it must be chambered in a .30 or above
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I’ve been in the world of bowhunting so long that I’m not up to date on the latest choices of bullets and calibers and trajectories, but when I was on top of the subject the flattest shootin cartridge that would be suitable for a deer sized animal was the 257 weatherby magnum. It led the list of flat shooting cartridges.
But on an after note, one of the writers in response to your question mentioned Jack O’Connor and now I must sit back and reminisce
308 is pritty flat
Lazzeroni 7.82 Battlestar. "With a 326-yard zero, max point of blank range on a 6" target is 382-yards where the bullet will still be going 3025 fps.." This is using a 150gr LazerHead bullet exiting muzzle at 4000fps.
.300 win mag is pretty flat.
25-06….
Flatter refers to less drop per unit of distance. This is really a factor of bullet speed. The faster the projectile the flatter it will fly.
so, you are looking at the 300 Remington Ultra Mag, the 300-378, 300 pegasus, 7.82 Warbird (and the even newer battlestar) and similar loadings
These of course will wear out the barrel very quickly, further, most of these are designed around using very long rifles, for instance Lazzeroni rifles are built with 27 inch barrels as standard, but his cartridges woudl really gain from using 30 inch barrels
faster bullet =flatter trajectory
a 300 win mag or 308
akluis is right–any of the Lazzeroni rounds or the new Weatherby 30-378 are probably the fastest in the .30 cal or above.
Sorry guys, the .308 and .300 Win. Mag are like rainbows to these rounds!
Tim
.300 Rem. SAUM with 165 grain bullets, .300 WSM and .300 Win. Mag. with 165-180 grain bullets, .300 Wby. Mag. with 200 grain bullets, .300 Ultra Mag. with 200 grain bullets, These cartridges and loads all offer muzzle velocities of 3000 fps to about 3150 fps.
These rounds will have a trajectory flat enough where the bullet neither rises nor falls more than 3" above or below your line of sight.
The 7mm Ultra Mag is a bit smaller projectile, but it will knock down any large ungulate in N. America (unless you decide you want to go to a farm and hunt a cape buffalo haha) and has a flatter trajectory than all the rounds listed above. However, you have to remember that not only the load of the rifle but the actual shape and size of the projectile as well as the type of propellant used can dramatically effect your trajectory.
Good luck and happy hunting. Hope I helped!
Sorry, it’s the .270
actually, the .270 winchester with a 150 grain bullet shoots farther, faster and flatter than the 30-06 read some of Jack O’Connel’s books on the subject or check your repoading manual and you will see what I mean. I’ve been using it for 25+ years and have never looked back! I’ve taken many mule deer,black bears,antelope, elk,and hogs with it.
There are a lot of other considerations also. Are you a hand loader? Ammo bought off the shelf will be loaded "down" to capabilities of the weakest guns. The 30.06 is a prime example. It has been around for over 100 years, so off the shelf ammo, thanks to the legal system and lawyers, will be loaded so that 100 year old guns won’t explode. If you are a hand loader you can work up loads that are significantly higher than off the shelf ammo. Good hand loading manuals are available that will tell you the signs of reaching maximum load for a particular firearm. I have a 700 BDL that i regularly load 100 grain soft nose bullets to 4000+ fps. But this was a load I worked up to over a long period of time. Another big factor in bullet trajectory is the shape of the bullet. If you want off the shelf performance you will have to go with one of the magnums listed above. If a flat shot is a must you will probably need to hand load or buy custom loaded ammo. My own preference is a .300 Win mag. because that is the rifle I shoot the best. And in hunting that is what counts, what can you hit the target with.
the top 3 flattest in the world in order are.
1. 7mm ultra mag
2. 270wsm (i know this is not a 30. or above but it is an amazing gun.)
3. 300 ultra mag