What's your rifle lineup?

[buck8541]

280 & 280 ai are more popular than I thought

I have one of each. The only down side to the 280 is it must be properly handloaded to get to its true potential. I have been using published data from an article written by John Barsness that really makes the 280 Rem. shine. 160 gr Accubond over 54.0 gr of IMR 4350 for 2850 fps out of a 24" factory Remington barrel.

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

This is a hard decision anyway you look at it as I love the versatility of many calibers. But my must have are:
223 rem
243 win
6mm Creedmoor
6.5-284 Norma
308 win
300 wsm
7-08 rem
7mm rem mag
7mm STW
300win mag
338 win mag

 

[basinman]

Thanks!
Would you believe, I've not killed a whitetail with it. Quite a few mule deer, antelope, elk, and a moose. Along the way, a few coyotes, fox, prairie dogs, and rock chucks....oh, and a few "pine" grouse!
It will "pretty much" work on most anything! Looking forward to doing some hog hunting down in the Atchafala Basin or maybe east Texas, one day! memtb

The coonasses have pretty much wiped out the hogs in the Atchafalaya Basin (I live in the basin) but I do kill quite a few hogs in south Texas while deer hunting.

 

[Danehunter]

Big Game Rifles:
-> .308 Win. Savage 99C lever gun
-> .300 Win mag Browning A-Bolt
-> 6.5 Creed Ruger American Predator

 

[brinky]

I will be only changing up my fleet caliber wise and keeping it to three center fires. I'm going to rebarrel my 280 to a 35 Whelen, put some quality irons on it and work up a solid 250 gr load for it. I have become a bear hunting over hounds addict and found this to be about as perfect as it gets for big black bears over dogs. I have watched a couple guys with this combo take some big bruins and it makes a real impression on bears. Even more so than a 45-70 in most cases.

 

[brinky]

Jrkotz: I have been a 280 and 280AI fan for a long while now. My dad bought one of the first run Remington 700 Mountain Rifles in 280. He couldn't quite get it to put the third round into a nice little clover leaf group so he sold it eventually and bought a Browning A Bolt in 280. Helluva good shooter but I can't stand the BOSS on it. Looks like one of those goofy poly chokes. I've owned just about every 7mm and 300 mag made and have yet to find much useful difference on the game I hunt over the 280. If I can't kill it with a 280 I'm sorely lacking in the skill department sans great bears or African game. I've settled on the AI version as my standard for hunting and haven't looked back. No big difference between the two maybe a 100 FPS at best. AI's aren't difficult especially the 280 AI being that there is safe load data published and factory ammo and brass readily available.

 

[Bruce Remington 222]

Here's a few rem 700 lvsf 11 223 and 204 Rem 504 541s 541t hb 22's savage 93r17mach2 93r17 17 hmr homing in on b-mag 17wsm gonna bed it in a boyds laminate stock. Rem classic's in 223,257roberts 250-3000,rem 788 22-250 lvsf 22-250 Ruger77 mark 11 6ppc laminated stock bull brl rem cdl 25-06 ,7mm-08 marlin 336c 30-30 marlin x7 308 rem adl 308 rem vls bull brl 308 rem 722 222,788 222 700 classic 222 300 weatherby mag I can go on but what my wife doesn't know won't hurt her if you know what I mean she has no idea i'm going to keep it that way it's like shoes do they really need that many ?? I look at is an investment I shoot or hunt with them all I believe a gun was made to shoot not sit in a safe If I had a rare collectors piece I wouldn't hunt with it but I would put it on a bench once and a while that's just me !!!

 

[hunter0925]

Hunter,

I am curious to know what you have used those 168gr VLD's on and how did they perform?

The 168vld has only been used on paper. I have no intentions of using them on game. Everybody has their bullets they like for hunting and mine is generally an accubond. I use match kings, scenars and the vld for paper though. My long range hunting is very limited here and when I do get shots on deer 600 is my limit and my accubonds haven't failed me yet. Sorry I couldnt be more help there.

 

[memtb]

The coonasses have pretty much wiped out the hogs in the Atchafalaya Basin (I live in the basin) but I do kill quite a few hogs in south Texas while deer hunting.

The recent high water (several times) hit them a little hard also. However, my cousin ( his camp is in the basin) and his family get quite a few a year. Not nearly as many as Texas....but huntable numbers! memtb

 

[graywolf]

Nice tight set. Add a 30 or 338 mag and you could hunt anything. How you you like the carbonlight? What bullet did you settle on for it? I've been considering one. Did you find it difficult to work up loads for the 270 WSM? I've been a big 300 WSM fan, but I've heard the 270 can be finicky.

The sako carbon light is great, 5 lbs 3 oz or so. I'm using light bullets, 77 gr MTH that get close to 3400 fps with H4895. They do a great job on mule deer. The Tikka WSM shoots really well also, using RL26 and 130 gr MTH bullets.

 

[memtb]

Not really. Just for fun I shot a few WT's this year with mine using Hornday 250gr GMX running right around 2850 and if anything it did less damage than the 300 Rum or 7mm STW shooting 190's and 165's respectively.

WildRose, You nailed it! High velocities do more damage (bloodshot meat), than do the larger calibers at moderate velocities! Have seen it many times, example: with similar Bullets at similar ranges,and similar entrance locations, a 130 grain .270 Win. will generally (almost always), ruin more meat, than will a .308 Win. shooting 180's. The old timers often described the game they had killed with their big-bore rifles (often larger than 45 caliber), saying....."You can eat, right up to the hole"! memtb

 

[Gregger]

I will be only changing up my fleet caliber wise and keeping it to three center fires. I'm going to rebarrel my 280 to a 35 Whelen, put some quality irons on it and work up a solid 250 gr load for it. I have become a bear hunting over hounds addict and found this to be about as perfect as it gets for big black bears over dogs. I have watched a couple guys with this combo take some big bruins and it makes a real impression on bears. Even more so than a 45-70 in most cases.

WildRose, You nailed it! High velocities do more damage (bloodshot meat), than do the larger calibers at moderate velocities! Have seen it many times, example: with similar Bullets at similar ranges,and similar entrance locations, a 130 grain .270 Win. will generally (almost always), ruin more meat, than will a .308 Win. shooting 180's. The old timers often described the game they had killed with their big-bore rifles (often larger than 45 caliber), saying....."You can eat, right up to the hole"! memtb

Thats why my go to deer rifle is my 1895 guide gun, i load it to 1700fps no blood shot meat.

 

[The Oregonian]

I am selling one soon and have a couple on order...soon the lineup will be....

6.5cr
280AI
28 Nosler

Should cover me for everything I could ever need. All are made by MOA Rifles.

My shotgun lineup is more extensive than my rifle lineup, partly due to my father giving me his gun collection last year (he has early stage Alzheimer's).

 

[Peddler 76]

That's a tight lineup. How do you like the LAW? I've heard good things

It's a shooter, I'm quite pleased with it. I sent it back right after I got it and my complaint was handled quickly.