Been elk hunting the last 5 days with a Rem 280 loaded with 150g AB at 2898fps. At the altitude I'm hunting it retains over 100fpe at 550 yards. I was whacking steel with it at 600 before I left home. Good enough for me.
As a backup I have my .300WM and 175g LRX. Might carry it next season when Daughter #1 and her hubby join me.
THe question asked by the OP, though, is a pretty dumb-ass question. There is no universal "best".
Didn't get a chance to use either rifle. Did manage, along with my SIL, to get Covid-19. He only stayed 3 nights total and hunted opening weekend before going home on Monday. We believe we contacted COVID at one of the two restaurants in Craig where we ate supper as our other meals were in the trailer or was food we prepared in the trailer and took with us in our backpacks. A week later, in 4th rifle, I wasn't feeling good and got a COVID test that came back positive. By then another SIL and Daughter had joined me, and they later came down with Covid as well. When the test came back positive, Daughter and SIL got me back home as I was in no condition to drive, let alone do so pulling the trailer. Got home and entered the hospital the same day. Turns out I had pneumonia on top of Covid. The good news is that now all the Colorado residents of my family have had Covid except for my wife.
Noticed and error in my post that I quoted, too late to edit it. The .280 Rem load I was using, given the altitudes we were hunting, retains 1500fpe at 650 yards, not "100fps at 550 yards"..
Coyote Hunter - NRA Patriot Life, NRA Whittington Center Life, GOA, DAD - and I VOTE!
No, I'm not a Ruger bigot - just an unabashed fan of their revolvers, M77's and #1's.
