here is the sitiation, I am from Arkansas, and moved to Colorado 8 months ago. I missed residency by 2 months, but this year will be hunting a mixed bag of mulie and elk, with black bear possibilities. I need a western rifle as i sold my whitetail rifle before the move. Choices are:

Winceshter model 70 - 308 winchester
Browning x bolt - 7-08
Ruger #1 - 7 X 57
Remington 700 Mountain - 280 remington

I will have to hunt in wilderness and the elevation change is around 3500 feet, which is no biggie, but weight of the rifle is an issue.

I do have a large surplus of 7mm bullets, such as 140gr TBBC, 140 partitions, 160 accubonds, 175 sierra's, 140 tsx's

From your list I would pick the Rem 700 .280, although you can get the X-bolt in .280 as well...both are 6.5lbs...

To begin with, WELCOME TO 24HRCF!!!

Among the rifle choices you mention, I would go with the .280 mountain rifle in .280 and load up the 7mm 140gr TSX's. This combo will do a great job for you as the 280 with a TSX 140 is every bit the equivalent of a 7 Mag shooting a 160-175gr lead core bullet. I hope you enjoy your new homeland. Good hunting, MARK

Mountain Rifle .280 in a heartbeat. I always wanted one, and with 150 or 160 Partitions, you can take any elk or black bear.

Quite honestly any of those would work for me. If I had to choose only one and was a 7mm bore fan, I would opt for a 7mm Rem mag, simply because I practice year round at shooting at extended ranges.

In your list of choices and assuming traditional hunting distances, I would opt for the .308 or .280 depending on which rifle felt the best in my hands.

From that list: Remington 700 Mountain - 280 remington

But, not limited to that list, I would go for a Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm Rem Mag ... assuming you really want to make use of the 7mm bullets. Ruger also chambers the 7-08 and 280 Rem.

I'm not really a 7mm guy but if I was picking from your list it would be the X-Bolt..........Good hunting........547.

The .280 remington is a great cartridge for elk and mulies. Within 300 yards, it can do anything the 7mm Rem Mag will. The 308 is a potent round too. With your choices, I would recommend the 280, but if it were me, I choose a 30-06.

.280...end of story. It's what other cartridges only wish they were.

Dennis

308 or the 280 of the choices given.
Being you have lots of 7MM bullets and the shape of todays bullet availability, the 280 might be your best choice of the two at this time.

The .280, from that list.

A 300 WSM Montana, if you really are gonna be a one-gun guy, would be pretty spay-shal <grin>...

Out of all my rifles,my .280 Mountain rifle is the one that I use the most.Its light, balances well,and the .280 with the right bullets will do every thing you ask it to.I shoot 160 TTBC for elk and Hornady 139 SST deer and hogs.

Mountain 280 Rem, for sure....140gr ttsx too.

280....you can shoot whatever GOOD 140 gr bullet you want on everything.

Hi, Welcome to the fire!

the 280 with Foxtrotters bullet combi would be my choice from the options.

If I went with a .280 these days I would have it chambered for the Ackley version at some point.

I'll have to chime in with the .280 guys.

Another vote for the 280 Mountain Rifle. I've had one for 20 years and it is my favorite rifle. They carry great and shoot good with the the right loads.

280 Rem.

I have never seen this bunch vote so unanimously. Holy Crud. I am a .280 fan as well, and cast my vote in that direction also.

The .308 would work out great for you as well, but having a stock of 7mm bullets at this point in time makes the .280 a winner in this case.

For me, it would either be the 7X57 or the 280. Either will serve you well. Good luck and welcome to the 'Fire!

+ 10 for the Rem .280 Mountain rifle . I'll admit to being partial to this rifle (I have two in .280 and always looking for another!) And with the 140gr TSX's there's not much you can't do. That's what I feed mine. By the way, Welcome to the Campfire.

Welcome BattleMountain to the campfire. Go buy the .280 and go forth into the high country; you cannot go wrong. Wait till you hunt around some aspen breaks in the fall season. You will be hooked forever! Rifletom

Another vote for the 280. I love mine.

Thanks for the responses, to me, there is little difference between the 280 and 7-08, like a 100 fps if using 140's which seems to be the consensus. So then is boils down to rifle choices, between the rem 700 mountain vs browning x bolt.

For the magnum praiser's, I left off the magnums from the list that are at the shop, due to the lack of need, in the use of one.

Welcome.Does your handle indicate that you are over on the western slope?

Definitely the .280 or 7 x57. I would not limit my purchase based on the bullets you have on stcok. The 30-06 is a superb round fro Colorado and it handles bullets up through the 220 gr weight class a lot better.Becasue of that I would pick the.06 over a .308

Whether selecting by cartridge or rifle brand, I'd go with WinRem and .308/.280. Either combination would serve you well in the west.

The 280 caliber Remington 700 Mountain Rifle.

