Bumpo

Before you pick a caliber, take a good look at Bullet Drop Compensating(BDC) scopes like the Burris w/ Ballistic Plex reticle at this link: http://www.burrisoptics.com/reticles.html Leupold also has one called the "Boone & Crocket" reticle.



I've got the Burris w/Ballistic Plex reticle on my 7mm-08 and love it. You sight in thesescopes dead on at 100 Yds and, as you can see in the pic, you then use the additional aim points for shooting at 200, 300, 400, and 500 Yds. It's like using the sight pins on a bow.

Sighted in at 100 Yds with my 145 Speer HotCor load, I'm dead on at 100Yds,a little low (1/2")at 200, and a little high at 300 Yds using the appropriate aim points. I don't get shots over 300 Yds around here (the longest shotI've evertaken was 225Yds) so I've havent tested the scopeoutpast300 Yds.

Here is a pic of a 200 Yd target which was shot using the first aim point below the cross hairs.



The point is, BDC scopes like the Burris Ballistic Plex more or less make trajectory a moot point. So, picking a "flat shooting" caliber is not quite as important, just so long as the caliber chosen still hasenough "umph" remaining to get the job done at the distances your considering shooting.

I chose 7mm-08 as it's very easy on the shoulder, and is available in short action light weight rifleswhich make ita real pleasure to carry andshoot. It's got a wide selection of 7mm bullets to choose from if you reload and a good selection of factory fodder if you don't. It's also got plenty of downrange "umph" to get the job done. My 145 Grn speer load is still running 2,053 FPS and carying 1,356 Ft/Lbs of enegery at 400 Yds and 1,886 FPS / 1,145 Ft/Lbs @ 500 Yds.

Anyway, check out these scopes and then you will not have to fret so much over which caliber to choose as the Bullet Drop Compensating reticles level the "trajectory" playing field.

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