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Was at the range today with a SIL, getting him ready for elk season. He had a (1903A3) custom-built .300WM his had belonged to his grandfather and a Savage .30-06. I took my Ruger rifles in .280 Rem, .300WM and .338WM.

I think something went wonky in the Weaver scope on his .300. It would shoot a couple shots close together, then a 8” 3-shot group. We didn’t have time to sort it out so I had him shoot my Ruger .300WM. Rang the steel at 400 and 500, barely missed the steel at 600. He will be taking it elk hunting and we’ll figure out the problem with his rifle later.

Really enjoyed shooting my .280 Rem with a 150AB @ 2898fps. Ringing the steel was child play at 400 and 500 while 600 was a bit iffy due to the wind. About 19 ft-lbs recoil for the .280 Rem, 28 for the .300WM with 175g LRX and 32 for the .338WM with a 225g AB.

All the Ruger rifles were shooting fine but the lower recoil of the .280 sure made it more pleasant to shoot. While my SIL carts my .300WM around the mountains, the lighter and lighter recoiling .280 Rem is what I’ll be carrying.