Yes, I am on the western slope in Avon. the 30-06 is great, but I shoot a lot, as in 150 rounds a week, and although recoil is not bad, at that many, it wears on you. the other rounds listed do everything the '06 does 180 and under. and i would never use anything heavier than 180, just because a 180 x bullet is gonna hurt'em something fierce.

i'm assuming that you are a handloader based on the component bullets that you have on hand...

if that's the case, then i would simply pick the rifle that i liked the best and disregard it's chambering... you can load any of the choices that you listed for the purpose that you stated...

for myself, the obvious choice would be the model 70, but i've also wanted a #1 forever.....

BattleMountain--

Do not be too quick to dismiss the magnums from your consideration. There are good reasons why the 7 mm Rem Mag and the 300 Win Mag are as popular in the west as they are. To say that you have no need of one implies you still have some learning to do about big animals, long distances, and strong winds.

If you really are going to shoot 150 rounds per week--every week--you ought to get a .223. It will be much cheaper to shoot (at least they used to be,) not to mention easier on your shoulder. But if you don't, you probably need to order a new barrel for your big game rifle now--assuming a 3000 round accuracy life, that barrel will be toasty in 20 weeks (just about when hunting season rolls around.)

But welcome aboard--we are always glad to spend someone else's money.

I am pretty sure that the barrel life of a 308 is a little more than 3000 rounds, and that long range shooting is not a hobby of mine, but a passion. I have a 223, in a moa ruger mini 14. I have owned a 7 mag, and a 300 wsm, and shot them extensively at the range, 0 - 500 yards, and to be honest, I don't think they are necessary unless you are unseasoned as a shooter. I will not shoot past 400 at game regardless of situation. and never at running game, so what is the point of a magnum again, the 4 to 5 inches less drop at 400 yards, my max distance.

Differences of opinions and preferences make the horserace interesting. Otherwise the only guns sold would be 10/22s, 12 ga 870s, 30-06s, and 45 ACPs.

But I also agree with the prevailing advice that the Mountain Rifle in .280 would be really hard to beat.

The Remington M700 Mountain LSS is a great rifle. I've had them in 270 and 280. Never should have parted with them, but I've got a gypsy's soul when it comes to rifles.

The 270 I had shot very well out of he box. The 280 took a lot of work to get the barrel bedded properly before it would shoot.

Remington 700 Mountain Rifle .280

I have a Remington 700 KS Mountain Rifle in .30-06. I pick it over all others because it's light and accurate.

What scope would you put on your Mountain Rifle? Mine has a Leupold M8 4X.

Welcome.

2-Out here, the biggies aer 30-06, 270, 7mm Mag and 300 Win.

From your list, I would pick the 308, but I are a 308 slut.

The 280 rifle you have listed is an excellent choice though.

BMT

From your choices I would definately pick the: Remington 700 Mountain - 280 remington

But the 308 or 7mm-08 would work well too.

I would not want to shoot a 7-08,308,280,or anything bigger than that 150 times a week. Talk about $$$$$. I too shoot every week just not that much of those rounds. Get the 700 cause it seems most smiths like to work on them better. With that kind of round count you will use a smith from time to time.

I would also get a 223 in whatever rifle you choose. I see you have a 223 auto.

Plus whatever number we're at now, it doesn't get much better than a M700 MR in 280. Nice rifles.

I'd also get that 223 mate to it, cheap to load and easy to emulate the trajectory of your pet 280 hunting load.

Think I'd drop that 280 MR in a Edge too.

There is not one bit of "practical" differnce in the field as far as trajectory and killing power in any of the calibers you list, pick the rifle that feels best to you..

To state that anyone of these calibers is "better" than the other under field conditions is just wrong IMO..From roughly 25-06 to 7 Mag. and all in between is about the same..Perhaps a noticable difference shows up with the big 30 calibers but still not as much as some seem to think..the real difference comes with the .338 and up..but with proper bullet placement even this advantage will shrink. Proper bullets are mor important than caliber by a long shot.

The bottom line is a heart shot elk/deer is just that..The difference comes when the shot is a tad off center and I mean a tad, that's not much. Also, going away shots where the extra penetration really pays off bigtime makes the bigger calibers more desirable, and is always a consideration with me, otherwise I would use the 30-06 and nothing more.

The above is only my personal opinnion..

Here's another vote for the 280. I've had one for 10 years in a Ruger 77 Stainless Laminate. I love that gun and will never part with her. Seems a lot of guys also love their .280 around here. I've taken elk, deer and antelope with mine, it never left me wishing I had more gun. I've never seen such a consensus on a forum about anything, much a less a personal choice like cartridges. Get the .280 and live happily ever after.

As a big fan of the .280, having owned two and still have one. I'd have to point out that the factory ballistics of what is available in the .280 are not nearly as good as what you can handload that round. While I rarely use factory ammo, that is a consideration if you need ammunition and don't have time to load for it.
I own and like the M70 winchester. That would be my first choice in rifles. I've had alot less trouble with them than I have with the Remingtons I've owned which include a .280 in the Remington Mtn. Rifle. The .308 rd has a very wide selection of really good ammo as well as cheap surplus stuff for practice.
My second choice would be the Remington Mtn. Rifle.
I'd love to own a Ruger #1 in 7X57. However, they are a single shot, which would require some consideration. Sometimes you really do need a second shot in a hurry for any of a number of reasons. The 7X57's factory ammo selection is the worst of the lot.
The Browning X bolt is an unproven/unknown quality as it is very new. The A-Bolt, that it replaces, has a poor rep for working under harsh conditions. Personally, I'd stay away from them until they have established a solid rep. E

280 Remington Mountain rifle would be my pick, light accurate and plenty of punch.

of the choices you mentioned i suggest the 280. but if you had a decent bolt 30-06 on your list, i'd go with that.

