3 Things That Make .408 CheyTac Inherently Reliable for ELR Sho
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If you haven’t heard the term ELR shooting before, it stands for “extreme long-range,” and typically entails shooting at ranges in excess of a thousand yards, and even often more than a mile.
There are cartridges that are suitable for ELR shooting, there are some that are passable, and there are others that are not.
Among the best in the world is .408 CheyTac, which was actually developed in part to supplant the .50 BMG that had been an anti-materiel staple in the US military for decades beforehand.
At the end of the day, there are numerous reasons that .408 CheyTac is a solid option for ELR shooting. These are among the best of them.
1. High muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient
The first thing that makes .408 CheyTac a great ELR cartridge is that it has a high muzzle velocity paired with a high ballistic coefficient.
Depending on the weight of the bullet, the .408 CheyTac can produce a muzzle velocity as high as 3500 FPS. Just for comparison purposes, this is considerably faster than even the hottest, lightest .50 BMG loads.
But it’s not just that the .408 CheyTac is fast, because speed alone does not deliver consistency at extreme long ranges. It also has a high ballistic coefficient, which can be above .9, depending on bullet specifications.
These two things are desirable in long-range shooting, but together they also deliver another related advantage to ELR shooting.
2. It stays supersonic for longer
Keeping a bullet supersonic as long as possible will uphold a higher degree of accuracy for a very specific reason.
There is a zone called the transonic zone just around the supersonic zone, at which point bodies, be they bullets or aircraft, will experience severe shock waves.
These shock waves in the transonic zone are violent and erratic and will cause considerable destabilization to any body that experiences them, particularly bullets.
There is not very much that can be done to eliminate the shock waves experienced by a bullet in the transonic zone. All that can be done is to keep the bullet out of that zone.
And the way to do that is to keep the bullet faster for longer. Bullets that stay supersonic to the target are likely to deliver a higher degree of accuracy than those that don’t.
Considering that .408 CheyTac offers a high muzzle velocity and BC, it stays supersonic longer, upholding greater accuracy for ELR shooting.
3. It’s loaded with “Balanced Flight Projectiles”
The .408 CheyTac, like its cousin the .375 CheyTac, is loaded with CNC-machined, solid-copper, “Balanced Flight Projectiles.”
The idea of balanced flight was to create a bullet that kept the nose of the bullet stays completely in line with the path of flight. This is accomplished by balancing linear and rotational drag and results in a much more stable, and therefore accurate, round.
This is one of the reasons that .408 CheyTac bullets are made from solid copper; the rotational mass to surface area ratio is too high with bullets made of several different metals.
Without getting stuck in the weeds on this, the key takeaway is that .408 CheyTac bullets are inherently more stable and therefore more accurate at extreme ranges than many other bullets, especially those with a separate lead core and copper jacket.
Where to Learn More About .408 CheyTac and Other ELR Rifles and Calibers
Want to get more information on the .375 or .408 CheyTac cartridges, or to learn about the rifles that are chambered in them, like the M200 Intervention sniper rifle?
Visit B&B Firearms or get in touch with their customer service team directly and they will be more than happy to help you out.
For more information about Cadex Defense and Best Long Range Rifle Please visit: B&B Firearms LLC.