Blog — Ballistic Data, Examined Honestly

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A scoped bolt-action rifle in silhouette on a weathered wooden shooting bench at dawn, mist lying over the open field behind it and a band of amber light along the horizon under cool grey cloud
Cartridges9 min read

6.5 Creedmoor +Peak vs .30-06: The One-Gun Rifle Bet You Don't Have to Make

The .30-06 has been the one-gun answer for a century. I ran Federal's 80,000-psi 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak against it without looking at a single number first — and the result changed which rifle I'm buying this fall, though not for the reason I expected.

Steve Sansford·
Two rifle cartridges lit from behind in a split of warm and cold light — one bathed in old-brass amber, the other in cold steel-blue — the same silhouette rendered in two eras of material, no legible headstamps
Cartridges7 min read

7mm Backcountry vs .280 Ackley Improved: Does the Ackley Still Make Sense?

The .280 Ackley Improved was my answer for a do-it-all 7mm — then Federal's steel-cased, 80,000-psi 7mm Backcountry showed up doing the same job from a shorter barrel. On coolness, ballistics, and availability, does the Ackley still hold up? I ran the numbers.

Steve Sansford·
A single rifle cartridge standing on a weathered shooting bench in the mid-distance at golden hour, softened by drifting smoke, an open field rifle range and a faint distant target behind it
Cartridges6 min read

6.5 Creedmoor vs .260 Remington: Splitting Hairs Over a Rifle I Didn't Even Buy

I set out to buy an East Coast whitetail rifle and talked myself into the esoteric .260 Remington over the 6.5 Creedmoor. Then I ran the numbers — and learned more about how we really pick a cartridge than about ballistics.

Steve Sansford·
A .280 Ackley Improved cartridge standing beside a 7mm PRC on a weathered wooden bench
Cartridges6 min read

The .280 Ackley Improved, the 7mm PRC, and the Idea for Ballistics Board

I set out to pick one do-it-all 7mm hunting rifle and comparing factory loads by hand got so tedious I built a new tool to help me do it. This is that story — and the data behind it.

Steve Sansford·