machowicz, a former United States Navy SEAL, made 3 out of 6 shots hit a human sized sheet of metal at a distance of 2,530 yards (2,313 m) at Arco Pass in Idaho. The CheyTec M200 rifle is magazine fed and holds 6 rounds available in .408 CheyTac or .375 CheyTac ammunition. The record is presumably set using 408 Chey-Tac ammunition.