lancetkenyon

Look at it this way. .280AI, depending on your load, what is you max range you will be shooting at live big game? I am betting 800-1000 max if you run a heavy bullet as hot as is safely possible. What magnification is needed to make a 1000 yard shot on deer sized game? Honestly, 12-18X is all you will need. 15X is a good compromise too. What is the minimum magnification you will want when still hunting or stalking game? Low magnification means wider FOV for easier target acquisition. 2-4X is preferable. 3X is a great compromise. Do you want FFP or SFP scope? Do you plan to ALWAYS dial your scope for elevation? Do you plan to use max magnification all the time? Are you good at quick math under pressure if you go with SFP and do not have time to dial for moderate range shots vs. holdovers? In my opinion, a good 3-12X to 3-18X is going to be perfect for that lighter weight .280AI. I have one very similar. I had a 3-15×50 Premier Heritage Light Tactical on it for quite a while. I shot it out past 1300 with no issues. Amazing scope. I recently swapped a March F 3-24×52 on it just to test it out. And unfortunately, it is now staying on there. For me, I had an issue with an older Leupold with tracking. So I will not be getting another one in the foreseeable future. I have heard they are better now, but still hear a lot of failure stories. Almost as many as Vortex. Plus, I am a FFP & MIL guy, so most of them do not fit my requirements.

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Just one. Tough. Since I always take at least 3 rifles on a hunt. But, toss up between my .280AI & 7RM. Plenty of bullet for elk out to 800+, but not total overkill for Coues or even javalina. Great BC bullets available. Good factory ammo available. The 7RM ammo is available at almost any Walmart, gun store, and even small towns. The .280AI is less available, but not a wildcat any longer. .280AI by Axisworks R700 LA BDL Fluted bolt, alloy bolt shroud, TI firing pin, CF bolt knob 26" Proof Sendero light 1:9" plus 3 port Hawkins brake Manners EH1 in Black Forest camo Shilen Match trigger @ 1.5# Rem factory alloy bottom metal Seekins alloy 20MOA Picatinny rail Seekins alloy 30mm medium rings March F 3-24×52 8lbs 13oz all in 175 Berger Elite @ 2975fps 160 TMK @ 2910fps (for varmints and steel/paper) 145 Barnes LRX @ 3145fps 7RM built by Phx Custom Rifles R700 LA BDL Alloy shorty tac knob 26" Bartlein #3b fluted 1:8.5" w. APA Micro Bastard brake Manners EH2 in GAP camo Timney CE @ 10oz Rem factory alloy bottom metal Seekins alloy 20MOA Picatinny rail Seekins alloy 34mm low rings S&B PMII 3-20×50 10lbs 6oz (IIRC) all in 180 Hybrid @ 2996fps (working on a load w. 184 Hybrid @ 3060ish) 168 Barnes LRX @ 3065fps Both of these rifles are fully capable of .3MOA out to 900+ yards. Plenty for hunting. Both are light enough to carry all day in the mountains, but have enough mass to make longer shots accurately. Not an ultralight sub 7# sheep rifle, but not a 14# LR or tactical rifle either. A fair trade for a hunting rifle. Both should get 1100-1500 rounds of barrel life, and could last a year, or a lifetime depending on how.much you shoot. Thank goodness I should never have to pick just one.

I actually do probably 80-90% of my hunting with a completly factory rifle (with the exception of installing a trigger), but it does have a really good scope on it. My AR rides around with me about 60% of the time while I am working. And since I am ALWAYS coyote hunting, those hours add up quick over the year. I guess that means 80-90% of my hunting is done in jeans and qorkboots too...

Plenty of roads in 7E. 4x4 Truck should be fine. Good luck. I hate 7E....even though I took a decent bull out of there last year! Seriously, the unit can be tough.

I really like my Solomon Quest 4D 3 GTX. I have worn them from 115* on a tower to 80* on early elk hunts, to 0* on late elk hunts. I wear wool socks as well. Only time my feet get cold are sitting in single digits glassing for more than an hour or two. I also have a pair of Danner Gila. Not quite as comfortable out of the box, but once they broke in, they are great. When it gets ridiculously cold, or if I am glassing or sitting when it is cold, I love my Irish Setter Elk Trackers. Like putting on a pair of waterproof, warm, calf high bedroom slippers.

