25-06 or 280AI

[ThunderNocked]

@Nhenryyy oh thats cool being able to swap barrels.

Wow that turned out great. Looks good with the paint job the way it is!
I had a slight finish failure on my stock as well but it is hidden by the bipod - the rubber where the bipod attaches to the rifle - it stripped off the sealer and the paint to bare stock. I'm annoyed but I only see it when the BiPod comes off - which until I buy a Javelin wont be happening again.
That's a great looking gun and fantastic groups. I found with mine I had to loosen the set bolts and set them back in finger tight and my groups tightened up - funny how finicky some of these guns can be.

Post up some game you get with it soon!

 

[cwitherow]

Yeah man! I ended up getting a second barrel for it in 280 Ackley so I have a switch barrel rifle. Both barrels shoot pretty well.

The first picture is how it looked when I first put it together. I then painted the stock, but the paint had a failure on the comb right before I hunted with it so I had to paint it in a hurry, which is what the 3rd picture is; in the field

Very curious how you are able to switch barrels? What does that process look like? I never realized that was even a thing!

 

[nhenry]

Very curious how you are able to switch barrels? What does that process look like? I never realized that was even a thing!

Very simple procedure. I put the gun in a barrel vise, then I unscrew one barrel and torque the other on. Both headspace perfectly every time. I then go adjust the scope for the barrel. I eventually want to get another action so I can have two rifles at once, but for now it's all too easy to do that.

Just depends on my need at the moment, or if I feel like changing it up

 

[cwitherow]

Very simple procedure. I put the gun in a barrel vise, then I unscrew one barrel and torque the other on. Both headspace perfectly every time. I then go adjust the scope for the barrel. I eventually want to get another action so I can have two rifles at once, but for now it's all too easy to do that.

Just depends on my need at the moment, or if I feel like changing it up

Excuse my ignorance on this it just sounds fascinating. Is it correct to assume you would need to use the same casing size, just different bullet diameter?

 

[nhenry]

Excuse my ignorance on this it just sounds fascinating. Is it correct to assume you would need to use the same casing size, just different bullet diameter?

Hypothetically it doesn't matter, I just like to use the 30-06 family of cartridges. You could technically go from a 223 rem to a 7mm Rem Mag if you had two separate bolts that fit your action, but since I don't, I can use anything with a standard 30-06 bolt face if I got barrels for them.

 

[nhenry]

@Nhenryyy oh thats cool being able to swap barrels.

Wow that turned out great. Looks good with the paint job the way it is!
I had a slight finish failure on my stock as well but it is hidden by the bipod - the rubber where the bipod attaches to the rifle - it stripped off the sealer and the paint to bare stock. I'm annoyed but I only see it when the BiPod comes off - which until I buy a Javelin wont be happening again.
That's a great looking gun and fantastic groups. I found with mine I had to loosen the set bolts and set them back in finger tight and my groups tightened up - funny how finicky some of these guns can be.

Post up some game you get with it soon!

My failure unusable, unless I wanted black all over my left cheek, of course. This current paint job seems to be holding up better.

 

[ThunderNocked]

@Nhenryyy OH SNAP! that isn't good! yeah hopefully the current finish is better!

 

[Durango Mike]

I started a new rifle build. It’s on a Tikka t3 receiver. I bought it solely for the action so I could rebarrel it and give it a good stock. Problem is, I’m having trouble deciding which one to go with — 25-06 or 280AI. There are definite pros and cons to both and areas that overlap, but I want to make the right decision for my build, as it will be the rifle I will be carrying for many years to come.
Main pro to 25-06:
• I have my whole reloading setup based around my 25-06 Ruger m77 VT, so I have the supplies for reloading and all the DOPE you could ask for (the VT is too heavy for a backpacking rifle, otherwise this point would be null)
Main pro to 280AI:
• it’s a do-all cartridge
I love the 25-06, but is it sufficient enough if I ever find myself getting an elk tag or go on a sheep hunt, or to Africa or something for plains game?
Also, which one wins in barrel life? I go to the range and take very good care of my rifles and clean them when they need to.
any information is helpful. Thanks!

Spent a lot of time in Africa and a 280AI is light for most all plains game, the critters are just tougher. Keep in mind that wounded animals get very quickly consumed, you want to anchor what you shoot. Robert Ruark "Use Enough Gun", mentions using a 220 swift to shoot small animals and quickly stopped.

 

[nhenry]

Spent a lot of time in Africa and a 280AI is light for most all plains game, the critters are just tougher. Keep in mind that wounded animals get very quickly consumed, you want to anchor what you shoot. Robert Ruark "Use Enough Gun", mentions using a 220 swift to shoot small animals and quickly stopped.

I pretty much decided that I never actually wanted to go to Africa on a hunt, though I wouldn’t hesitate to use my 280AI on any deer/antelope species here or there.

 

[Farmerj]

Very curious how you are able to switch barrels? What does that process look like? I never realized that was even a thing!

Savage and remage (Remington/savage clones) have headspacing set and locked in place with a barrel nut. Some like the Big Horn Arms receivers are produced to such tolerance, they can be chambered to prefit measurements and the head space will be correct.

I have both a long and short action savage action. By changing the bolt head, you can install about any caliber you want except for the .338 lapua mag into those two actions.

I have a .223, .308 and magnum bolt head so it’s a world of choices. I currently run .223, .243, .30-06.

I have a .280 Remington barrel coming with a .308 bolt head in big horn origin action. This is a Remington 700 clone for triggers and stocks that uses savage barrels and bolt heads. So it opens up huge selections for triggers and stock choices.

 

[Hyphen]

I'm after some opinions on options to take to get my elk gun put together for this year or next year. Prefer 280AI but there are issues with barrel availability. Should I fire away on this thread, or is there another you suggest for continuity? I want to do similar to NHenry's posts but will give all details next. As newbie on this site, I'm limited until 10 posts. Or I could do it on Rokslide...

 

[VikingsGuy]

I'm after some opinions on options to take to get my elk gun put together for this year or next year. Prefer 280AI but there are issues with barrel availability. Should I fire away on this thread, or is there another you suggest for continuity? I want to do similar to NHenry's posts but will give all details next. As newbie on this site, I'm limited until 10 posts. Or I could do it on Rokslide...

Start your own. Better/calmer advice to be had here at HT.

 

[Hyphen]

I can't start a thread until I reach 10 replies. So we could start here or if someone would start the new thread, I'll pile on. Thanks.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Gun thread for Hyphen

@Hyphen - Don't make me regret this ;)

www.hunttalk.com

 

[Hyphen]

I'm a Vikings fan... does that help at all?

 

[Hyphen]

I was hoping that even at age 94, the Vikes were going to name Bud Grant as the new coach.

 

[Hyphen]

Last off topic reply to VikingsGuy... laughed at birdsarentreal because my best bud here is an ornithology professor with that bumper sticker. Off to the other thread and thanks again.

 

[manitou1]

A 25-06 would not be my first choice out of the safe for an elk hunt... or second... or third, much less plains game.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Last off topic reply to VikingsGuy... laughed at birdsarentreal because my best bud here is an ornithology professor with that bumper sticker. Off to the other thread and thanks again.

Or you can just keep posting one-line remarks on this thread and get to 10 and post yourself

 

[Hyphen]

So much for not being obvious. I'm up to 7!