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> .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer Gun
.280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer Gun
@ 11:04 am (GMT) |
Eric BaileyI am looking for suggestions on a caliber for the next rifle I am putting together. I will be shooting in ranges of 200-400 yards, maybe 500 yards on game. I will be shooting mule deer and sheep sized game with it. I currently have a 7mm Rem Mag I have used, but am looking for something lighter and with a shorter barrel. What are your thoughts on the .280 vs .284, or another caliber I am not considering. I really like the 168gr Berger VLD bullets in 7mm as I have taken numerous deer with them with great performance, all shots ranging from 180 - 375 yards. Would one of these be enough for Elk at this range if I stepped up to the 180gr bullet? |
Replies
@ 02:33 pm (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer GunHi Eric, I see that you have a copy of both books. I can't fault either cartridge and you have all the COAL info you need in the second book which I think is important to have on hand when rifle shopping.The only other cartridges I would throw into the mix are the 7mm RSAUM housed in a 700 short action or a basic Tikka T3 in 7mm WSM as a flyweight carry rifle. The downside of the WSM is that I find that sometimes, groups don't tighten up until you are up to full speeds (eg 2960fps with your 168gr bullet) so if you are wanting to reduce power in line with rifle weight, it may not exactly work out this way. Felt recoil is fine but technique has to be sound (good excuse to practice and plink). It is a pity you could not get your hands on a loaner rifle. Just sit with this for a bit anyway. I don't see any reason why the 180gr VLD will not do the business on Elk. I still however prefer the precaution of annealing etc. I think you are on the right track, its just a matter of narrowing down which action you want to work with and deciding which cartridge will fit best or whether you want to get into wyatt mag boxes for short actions etc. Sounds like a great project. |
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@ 04:03 pm (GMT) |
Eric BaileyRe: .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer GunNathan,Thanks for the quick response. I own both books and they are great. Your website is also a great tool and the new look is really nice. I don't know how you find the time to write everything you do. I live in Maryland on the US east coast where hunting whitetail is shotgun only, so long range hunting for me is considerably shorter than what you describe in your book. I have been out west the last few years and am going back again this fall. The typical shot will probably be 200-400 yards as stated and if all conditions are right, maybe stretch it out to 500. I really like the 7mm Rem Mag I used last year, but with a 26" barrel plus muzzle break and weighing 10# before loaded, sling and bipod it can be a little much for long stalks and is hard to manuever when crawling. I should have mentioned that I already have most of the components, just need to settle on caliber. I am going to be using a McMillan lightweight edge stock, Remington 700 LA and jewell trigger. I am lucky in that I work with a guy who is a gunsmith on the side and he does all the work for free, I just provide the parts. He also makes his own barrels now www.fishercustomrifles.com, so it is really cheap for me to build a new rifle. I really like the Remington 700 action due to the ease to get replacement parts and stocks and I don't see the weight savings of a SA vs a LA worth the SA. I also have all recoil lugs pinned so that I can have a completely different gun just by changing the barrel and having a LA makes it more versatile. The main thing I need to figure is caliber. Have you found the 280, 284 or 7MM WSM to be inherently more accurate than the other? I am looking at going with a #3 or #4 contour barrel so anything that is easier to find an accurate load is preferable due to how quickly the barrel heats up. Also would all of these calibers work with a 24" barrel? Thanks for your input. |
@ 10:26 pm (GMT) |
joshua sutcliffeRe: .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer GunHi Eric,This link may help answer some of your questions http://www.6mmbr.com/7mm284.html I have been thinking the same thing for an all weather walkabout rifle but still capable of long range work. Something like this http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek064.html Remington WSM rifles are pretty cheap to buy second hand you could get any of the wsm family and rebarrel to 7mm in semi varmint or similar, 24" barrel and short action help cut overall length and weight down. I woudnt worry about the bipod or break either. If you were going to be shooting the 180 to 190gn bullets the long action you have might be better to free up some powder space if you will be feeding from the mag. As far as the 284 goes you might find brass hard to come buy without necking up 6.5-285 brass |
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@ 11:11 am (GMT) |
Eric BaileyRe: .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer GunThanks for the feedback. I pulled the trigger on going with a 284 Winchester. After comparing it to the 7mm WSM I did not really see the benefit to the magnum. Theoretically there is only 1.5" difference at 600 yards in a 10 MPH crosswind and about 10" of drop more in 600 yards. I like being able to go with a 24" barrel without loss of performance and there should be about 15-30% savings in powder required depending on which powder I end up going with. Plus I had some 6.5-284 Lapua brass already that I can just neck up. Hopefully it turns out well and I can post some good feedback. |
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@ 05:07 pm (GMT) |
joshua sutcliffeRe: .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer GunAwesome! Looking forward to hear how it goes, Sounds like a good choice if you have the brass for it! |
@ 09:07 pm (GMT) |
Bob MavinRe: .280 vs .284 for Sheep/Deer GunHello GuysI like the 280 rem, cases are easily made from 30-06, more then enough power. Bob |
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