Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Finn Aagaard on the 280 Remington

It's important in theory, but really, how often does one have to go find local ammo on a hunt? Yes, there are certainly instances where airlines lost stuff or something else happened, but it really is in the minority. Not saying it can't or won't happen, but I and no one I know has ever had to go find ammo locally to salvage a hunt. It's not even a concern for me when travelling.

Jerry,

If you decide you would prefer a .280 on your next Australian hunt, look these guys up. They should be able to fix you up.

https://www.winchesteraustralia.com.au/categories/AM/MD/MD22

I'm betting the Kiwis could round you up some also.

It's a big world out there.

It's a point if a guy only has one rifle, but otherwise not so much.

If leaving the country, my 30-06 or 7RM is going. Not my 270 or my 280.

In the US, I'll take two anyway.

I tried it once by accident, got brass in my nose and face kinda homely for a week or 2.

Kodiakisland,

Yeah, taking a rifle chambered in a common cartridge never seems important--until it happens.

It's never happened to me, even on an international trip, but I have lost count of the people who've been on the same trip, or are hunting from the same camp, that it's happened to.

Have even seen it right here in Montana. Two buddies and I drove to eastern Montana to hunt, and in the process of consolidating our stuff in one vehicle, a small ammo bag got shoved under the front seat of another pickup while somebody was taking out something else. Luckily all it contained was .30-06 and 12-gauge, and it was easy to resupply in nearest small town. .280 and 16-gauge would probably have been a different story.

Yeah, As I said I know it happens, but usually what I've heard could have easily been prevented. If flying, I have ammo in two bags. If driving, I have a check list that gets checked twice to make sure gun and ammo are with me. Sure, I may end up with no ammo on my next hunt, but I still won't let that possibility determine what gun I take. I'm sure there are some places and circumstances where you have a high probability of not having your ammo, or even your rifle. In those cases I can see where taking the most common gun or just borrowing one once you get there would be the best course of action.

I enjoy hunting with my 250 savages, 257 Roberts, 7-08, 280AI, 358STA too much to go buy a sensible 308 or '06.

Absolutely, it's a bore rider..keep your shots under 500 yards.If it's not true, it should be

Absolutely, it's a bore rider..keep your shots under 500 yards.If it's not true, it should be

Yeah, it's important. Especially if something unexpected comes up.

Ouch

Absolutely foolish statement. I reckon that must have been Custer's line of reasoning also. He figured he could just pick some ammo up at the Greasy Grass General Store right before he engaged the Savages.

Yeah....don't try that at home. A 270 case fired in a 280 chamber. Even when I owned both I never took them on the same hunt.

Did you sell the .280 carbine Bob?

No Mike still have it....thanks for reminding me. I had forgotten all about that!


Sign of age! haha!

I won't sell that little rifle,except to one friend who loves it. It's a cool rifle. I need to shoot something with it.

A pump 280 is nirvana

760 Carbine no less!

I will post a picture.....later.

I remember it from the pump rifle thread. It's up there on the woods rifle cool list.

Ha I forgot about that too.

Kodiakisland,

Being careful helps, but various airlines and countries have different regulations about which luggage ammo MUST be kept in, and often it must ALL be in a single, locked box. Some require it be in the case with the firearm; others don't allow that at all.

In once instance, the hunter departed for Africa on an airline that didn't allow ammo in the gun case. Everything was fine when landing in Johannesburg, but during a flight change IN SOUTH AFRICA, another airline required the ammo to be in the case with the rifle. This was a recent change nobody knew about, including the very experienced travel agent the hunter used. When the hunter's luggage was run through an X-ray machine the ammo showed up, and was confiscated by the airline, which did NOT inform the hunter. He arrived for his hunt with everything he'd packed except his ammo.

In another instance, only the hunter's rifle case showed up on a Canadian hunt--and his ammo (per the airline requirements) was in his other luggage. His rifle was chambered for a wildcat .338 caliber, and .340 Weatherby ammo MIGHT have fit the chamber, but was never tried, because there wasn't any .340 Weatherby in any sporting goods store around.

I even know one guy whose ammo case was stolen during a vehicle break-in during the drive from the airport to the hunting lodge, probably inadvertently by some thief who just grabbed whatever he could easily carry, because the heavy rifle case wasn't taken.

Those are just a few examples, but lot of it just simple odds: The more somebody travels to hunt, the more likely ammo will be separated from the rifle. I don't travel as much as some people (one friend has been on 50+ African safaris, and hunted in almost 100 countries), but as noted previously, even in my more limited travel I've lost count of companions like the three guys just mentioned.

Despite that, I've traveled several times with rifles chambered for relatively unavailable cartridges, at least where the hunts took place, such as the .358 Winchester and 9.3x62 Mauser. (In much of Africa 9.3x62 ammo can be found in many stores, but not in Alaska and Canada.) Once I even brought a rifle for a real wildcat--not just an "improved" version of a common cartridge, where factory ammo would work. But in each of those instances I either took along another rifle in a common chambering, or made sure a rifle could be borrowed, either from a traveling companion or the outfitter. And when I've brought a spare rifle, it's ended up being borrowed more than once, because a companion's ammo or rifle didn't show up.

So you've never known anybody whose ammo got separated from their rifle on a trip. This just indicates you and your friends/acquaintances don't travel all that much. While the odds are with somebody who doesn't travel much, that doesn't mean it can't happen on their very first trip--and no, it usually isn't their fault.

I call 2nd dibs if that other "friend" doesn't bite.... Heck, he already has a sweet one