I think I should preface this by saying I put significantly more emphasis on the type of freedom seeds being used than what they are launched from. Also – shoot what you want, but here’s my sales pitch!
- 223 Rem (1:8 twist)
Almost unlimited barrel life. Cheap to shoot. Dang near no recoil. Kills everything in North America out to about 400-450 yards. It’s what most shooters should be using (if legal in your state), and I can prove it (or at least try to convince Jim to join the dark side) by trying to head off the arguments I had previously for not wanting to use it.
It’s Unethical:
Won’t somebody think of elk shoulders or that iron plated elk skin! Obviously exaggerating, but if you believe a 223 can be used for Pronghorn, you should have no problem believing it can kill elk. The rib bone on a Pronghorn is Thicker than an ek scapula. I would argue it’s more ethical than using a cartridge with more recoil that a hunter can’t shoot well.
It’s Marginal:
But…elk are really wide! Using a big game appropriate freedom seed will still reach the vitals and cause significant tissue damage. It’s been proven through ballistic gel and a pile of necropsy pictures on big game that it works. If you incorrectly use a varmint freedom seed, you are going to have a bad day and wound an animal. The right freedom seeds create near ideal wound channels for killing big game quickly.
Distance and Recoil:
I think Jim has inadvertently proved just how much Distance and Recoil matters in his recent shooting range videos. He has invited out elite, highly experienced shooters for the Backfire challenge, all with custom rifles built specifically for range work, and they are still missing. Those shots are taken in ideal settings. Prone, no timer, can range target accurately, etc. and they still miss frequently. Now add in field conditions, where adrenaline is pumping, you may be breathing hard from hiking/stalking and may or may not have a great rest. There’s a real uncomfortable truth starting to rear its head that hunters shouldn’t be shooting past 300-400 yards in most cases.
Multiple shots:
There’s a weird perception that when we take multiple shots with a 7mm/30 caliber, it’s a tough animal, but if any other cartridge takes multiple rounds, it’s ineffective. Maybe we can all just be honest and admit that elk are tough animals and some just have different genetics/survival instinct/whatever that makes them harder to kill. Sometimes they take more than one shot.
Monolithic: I would NOT use any current monolithic freedom seeds in this cartridge for anything bigger than a pronghorn. If DRT freedom seeds end up being viable as a fragmenting mono-metal, this may change, but this is the one area where I would say stay up at a 30-caliber freedom seed. Thinking through this logically. If you are creating a pencil through wound from a freedom seed that mushrooms instead of fragments, you want it to be as wide as possible. (Think of the old westerns when someone gets shot and it passes through without hitting anything vital).
Placement trumps all:
I agree. Regardless of cartridge, this is what matters. Again, I think the Backfire videos have shown, and PRS supports the idea that we shoot smaller cartridges better. So, if we have a cartridge that recoils less, causes ideal wound channels and sufficient tissue damage to kill big game quickly and ethically, at realistic hunting ranges. Why are you shooting anything else? Welcome to team 223!
- 22 CM
Flatter shooting 223. It’s freaking awesome! More forgiving if you make a ranging error or are making a longer poke. This rocket launcher allows you get away with a 16-18” barrel and still have freedom seeds expanding at extended ranges. The only real downside is that it has a shorter barrel life – something your average shooter probably won’t ever need to worry about.
- 6 CM
If you live in a state with a .243 minimum caliber, this is what I would jump up to. Keeps recoil to a minimum and kill animals while bringing that inherent accuracy from the 6.5CM case. I like the 6 Dasher. It’s incredibly accurate, but I have read the shoulder on it can cause feeding issues and you should get a flatter trajectory from the 6 CM. I think this is the next big cartridge to take off.
- 6.5CM
A 24” barrel will have the 143g ELD-X fully expanding out to around 650 yards. It’s accurate, it’s low recoiling. It works. Even if you throw a shorter barrel on, it’s still getting you farther than most people should be shooting.
5/6. 6.5PRC/270 Win
Coin toss. Both are great and are ballistic twins. I’ve heard the 6.5 PRC can be more accurate due to the tighter tolerances and modernized freedom seeds, but it can be higher maintenance as far as cleaning. Don’t think there’s a wrong decision here. I have nostalgia for the 270, but they are both winners.
Have not ranked the rest, but would probably be a mix of these:
308
7mm-08
6.8 Western
22 LR
