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A nagging desire for a .280 Remington.
And I need your help. Talk some sense into me. Is there even a shade of necessity for one in my collection?........................I have the 6.5-284 already for deer. This is not a light rifle. Probably 9 pounds +/- with a 26" barrel. It's trim but not light. For light rifles, I have 2 Kimbers in .308 Winchester. Short pencil barrels but dandy to carry.................I also have a Ruger No.1A in .30-06 Springfield but really consider that a timber rifle. The .35 Whelen is no comparison with the .280 Remington and the soon to have .340 Weatherby is in another class as well.........................Basically, the only thing I have in the class of the .280 Remington is the 6.5-284. So, my question is, is there enough justification to consider a .280 or a .280 AI in the fold or would it be sharing to much common ground? Maybe I'm just bored and thinking to much. Talk me into or out of this desire, PLEASE!
Replies
But I'm afraid I can't help you, Amigo. Between me and Dad, there are a lot of really accurate rifles in the stable. His .280 AI may be the most accurate of the lot, turning in 1/2 MOA groups with the fire-formers. It may have been P.O. Ackley himself that said the .280 Improved was one of the better "blown out" rounds. If I had to give up my '06's, either version of the round would be among my top choices.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
I think that is pretty clear :jester::jester:
Once I get my safe situated, I'm going to have to get Dad's rifle and put a few rounds through it. It's an ooooooooooold 760 Carbine, so I'm not expecting MOA. But it was always minute of deer.
Dad 5-31-13
The 7mm's have some advantage over many of the 6.5's in that they give you the options of BOTH weight and a high B.C. True, you can shoot the 162 grain Kennedy Special with a sufficiently fast twist, but most 6.5's these days seem to be the slower 1-9" that's happier with 140 grains and less. A totally different application than you're after, but Dad shoots 7mm JLK 180 grain VLD's that look like miniature ICBM warheads The lack of wind drift with that bullet boggles the brain.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Yes, you are missing an outstanding cartridge that is easy to load for, accurate, great ballistics and lots of bullets to choose from and most of ALL you want one so if you don't get one for all the above reason then you are MISSING SOMETHING!!!!! :agree:
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Do you have nieces or nephews that may need a rifle in the next 20 years or so? Has Mrs. Sniper as a passing thought, said the word "hunt" in the last 5 years? If so, that is a good justification to either get one for her or give her one of your old ones (which means that you will have to replace it.) How about a rifle for dad? What father wouldn't like a rifle from his son (and son gets to play with it "dialing in loads" between now and Christmas 2012)?
Do you need an "all weather" rifle in that intermediate caliber niche? There is an option!
But then, there really isn't a need to justify a rifle purchase. You already know that.
I just turned down that exact gun at Cabelas for this Tikka. They had a Kimber 280 ACK. The price is what turned me off. It was over $1300 tax and all. It also had a wood stock. Im not much on the wood stuff, even though it looks good. After a couple of hunts and I scratch it, cry for a bit, then wonder why I paid that much for this gun. So, that is why I decided on the synthetic Tikka.
AMEN!!!!
Ruger chambers (or chambered) the 280 very recently in the Hawkeye line, both wood and plastic.
Sportsmans and Gander are blowing out previous model Vanguards for 350, and its a HELL of a base for a custom, every bit as good as a 700 and just as easy to work on. I could check out their selection up here since I'm close to both if you don't have one there....hit me up if interested.
I would view you building a 280 as I viewed my recently aquired 308....its a good everything gun. It'll do almost everything the rest of your rifles will do to a point. Javelina to Elk, especially with the 160-180 weight you are thinking about loading. And it really is a handloaders chambering, as factory ammo is down on pressure because of the semi-auto's.
Go with a 23-24" barrel, average sporter weight of 8lbs scoped. Something you could always have around as back up for pretty much any hunt you ever do. Your star 2nd string!
In the long run I agree with the ursine tracker though :beer:
If you want it....I'd go for it and not think twice about it.
Mike
N454casull
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.