Born and raised here in Colorado, and lived (and hunted) here most of my life-
Owned and used a fairly large number of calibers on big game, ranging from small whitetail does to bull moose, with bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bear, and antelope thrown in.
I still have most of those calibers, ranging from .257 Wby. to .375 Ruger, each with a specialty that it does very well.
However- more and more lately, I find that one, in particular, does everything, and does it about as well as any or all of my other arsenal. That would be my .280. Built on a pre-'64 action, with a 22" barrel and Hi-Tech stock, it weighs less than 8 lbs. all up, recoils mildly, and shoots bullet weights from 130 gr. to 160 gr. Super easy to reload, and case life is very good.
I'll still use my .300 Wby. on bull elk only hunts, or my .257 Wby. on antelope only hunts- I just really like shooting that little .280. With a 140 gr. Barnes TSX at 3050 MV, there isn't a lot that can't be handled well with this one rifle and bullet here in Colorado. I'm sure the older I get, the more use this rifle will see every fall.
Last edited by Bighorn; 05/05/12.
