Favorite Long Range Rifle

[BuzzH]

Don't really have a designated long range rifle, they just dont work for the kind of hunting I mainly do. I don't sit in a bean field or a shooting tower. I hunt the mountains, still hunting, spot and stalk, lots of hiking and packing a rifle. Just cant get excited about anything over about 8 lbs all up, barrels over 24, and most of the other crap people think you need to kill game at longer ranges.

The main 2 rifles I shoot the most:

7RM, 24" factory, Bell and Carlson stock, bedded, floated, timney trigger at 3lbs, leupold 3-9x40 leupold dot, M1, yada yada:

It shoots pretty well with 160 AB's...300 yards, 3 shots:

Shoot it a lot out to 750, but have shot a TON of stuff with it from 25-400, rarely having to spin my chit. Have only really stretched the legs on it once, played the trump card at 620 yards on a late hunt AZ bull:

 

[BuzzH]

Been shooting this one a lot more lately...rem 700 that started life as a .243. Pacnor #2 1-9 twist 24" (wish it were 22) 7-08, 140 AB's, rem factory trigger worked over by neil jones, 2.75lbs, bedded, floated, speed lok firing pin assembly, leupold 3-9x40 leupold dot M1...yada yada:

5 shots, 550:

Its worked on all 3 animals its been shot at game over 400:

Bull elk my brother killed with it at 486:

Cow elk, pulled the trump card again, 629 yards:

I don't care for shooting long range, never have...but there are places and situations where its good to have a packable, handy, sporter weight rifle that will do it when warranted.

 

[BuzzH]

Same same for my wife's rifle...rem 700LH. 23" pacnor, 7-08, with a bit of bling:

Bling:

Done right:

In action, 202 yards:

 

[gonhunting247]

.300 RUM I won at a banquet shoots great out to 500 yards right out of the box. I have no complaints and it's taken a bunch of game.

I've recently dropped back to my Win. Model 70 30.06 and have enjoyed having the Model.70 with a 24" barrel back in my hands. It just fits my style of hunting well. It's shorter and lighter for hunting and hiking in thick country and can still get the job done out to 400 yards comfortably if need be. Shells are readily available and cheap!

 

[6mm Remington]

For larger animals I use a Ruger 1B in 30-06 with a 4x Fixed power Leupold scope on it. 165 gr. Accubonds chronographed at 2940 fps. I feel comfortable up to 500 yards. I've tested bullets for penetration, expansion, and weight retention in this rifle and my 6mm Remington in water jugs from 25-500 yards.

Another larger animal rifle I have is a Winchester Classic Sporter I had barreled in a .280 AI with a 24" barrel. The rifle was glass and pillar bedded and the trigger adjusted to 2 3/4 pounds. It has a 4.5-14x40mm Leupold with the B&C reticle. My first animal was a large cow elk at 450 yards. One shot and she went about 30 feet and tipped over. Next was a whitetail buck at 200 yards. One shot. This year I took an antelope doe at 280 yards one shot. My bullet used was a 140 gr. Partition at 3230 fps. I'm going to try some 140 gr. Accubonds here pretty shortly and see if I can work a load up for them. I think they would work well.

For deer, antelope, and smaller critters I have a Ruger 1B in 6mm Remington. I use 100 gr. Nosler Partitions. I've even taken one elk with this rifle. Spike bull at 30 yards in heavy timber. Forgot to add the 6mm wears a 6x42mm Leupold scope.

 

[BuzzH]

I'm going to try some 140 gr. Accubonds here pretty shortly and see if I can work a load up for them. I think they would work well.

I wouldn't rule out giving a box of 160 AB's a try either...the 280AI with those is a bad motor scooter.

 

[6mm Remington]

I'm going to try some 140 gr. Accubonds here pretty shortly and see if I can work a load up for them. I think they would work well.

I wouldn't rule out giving a box of 160 AB's a try either...the 280AI with those is a bad motor scooter.

I believe you are correct Buzz. I'm trying to put together a moose, grizzly bear, and wolf hunt and the 280 AI is what I plan to use. The 160 gr. Accubond was going to be my first choice for bullets. If they don't shoot well I'll try the Partitions.

 

[mcseal2]

I shoot what Bone collector shoots. My scope is a vx7l. The Browning is a stainless Stalker with a brake and the BOSS system. The BC of 617 sure helps in windy conditions. The scope is too much, I wish I had gone with the vx3, however with the vx7 I can be the first to shoot in the morning or last to shoot in the evening. The scope power is 4.5x18x56 Leopold. I have a z5 Swarovski that is much lighter but the Leopold is head and shoulders better for long range. The gun, the boss system and bullet makes it very accurate to six hundred, my limit.

