1000 Yard Savage Axis Rifle: Which Cartridge is Best? | The Social Regressive

I have selected the rifle for our 1000 yard experiment, but what is the best long range cartridge? The Savage Axis comes in a wide variety of calibers, and some rounds would be terrible for long-range target scenarios.

I want a round that features projectiles with high Ballistic Coefficients, which will reduce the amount of time they spend in the air. A higher muzzle velocity will also help, but Magnum cartridges like the .300 Winchester Magnum will produce too much recoil for a prone competition. Feeding it is also expensive.

The 6.5 Creedmoor Savage Axis was announced after I made this purchase. 6.5 CM (or anything in 6.5 caliber) would have been tempting.

Here is the full list of available cartridges at the time:
.223 Remington
.22-250 Remington
.243 Winchester
6.5 Creedmoor
7mm-08 Remington
.308 Winchester
.25-06 Remington
.270 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
7mm Remington Magnum (7mm Magnum)
.300 Winchester Magnum (.300 Win Mag)
.338 Winchester Magnum
.375 Ruger

In the end I selected 7mm-08 Remington as the best long range round. Using Hornady's new 162-grain 7mm ELD Match projectiles, I can consistently print .5MOA groups. The ultra-high .627 G1 Ballistic Coefficient paired with a 2,700fps muzzle velocity means that my greatest adversary - the wind - will be easier to fight at 600 yards and 1,000 yards.

Stay tuned as I turn this Savage Axis into a competent target rifle!

- The Social Regressive