3 Great Calibers for New Rifle Shooters

Ammo may not be as cheap as it once was, but it's arguably more accurate than ever. Ammunition companies have been able to wring incredible performance from rifle cartridges by leveraging modern materials science, advanced computer-based technologies, Doppler radar, and their involvement in the cutting-edge rifle-shooting community and its matches.

That means today's rifle shooter can walk into a store and purchase a classic cartridge loaded with the latest projectile and propellant technology. Likewise, they can choose something like a PRC or Tiger —the types of newer cartridges that seemingly appeared overnight yet demonstrate incredible downrange potential. Legacy or brand new, it has never been a better time to be a rifle shooter.

Precision and tactical rifle matches are also more popular than ever. We've reached a point where mainstream rifle manufacturers are marketing and selling competition-ready models specifically for new competitors—or anyone looking for the easy button to get onto the firing line. The cherry on top is that many of these companies even sell their rifles with MDT-made stocks and chassis.

For beginners, though, the sheer number of great rifles and cartridges available raises an obvious question: Which calibers make the most sense to focus on? Three beginner-friendly options immediately come to mind: the .22 LR, .223 Remington/5.56 NATO, and 6.5 Creedmoor. "Ohhhh, how… predictable and boring," you're probably thinking. But that's precisely the point.

.22 LR: The Beginner's Cartridge If There Ever Was One

The .22 LR is the quintessential beginner's cartridge. It has been a staple for new shooters since its introduction in 1887. In fact, it's probably the only cartridge still commonly loaded with a heeled bullet and one of the few remaining links to the earliest days of metallic-case ammunition—if you want to get nerdy about it. On the practical side, the .22 LR has virtually no recoil, a mild report, and remains extremely affordable compared to centerfire ammunition. It's also ubiquitous and can be found almost anywhere firearms and ammunition are sold. Those pleasant attributes, combined with the fact that most .22 LR firearms aren't terribly expensive, have made the cartridge a staple for plinking and informal target shooting. But as a sporting and competition cartridge, the .22 LR also carries some serious weight.

Dedicated shooters put a tremendous amount of thought into precision-oriented rimfire rifles, and several high-end ammunition companies pride themselves on producing match-grade .22 LR ammunition. Names like Eley, Lapua, and SK immediately come to mind. These match loads, combined with high-quality rimfire rifles, can produce incredible consistency. Similarly, many competition leagues accommodate rimfire shooting. The discipline has become serious enough that virtually every major bolt-action manufacturer and custom builder offers full-size rimfire "trainer" rifles designed to emulate centerfire competition guns. That's where the .22 LR really shines for a beginner. Its inherent accuracy, minimal recoil, and lack of blast let shooters focus on the fundamentals without being distracted by the cartridge itself. It's inexpensive practice that can translate directly into better performance behind a centerfire rifle.

Small Caliber, High Velocity: .223 Remington / 5.56 NATO

The .223 Remington is one of the most popular bottleneck rifle cartridges in North America. It serves many roles beyond competition, including hunting, personal defense, and tactical applications. There's not much I can add about this mid-century cartridge that hasn't already been written or recorded over the years. For our purposes, the important point is that .223 Remington remains an extremely capable sporting cartridge, both in competition and in hunting applications where small-caliber, high-velocity cartridges make sense.

Accurate factory-loaded ammunition is readily available in a wide range of bullet styles and weights, with heavier match loads generally falling between 60 and 90 grains because .223 Remington is an intermediate cartridge; match-grade ammunition also tends to cost less than comparable loads for full-size centerfire cartridges.

Bulk practice ammunition is even cheaper, although I wouldn't recommend relying on it when precision truly matters. Much of it may shoot around 3 MOA or worse, and its limitations become increasingly obvious as distances stretch beyond roughly 450 yards. Put good ammunition into a quality bolt-action rifle, however, and .223 Remington becomes incredibly easy to shoot. Recoil is minimal, ammunition is plentiful, and the cartridge can teach nearly everything a new shooter needs to learn about centerfire precision shooting.

The Golden Boy: 6.5 Creedmoor

For the past several years, 6.5 Creedmoor has become the "it" short-action centerfire cartridge. It's probably up for debate, but I'd argue that it has largely supplanted the classic .308 Winchester in many sporting applications. The basic formula behind the 6.5 Creedmoor is simple: its case geometry, derived from the .30 T/C parent case, is paired with efficient, high-BC .264-inch bullets. The result is an accurate, relatively flat-shooting cartridge that performs exceptionally well even in factory-built rifles. I see this firsthand regularly when reviewing both target and hunting rifles.

Once the 6.5 Creedmoor caught on, it didn't take long for nearly every major rifle manufacturer to offer rifles chambered for it. Although the cartridge is barely 20 years old, it has become almost as established as classics such as .308 Winchester, .223 Remington, and .30-06 Springfield. That popularity is great news for new shooters because finding accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition is extremely easy. Ammunition manufacturers, large and small, load it, and nearly all of them offer some form of match-grade product. For someone who wants to step beyond rimfire and intermediate cartridges into a true long-range centerfire rifle, the 6.5 Creedmoor remains one of the easiest places to start. What is cool about the 6.5 Creedmoor is that it is still evolving. Federal's new 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak, built around its Peak Alloy case technology, pushes the familiar Creedmoor to higher performance levels by taking advantage of a high-strength case capable of operating at higher pressures than conventional brass.