I have one of the first production run Mountain Rifles in 280 and it is a nice,light,and accurate rifle. I have killed a pile of deer and hogs with the 280 and it just works really well without excessive recoil or muzzle blast.

I have used mostly 139 grain Hornadys and 140 grain Balistic Tips and have had great results with them on paper and critters.

If you handload,the 280 is a lighter kicking version of the 7mm mag,with pretty much identical field performance at about 95% of 7mm mag velocity.

Get the 280.

.280 no doubt the better choice logically, but you'll feel better about yourself and your hunting with the 7x57. In the Ruger, it's no slouch at modern pressures.

Well let me be another to say welcome to the 'Fire. I've slacked off this year in the centerfire ammo I send downrange to about 50-75 rounds on the weekends. However the 22 has been getting tons of use practicing offhand (about a half brick a week)

I can't find any reason to not like a 280 Mountain Rifle. My brother and I had one that got bounced between the two of us for a lot of years. Just yesterday he said he's seriously thinking about selling it off. Its a 30-06, and with 180's its brutal to shoot. A dull axe blade would make a better butt pad than that rounded off Remmy POS would

Your part of Colorado can't be a whole lot different than the W half of Montana. I'm partial to the Kimber 84's for the steep ass hunting I do every fall. But now that you're in the neighborhood, you'll be wondering why rifle manufacturers build so many fat pigs for the masses. I swear Remington Ruger and Winchester must think that 90% of people hunt out of blinds where you can drive the truck right up to it


My sweety and I. Its the 308...



Rifle, Scope, Ammo and Turner sling, 7 Lbs 2 oz. Turner 1903s are a pound, but well worth it unless you like tellin' stories about the one that got away.

Glad to see that Mr. Dan uses a sling,establishing himself as a sophisticated and erudite rifleman.....plus it helps hit things,without those beserk Erector Sets hung on the front of the rifle(Bipods)

Plus, a fixed power scope, too! Were it not for our choices in caliber,we could be twins

Yes - go with the wonderful 280 Remington caliber in your western Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Whichever rifle fits you best and appeals to you the most. All of the cartridges will work just fine although for elk and bear I would probably lean towards the 308 or 280.

If I had to choose between the 280 and anything BUT the 308, the choice would be easy. If your only choice in 308 is Winchester...280's the way to go.

Never owned a .280, so tell me what makes it such a wonderful cartridge? Grin

100% Right and will add a stiff charge of RL19.......

It could be possible that you're my illegitimate Grandfather

There's nothing wrong with using a fixed 6 on a Winchester 70 in 270 BTW. Somehow I just know that set-up would work

Now that sophisticated and other big word part... Have you read my tag line? Next time I eat a Beer Baron Sausage with Chili and Sauerkraut, I'll keep my pinky out and be thinking of ya'

Where do you start? It's every thing a 270 is, plus the advantage of the reloading the most popular caliber bullets in the world.

I find it interesting that nearly all the posters are keying in on the chambering and ignoring the rifle. I'd pick a Win. model 70 over a Remington 700 any day, have had too many bad experience with Remington's lack of Quality Control. I would not choose a single shot as a primary hunting rifle, they are a lot of fun but somewhat limiting.
The .280 offers a theoretical advantage over the .308 for long range hunting but that matters on paper only, not in the field. I have and use both.

And if you need a real penetrator for big critters just give it a strong 175 grainer to work with.

.280 is a great gun. I've used a 7x64 for the last 2 years and really like its preformance, it just about like a 280.

Has the original poster ever stated WHY he (and we) are limited to those rifles from which to choose?

I still say, if a guy can only have ONE RIFLE for western hunting... Kimber Montana in 300 WSM, a Leupold 2.5x8 in Talleys... maybe a Boone and Crocket reticle in the scope... DONE!

BattleMountain: Again, welcome to the Campfire. Well, now that we seemed to have picked your rifle&cartridge for hunting in Colorado, don't forget your fishing pole and nightcrawlers to catch a few trout after you bag your mulie! Have fun, can't wait to hear how you do. See ya! Rifletom

BattleMountain -

My 7mm Rem Mag kills elk with boring reliability. Since 1982 my loads have used 160g Grand Slam bullets at .280 velocities. My buddy does just as well with his and 160g TBBC's.

Any of the bullets you listed will work just fine. My preference would be the 140g TBBC or TSX or 160g AB.

Dang, how old are you? I mean, I'm almost fifty and have shot all my life. You must really go through guns to have had that many "Quality Control" issues with any brand. (Except Chrysler Corp. )