Elk rifle setup advice

[Mcarso1]

Here is my dilemma. Going in first elk hunt in November and building a 280ai for the hunt as right now I have a 6.5x284 for whitetail/mule deer. I was gonna take the 6.5x284 as backup gun using Berger 156 eol. First question is should I load develop 280ai with the 168 or 180? Next question would you swap atacr 5x25x56 onto 280ai and mount the vortex pst gen2 3x15x44 on 6.5x284 or just leave atacr on and mount vortex on 280ai? What would you guys do?

 

[adk hunter]

Let your rifle tell you what it likes to eat.
My primary rifle would wear the scope I was most confident in.
Be prepared for more varied responses and about the same help as mine.

 

[dogz]

Here is my dilemma. Going in first elk hunt in November and building a 280ai for the hunt as right now I have a 6.5x284 for whitetail/mule deer. I was gonna take the 6.5x284 as backup gun using Berger 156 eol. First question is should I load develop 280ai with the 168 or 180? Next question would you swap atacr 5x25x56 onto 280ai and mount the vortex pst gen2 3x15x44 on 6.5x284 or just leave atacr on and mount vortex on 280ai? What would you guys do?

Curious here, but why not just use your 6.5x284?

Elk are big critters, a 6x36 or 3-9 scope will do you just fine

 

[Mcarso1]

Downrange energy and the 280ai will come in about 2lb under the 6.5x284.

 

[dogz]

Energy eh? Gotcha

Now the weight I can understand.

What kind of elk are you going on? State, on your own, guided, private or public land?

 

[Mcarso1]

Going guided on public , northwest Montana.

 

[dogz]

That'll be a great trip! Great time to be in the hills in Montana!

If you don't mind what outfit are you going with?

As to your question on bullets, in the 280 anything from the 120's to the 180 will iron a bull out just fine. Most people I know using that round are running either a 140 or the 168. Either will do just fine.

Long as you hit them right in the first place and your impact velocity is high enough for the bullet to open all the time then you'll be Golden!

 

[VLD Pilot]

168 would be my choice providing it's as accurate or better than the rest. Definitely the 6.5 is an excellent back up or primary rifle. The 140-156 range bullet weights are great but accuracy is what counts.

 

[Mcarso1]

That'll be a great trip! Great time to be in the hills in Montana!

If you don't mind what outfit are you going with?

As to your question on bullets, in the 280 anything from the 120's to the 180 will iron a bull out just fine. Most people I know using that round are running either a 140 or the 168. Either will do just fine.

Long as you hit them right in the first place and your impact velocity is high enough for the bullet to open all the time then you'll be Golden!

Waypoint outfitters in Trout Creek MT.

 

[dogz]

Trout Creek is interesting country, steep and heavily forested.

Unless you find a canyon to shoot across you'd be about better off with a 45/70 and sneaky peating around in the timber

 

[The Oregonian]

As was said, let the rifle tell you. If it likes them, the 168 VLD is a great bullet, as is the 175 EH, although I have only started playing with that more recently. If you are going up from 6.5 to 7mm for this trip you may as well take advantage of what the 7mm can offer. If shooting 140's you could just stay with the 6.5mm.

 

[bomberodevil]

Here is my dilemma. Going in first elk hunt in November and building a 280ai for the hunt as right now I have a 6.5x284 for whitetail/mule deer. I was gonna take the 6.5x284 as backup gun using Berger 156 eol. First question is should I load develop 280ai with the 168 or 180? Next question would you swap atacr 5x25x56 onto 280ai and mount the vortex pst gen2 3x15x44 on 6.5x284 or just leave atacr on and mount vortex on 280ai? What would you guys do?

What is the twist of the 280 AI? I've got a 280 AI with a 1:9, and I'm doing load development with 160-168 bullet range. I'm thinking that 180 bullets with my twist might be on the edge of stabilization. Either way, I'd lean real hard towards bonded bullets for elk. I like Nosler AccuBond myself.

 

[Mcarso1]

What is the twist of the 280 AI? I've got a 280 AI with a 1:9, and I'm doing load development with 160-168 bullet range. I'm thinking that 180 bullets with my twist might be on the edge of stabilization. Either way, I'd lean real hard towards bonded bullets for elk. I like Nosler AccuBond myself.

My barrel is a 1:9 and talking with Berger they said the 180vld will be fine if I go that route but also recommend the 175 hunter? The basket accubond may be a good option as well. What is your current load that is performing best for you?

 

[bomberodevil]

My barrel is a 1:9 and talking with Berger they said the 180vld will be fine if I go that route but also recommend the 175 hunter? The basket accubond may be a good option as well. What is your current load that is performing best for you?

The folks at Berger are pretty good, so the 180 VLD should stabilize if they say so. I'm just doing load development now with 160-162 grain bullets, with H4831 and IMR7828, no results yet. My experience with using the Nosler Accubond on elk is with a 30.06.