I wonder how many guys scrolled back up to take another look....besides me.

And.....there you go. Stomp nailed it.

First, post a bunch of photos here. Lots of gun knowledgeable guys on the site. Second, where do you live? Helps in narrowing down an area.

I have owned several Toyotas (Tacomas and 4Runners) and we have quite a few in our work fleet as well (Tacomas, 4Runners, Tundras). I love them. We had a couple Nissan Frontiers as well. In my opinion, they are like apples and oranges. I MUCH prefer the Toyotas. And you can fit a decent sized bull in a 4Runner too.

Anyone want to help me blow up a scammer's phone? It is the "IRS" investigation team....with terrible grammar on a digital recording. I called back and got the guy so pissed he hung up on me. Feel free to call him to chat....

If you want to step up to a .277", go ahead and build a 27 Nosler and run the 170 Elite Hunter. Quit pussyfooting around and wring out the .277. The .277" 140gr @ 3100 is surpassed right off the bat by a .264" 140gr @ 3100. BC, SD both mean more energy on target, flatter trajectory, less drift, higher retained velocity, and better penetration. Put either of those bullets where they need to go, and game will die.

I am beta testing them for Rich. Impressed so far.

They blocked my number!!! Guess my 20 calls back were enough.

Speed doesn't matter for a hunting rifle.... All 6.5s are virtually the same..... 6.5x45 vs. 6.5-.300 Weatherby.... And finally....

921 yards 921 yards, different rifle, 5 shots 800 yards 4 different loads @ 608 yards 10 shots @ 400

My goal is to NOT hit one with my truck while driving. Since no one in my family has a tag this year.

A TV is cheap compared to a lot of stuff I broke as a kid. It sucks, but kids break stuff. Buy the kids a new 60" TV for Christmas that goes in the living room. Tell them Santa brought it for you to replace the one they broke.

I just let a 9 year old kid take a couple shots w. My 6.5SS pushing a 150 SMK @ 3100. No problem. Shot quite well at 200 yards.

Even past experience...from like 4 years ago....or six....

At 15, that is understandable. But, and I could be mistaken, I bet MOST adult hunters pay attention to the projected forecast, and are usually somewhat prepared. I have been on the 15 side of this too. Also, the weather service and technology are far more accurate today. A "freak" storm is rare if you pay attention to those reports and your surroundings. I have had very fast moving storms roll in, no doubt about it. But I knew there was a chance, so I was prepared. Just got here way faster than expected. I have even had reports that rain would hit by noon, and at 10AM, not a cloud in the sky. Sure enough, it was pouring by noon. "Cotton kills" if you are unprepared with proper outer wear/base layers or a lack of respect for Mother Nature. Stupidity (or inexperience/ignorance) kills just as fast as cotton, if not faster. Not saying anyone is stupid, so don't even start.

To a certain extent. But, I have guns that will shoot in the .2-.3s, every time I get behind it. Every time. On range trips, I have had those guns, and been shooting .2s. Shoot another gun....and had 4" groups at 100 yards. That is not "the shooter". That is a bad load in a rifle. My customs, even with factory loads (in rifles I have chambered with a cartridge that HAS factory loads available), will still shoot sub-MOA with most of them. But not all.

My vice is shooting and guns. So I spend accordingly. I have some cheap guns that shoot well. They are mainly reserved for loaners. But customs are where I reach when I go shooting or hunting. Smoother actions, built how I want them built, in chamberings I wanted. Look how I want. Triggers that I want. Twist rates that I want. Features that I want. Have scopes that I want. I want my rifles to shoot the bullets that I want. I want those bullets to go where I want them to as far as possible. Cheap guns can get you there. But the difference is like the following: Ford Fiesta or Ford GT? 1970 Datsun or Ford F250 Super Duty crew cab 4x4 diesel? 1 man tent or 35' 5th wheel? Mtn bike or Polaris Ranger? Schlitz Malt Liquor or a fine wine? Singlewide trailer or the mansion on the hill? Tasco or Tangent Theta? Bologna sammich on Wonderbread or 2" thick USDA Prime ribeye? Inner tube or 22' Ranger? Call it vanity, call it wanting the finer things in life, call it blowing your money. Potato, potato. We all have our voices in life. We all have that itch we need to scratch.