Everyone has different experiences, but I have had a VX-6 fail to return to zero consistently after dialing while my Swaro Z5 has so far been good. From what I read neither is truly designed to dial elevation on shots with great repeatability. I've owned the Leupold longer and dialed it more before the failure occurred. Leupold has excellent customer service and will fix the scope for sure, but after they replace the erector system I think I will sell it and try a different brand, probably a Nightforce SHV series. The glass in my Leupold is amazing, I can't pick a winner in any light condition between it and my Swaro Z5. The Leupold is a 30mm with a 50mm objective and the Swaro is a 1" tube with a 44mm objective, but both will darn sure let you shoot in any legal light. I am not writing this to cuss Leupold's VX-6 series, I have 3 others on rifles I don't dial elevation with and have had zero issues. I don't think I'll buy anything but a Huskemaw, Nightforce SHV, or Swaro X5 on a scope I plan to dial elevation with. The Sig Whiskey 5 might soon make that list too, but it's a little to new on the market for me right now. There are plenty of other options too these are just the ones I am considering. I think I can give up just a little on glass quality (VX-6 is excellent) for great elevation repeatability. I don't want to give up to much though, the Z5 and VX-6 have spoiled me. I don't consider myself a long range hunter and don't look for long shots, but have been in the situation where they are the only shot available and taken them successfully. My longest was my best bull elk at 614yds. I don't have a long list of long shots, I don't shoot over 300 if I can help it, but I have taken a handful of game over the years past 400yds. I know I have taken over 100 practice shots from field positions from 400-600yds for every game animal I have taken at 400+ as a ratio. I feel that practice at 600 builds my confidence so that the 225-300yd shots I look for are not intimidating and I have good success on them. When I used to bow hunt the pro shop that I got started with had me shooting targets at 80yds to show flaws in my form that might not show up at 30yds. I feel that practicing further than you hunt with a rifle can do a similar job.

 

[tim]

just put a turret scope on your .30-06. ran into a guy yesterday that has all ready killed 2 wolves in 2 different locations in Idaho in 2018. he was using a 06 with a turret scope. he said he is good out to 600 yards.

 

[88man]

Montour County Custom Rifles 7mm Dakota 1-8 twist bruxx, manners stock, Stillar action, 180 grn berger vlds, 25 inbrl

 

[Winchester]

I'm going to try some 140 gr. Accubonds here pretty shortly and see if I can work a load up for them. I think they would work well.

I wouldn't rule out giving a box of 160 AB's a try either...the 280AI with those is a bad motor scooter.

I've been researching the 280AI and it looks pretty good.
Do you have any experience with that?

 

[Winchester]

I believe you are correct Buzz. I'm trying to put together a moose, grizzly bear, and wolf hunt and the 280 AI is what I plan to use. The 160 gr. Accubond was going to be my first choice for bullets. If they don't shoot well I'll try the Partitions.

What made you select the 280 AI?
It certainly looks like a great round on paper.

 

[Winchester]

just put a turret scope on your .30-06. ran into a guy yesterday that has all ready killed 2 wolves in 2 different locations in Idaho in 2018. he was using a 06 with a turret scope. he said he is good out to 600 yards.

Yeah, I've been considering that option as well.
I would think 600 yards (which is a long way) is about the practical limit for a 30-06.

 

[Elkhunter96]

6.5X284 custom built that was once a Winchester model 70 in 30.06. I shoot the Hornady ELDX 143s and have had good luck with them so far. For elk in long range, I would look at the 280 AI, 7SAUM or the 28 Nosler.

 

[Winchester]

Thanks.
I have already been looking at the 280AI and 28 Nosler ... as well as .300 Win Mag and 7mm.

 

[MathewsBull]

Model 70, 7MM STW, custom barrel, muzzle break and stock topped with Leupold 2.5 X 10 (50)with turrets

 

[Winchester]

7MM ... very nice

 

[280ackimp]

Gents, Ive been shooting the 280 ack imp 40 deg since the mid 80's. I started because a mentor suggested the cartridge and he had been shooting it for more that 20 years on moose and elk and everything smaller.

I currently have a NULA Mod 24 and an RW Hart rifle on a 700 action built to my specs. I have bought and sold and had built a few over the years as well. The cartridge is cool ... very close to 7mm Rem Mag ballistics and almost identical to Rem Ultra. The recoil is minimal, due in part to the NULA stock design and on the RW Hart I spec'd a heavier rifle, 8.5 lbs loaded.

I like the cartridge versatility, I use 140gr AB and 160 Partitions and hunt elk, deer and antelope as well as coyote when they present themselves. Its never been a problem to get accuracy (imr 4831, rl 19, rl22 ) or good velocity, some bullets work better on paper than others and the performance on game has been great, except when I loaded a Nos solid base 162 gr for elk one year, that was a huge error on my part. Fire forming brass was a pain but not Nosler makes good brass.

I can and do support this round as better than the 06 as an all round NA (not on big bears) round.

 

[Winchester]

Gents, Ive been shooting the 280 ack imp 40 deg since the mid 80's. I started because a mentor suggested the cartridge and he had been shooting it for more that 20 years on moose and elk and everything smaller.

I currently have a NULA Mod 24 and an RW Hart rifle on a 700 action built to my specs. I have bought and sold and had built a few over the years as well. The cartridge is cool ... very close to 7mm Rem Mag ballistics and almost identical to Rem Ultra. The recoil is minimal, due in part to the NULA stock design and on the RW Hart I spec'd a heavier rifle, 8.5 lbs loaded.

I like the cartridge versatility, I use 140gr AB and 160 Partitions and hunt elk, deer and antelope as well as coyote when they present themselves. Its never been a problem to get accuracy (imr 4831, rl 19, rl22 ) or good velocity, some bullets work better on paper than others and the performance on game has been great, except when I loaded a Nos solid base 162 gr for elk one year, that was a huge error on my part. Fire forming brass was a pain but not Nosler makes good brass.

I can and do support this round as better than the 06 as an all round NA (not on big bears) round.

Great info, thanks!
Do you hand-load or are your 140gr AB and 160 Partitions factory loads?

 

[280ackimp]

I hand load. When I started using it the ammo makers didnt manufacture that round it was a wildcat and needed to be hand loaded. I would fireform std 280 brass in the chamber and load from the various manuals such as Nosler and possibly Speer at the time. Store bought ammo for the AI seems to be big bucks these days ?