Why These Three?

I chose these three calibers because they're easy to find, relatively easy to shoot, and simple to understand. There's also an enormous amount of information available for each cartridge, including established ballistic data. More importantly, finding beginner-friendly rifles chambered in all three is easy. Whether you want a traditional bolt-action rifle, a dedicated trainer, or something built around a semi-automatic platform, there are plenty of options available. Finally, all three enjoy an enormous selection of factory ammunition across multiple brands and price points. That's something some of the newer 6mm wunderkind cartridges don't offer to the same extent. A new shooter doesn't necessarily need the cartridge with the highest ballistic coefficient, the newest case design, or the hottest competition pedigree. They need something they can afford to shoot, find ammunition for, and learn with.

The AR Connection

There's another interesting connection between these three cartridges: AR-pattern rifles are available for all of them. The .223 Remington/5.56 NATO connection is obvious. The AR-15 and 5.56 NATO have been joined at the hip since the 1950's, and there's an enormous selection of rifles, barrels, ammunition, magazines, and other components available for the platform.

But the AR connection doesn't stop there. Dedicated .22 LR AR-pattern rifles are extremely common, and .22 LR conversion systems let shooters practice with an existing AR while taking advantage of inexpensive rimfire ammunition. At the opposite end of our three-cartridge spectrum, 6.5 Creedmoor has become a popular chambering in larger-frame AR-pattern rifles.

That gives a new shooter another potential progression path. You could start with a .22 LR AR-pattern trainer, move into .223 Remington/5.56 NATO, and eventually step up to a 6.5 Creedmoor large-frame gas gun while retaining many of the same basic controls and handling characteristics. Though much of the shooting covered on the MDT Blog revolves around bolt-action match rifles, shooting disciplines such as PRS also include categories for gas guns. That means a rifle you already own may be enough to get your feet wet.

From experience, you can get surprisingly good performance from a typical AR-15—maybe even one you already have at home—by adding a suitable scope and feeding it quality match ammunition. The optic doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, either. To be clear, I'm not suggesting beginners need to buy an AR-15 to try precision rifle competition. However, if you already have a decent rifle with a barrel length of at least 16 inches, borrow a good scope, pick up some quality 77-grain match ammunition, and sign up for a beginner-friendly rifle match. With many introductory matches keeping targets within roughly 400 to 600 yards, those distances are well within reason for a capable AR and quality ammunition.

A Note on Recoil

While rimfire recoil is essentially irrelevant, neither .223 Remington nor 6.5 Creedmoor is known for punishing recoil—and that's a very good thing. Recoil is nothing but a distraction for a new shooter. Even as an "experienced" shooter, I don't particularly care for recoil when there's no reason to endure it. More importantly, lower recoil makes it easier to stay behind the rifle, maintain a proper sight picture, and self-spot impacts after taking a shot. For someone learning precision rifle fundamentals, those benefits matter far more than bragging rights over cartridge size.

Match Grade at the Big-Box Outdoor Store

Availability is another major reason these cartridges make sense. Brands like Hornady and Federal have extensive distribution throughout the United States, and both offer established match-grade product lines such as Hornady Match and Federal Gold Medal Match. Ammunition from either line offers the consistency and performance a beginning shooter needs for training or competition. Because these major manufacturers distribute ammunition so widely, it's often possible to find Gold Medal Match or Hornady Match at general-purpose outdoor stores that don't specifically cater to precision rifle shooters. There's something to be said for being able to stop by a store and grab a few boxes of proven ammunition the evening before a competition. Store-bought match ammunition also makes ballistic data easy to find. Bullet specifications, G1/G7 ballistic coefficients, muzzle velocity information, and other relevant data are readily available. If the information isn't printed directly on the box, the load is likely already included in a serious ballistic app or solver. I'll concede that specialty rimfire ammunition from companies such as Eley or Lapua may not be as easy to find as Federal Gold Medal Match or Hornady Match. However, the ubiquitous CCI Standard Velocity 40-grain LRN has been known to print respectable groups without costing a fortune.

The Grand Conclusion

Not to make it sound like an oxymoron, but I consider myself an "advanced" beginner when it comes to rifle shooting at distance. And while I hope plenty of readers find this article useful, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also writing it based on my own experiences and observations as I've become more involved in rifle shooting. As newer shooters, our priorities should be understanding the relationship between ourselves, the rifle, the optic, and the ammunition. Don't waste too much time searching for the perfect caliber. Instead, choose something widely available, well understood, affordable enough to practice with, and supported by established ballistic data. Then spend your time shooting it. The .22 LR, .223 Remington, and 6.5 Creedmoor may not be the newest or most exciting answers, but that's exactly why they make so much sense. For a new rifle shooter, you could do a lot worse than sticking with proven calibers with long track records.

About The Author

P.E. Fitch is a nationally published freelance firearms writer and lifelong shooter who covers a wide spectrum of firearms and shooting-related topics ranging from shotguns, rifles, pistols, optics, ammunition, and accessories to firearms training, their history, and their use in sports, both in competition and hunting. In addition to shooting and handloading, he enjoys scratch cooking and mixing craft cocktails. His handle on Instagram and X is @pfitch45