“trajectory”

With a sleek bullet, both cartridges maintain over 1,000 ft.-lbs. of energy out the 500-yard mark, and both offer a trajectory any hunter can quickly adapt to. What makes or breaks the deal in choosing one over the other? Contributor Philip Massaro takes closer a look at the pros and cons of each.

The first of the Nosler proprietary cartridges, the 26 Nosler remains a flat-shooting, hard-hitting choice for hunting open country. Being a 6.5mm cartridge, it will use the high ballistic coefficient projectiles which retain their energy downrange, resist the effects of a crosswind and offer a flat trajectory.

Hunters who enjoy using cartridges that aren’t among the most popular should consider a rifle chambered in .358 Norma Magnum. It’s a flat shooter—mimicking the trajectory of a .30-06 with heavier bullets—and is a fully capable all-around choice.

Undoubtedly one of our nation’s favorite cartridges, the .223 Remington is capable of hair-splitting accuracy in a properly built rifle, has enough velocity for a respectable trajectory, and with the heavier bullets with a higher BC, can resist wind deflection rather well.

Developed in 1976 by Ken Waters as a wildcat cartridge, the 7-30 Waters is based on the .30-30 Winchester necked down to 7mm to improve velocity and trajectory, with a significant drop off in felt recoil. In 1984, Winchester began to produce rifles chambered for cartridge, legitimizing Waters’ dream, and establishing it as a commercial cartridge.

Introduced in 1989, the .416 Remington Magnum is fully capable of handling any and all game, including the heavyweights like elephant, hippo, buffalo and coastal brown bears. Its trajectory is flatter than most would think, and recoil isn’t much heavier than the .375 H&H, yet the terminal results are visibly greater.

Made for hunting and maneuverability at just 7.4 pounds, 30.7 inches long and 7 inches wide when cocked, the new Nitro XRT shoots 370-grain arrows at a speedy 470 fps and delivers 25 percent flatter arrow trajectory, generating impressive downrange accuracy and power.

Hornady has enhanced the capabilities of its 4 Degree of Freedom Ballistic Calculator, which was originally launched in August 2016.

New for 2017, Winchester has enhanced their ammunition line by including the fantastic Nosler AccuBond Long Range bullet in the Expedition Big Game series.