ElCazador
Active Member
If you really want a versatile hunting cartridge that could take you into an elk hunt if you decide but not be too much gun for the other critters and ringing gongs at the range, I'm a HUGE fan of the .280 Ackley Improved. With a little tuning on stock fitment/bedding, I've been getting 1/4-1/2" MOA out of a stock Kimber and if you had your smith really dig in and put a nicer barrel, you could keep those groups tight way out. Mine loves to eat Hornady GMX loads. It's a one-quiver gun for me too and I actually just took a mountain goat on Sat. with it. Last year a bighorn sheep ram and elk, pronghorn, and deer every year. Down side is that the Kimber platform and action leaves you more limited in the custom and aftermarket space but a Bergara premier long action could be sweet or even a Howa or Tikka long action can give you a solid base to work with that won't break the bank and leaves you open to all the Remington 700 pieces of kit. With any of those actions you can get a nice barrel, tune the action, bed a custom stock and stay south of $2,000.