calibre for fly shooting your views

[Les Fraser]

hi guys can you post what sort of calibre you like for fly shootig and why. Perhaps there are guys out there looking for a build and you could help them in the right direction.

I have a 6x47L as a light gun main reason it is low on recoil and you get a great range of bullets in 6 mm. Disadvantage you hardly ever see the bullets holes and that can be a problem.

My heavy Gun is a 300WSM Python at the moment it is shooting great but if i had my time over i would have gone a calibre that you can get good brass for i think in alot of ways that is also a consideration.......

[john mc quire]

Hello all fly shooters
  i shoot a 6.5x47L   with 123gn Lapua  projectiles  my action is a 7500 Lawton  with  a #8  Pac-Nor barrel  
  the scope is a March 10-60   and i have made my own thumb-hole stock     this is a light gun   and if i was to have a
  heavy gun it would be a 7 mm  or 30 cal  to take the advantages  of heavier and high BC bullets  that handle the
  wind a lot better than the smaller ones     the extra weight of a heavy gun would be needed to soak up the recoil  
    at the moment i am quite happy to only shoot one class at a match  -- but that could change in the future
                                                                             john  mc

[Les Fraser]

With your skills and knowledge John i think that a heavy gun would be not to far down the track for you, the beaut thing about shooting two classes for me anyway is more shooting and more constant knowledge of wind conditions. Alot can change from one relay to the next if you shoot two classes it keeps your finger on the pulse so to speak.....

[john mc quire]

Hi Les   I will build a heavy fly gun  but not this year   i have got too many projects on the go at the moment
   the idea of using two guns in the one competition has a lot going for it  
    one of the problems i would have is transporting all the gear needed to shoot both guns
    i run out of room  just with my light one
                                                john mc          

[Les Fraser]

John you might just have to come up with a barrel changing system along with a weight system that way you only travel with one gun but shoot two classes. And i know you will love shooting them extra flies
Les

[Dave Purcell]

Well what is the calibre for Fly. In short there isnt one in particular and I doubt there ever will be. I think LG and HG are clearly devided by recoil and how much can be tolerated basically anything over about a 30.06AI or 280AI is the limit for LG and I reckon even those are last two are not for the faint hearted. HG well anything you like is possible. Outside that its really personal choice and development and that for me anyway is a large part of what makes Fly shooting so good.

[Pete van Meurs]

For best accuracy there is an ideal case capacity fo every bore size using the typical weights of VLD bullets associated with each calibre. It runs something like this -

6mm - 105 to 115 gn bullet - 6mmBR or it's derivatives (maybe 6x47 Lapua with 115's)
6.5mm - 120 to 130 gn - 6.5x47 or 260 Rem
6.5mm - 140gn - 260AI or 6.5x55 (std or AI)
7mm -  162 to 180gn - 280AI or 7mm Short Ultra Mag
30 cal - 180 to 210gn - 300WSM (or 300 Win Mag for the heavier bullets)

The object of the exercise is to achieve velocities in the 2,800 to 3,000fps zone where experience has shown VLD bullets seem happiest. Run them over 3,000 to reduce wind drift and you will probably lose accuracy. For example in 6.5mm with 140gn you can use a 6.5/284 like I do on rough days but it will get parked in favour of the 6mm Dasher if the conditions are readable as the balanced cartridge will always offer greater and more consistent accuracy. I have used a 300 Rem Ultra pushing 210 gn at over 3,300 but it is no way accurate enough for 500mt
Fly on good days.

Pete