Drop chart for 280AI

Wow lots going on here since I last checked in. :)

I think what a few people mentioned about the level is spot on. I took off the level when I moved this scope to the new rifle. I’m a very curious person so tweaks like the level will be an interesting test. Shooting at steel is so much fun at long ranges. I never knew that ring would be so satisfying. In the end, I probably just need to get a hold of my variables and do more shooting. When I make it out west, I should have some time to send a few at 500-700 at 8-9000ft to see what changes. If I find any interesting results, I will be sure to report back. Thanks to all that offered thoughts on this.

Some people don’t understand what it’s like to shoot your dads 3030 at sub 50 yards in the thick cedar swamps year after year then have your eyes opened to this long range world. Regardless if I send a round at a critter at any range, that will be my choice as a hunter and outdoorsman.
 
284 win Velocity is 2850 out of a custom GAP rifle. It's got a rap sheet of animals, some at XL range. Precision accuracy is the understatement for that rifle. A friend of mine wrote 2 articles about elk hunts where elk were taken with that one, both were printed in Bugle.

Here's my teenage selfie taking 6.5 shooter. She's taken 8 big game animals, all one shot kills except for an antelope she shot twice at a touch beyond 700m.
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great bulls! My best ones are from AZ and NM, CO is selling too many tags and it has hurt the quality. WY or MT?
Those are general license MT public land elk. Not my best by far, but the only 2 I’ve taken with a 6.5mm.
 
284 win story about my son’s second bull -1st with a rifle. The bullet still had 1600 ft/lb energy at over 700.

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Here’s the other hunting tale with the .284 win. This was the farthest I’ve ever seen an animal killed with a rifle. The bullet still had around 1000 ft/lb of energy. Do the math. Conditions have to be perfect as well as excellent equipment and guys watching. Elk are not targets.


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By the way I am sending a 24 year old gal on a mule deer hunt in November with a 7mm mauser built back in the 70's on an old winchester action. With 140 gr Nosler partitions she has gotten comfortable shooting it and it weighs under 7lbs with everything. Plenty of medicine for mule deer, and the recoil is so mild even for a lightweight rifle she has no issue shooting 20-30 rounds practicing having fun, constantly hitting an 8 inch gong at 200.I have no doubt she could kill an elk with that combination. The Barnes bullets were unavailable back then so the Nosler was my option, never worked up a load with newer bullets and powders, I have found the Barnes are very sensitive to previous gilding metal fouling and have not done a super cleaning on this rifle to try them.
8” at 200 doesn’t sound extra special but maybe a target 1/2 that size would be more confidence building. Sounds like a neat rifle regardless. I have used Barnes bullets. This June - I shot a black bear with a 223 shooting a 62gr ttsx. Crushed him. Let me know when you want to see some Ultra Mag results. I shot a 300RUM exclusively for about a dozen years. In your face close, out to 600 yards or so.. Heavy Nosler accubonds and Hornady amax bullets.
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Terrific kids! That is something to cherish having the chance to hunt with them and grow up! I spent most of my early hunting in the east and moved to CO in 1994 so for a long time long range was 100 yards from a tree stand for whitetails. My first elk was in 1995, my biggest was in 2005 a 368 7X7 with my bow at 30 yards in NM. my favorite was a red stag in NZ with my bow (the Kiwi's thought it was insane when you could shoot one with a rifle and then go fishing), so perhaps my favorite next to the elk.
284 win Velocity is 2850 out of a custom GAP rifle. It's got a rap sheet of animals, some at XL range. Precision accuracy is the understatement for that rifle. A friend of mine wrote 2 articles about elk hunts where elk were taken with that one, both were printed in Bugle.

Here's my teenage selfie taking 6.5 shooter. She's taken 8 big game animals, all one shot kills except for an antelope she shot twice at a touch beyond 700m.
View attachment 155042

Those are general license MT public land elk. Not my best by far, but the only 2 I’ve taken with a 6.5mm.
 
Not familiar with GAP rifles, I was too addicted to nice wood for years so was always fighting the weather (even with glass bedding and aluminum blocks) until I switched to synthetic stocks on ones I was traveling with. I built my first 280 Ackley on a pre 64 Win 70 in a McMillian stock in 1974 when it was still a wildcat and I thought it was plenty "hunting accuracy" shooting 1/2 inch 5 shot groups at 100, just have to laugh at myself when I see what you guys are capable of today with current bullets and powders. We used to make our own when I was shooting benchrest with a 6mm PPC using J4 jackets and a swaging tool so I knew what you could do (if you were not under .20 measured on centers for 5 groups you were not competitive). Still have a box of original Nosler160 gr 270 partitions that were hand made on a lathe, and some Barnes early bonded core, both were hard to get shooting under 1 inch.
 
You guys are killing me! You guys are going to give me a heart attack with pictures and stories like that.
 

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