I'm in the search for a very light rifle in 280 Remington.. The Remington Mountain rifle keeps poping up in my searches. I'n not really a huge Remington fan, but I don't want to over look a viable option either.

Thanks Guy's..

I had one in .270. It took a huge amount of shooting to get a load that would shoot under 1 inch. And the workmanship on the gun was rather rough. Also, the safety did not keep the bolt locked down so the bolt would come open when I walked through trees.

I suggest continuing your search.

try one of dteyrs mountain rifles. you wont be sorry. CDNN has them for 599 right now.

Mike
Does it have to be a 280???

Take a look at the Synthetic Blaser R 93, with an Attache bbl.

The Attache bbl weighs about one half pound less than a standard bbl, making for a very light weight rig.

If you will be hunting mostly deer sized game a 270 will do all that the 280 will. If you will be hunting larger game I would go with a 30-06 and use Federal High Energy [near 300 Win Mag performance] for the bigger stuff.

Me, I would [actually not would I do] go with the 308. If I need to shoot big stuff at longer range I go to the 300 win Mag.

I know the 280 has a cult following, it is a good cartridge, 2 of my buddies use them.

quote:

Originally posted by KSTEPHENS:
try one of dteyrs mountain rifles. you wont be sorry. CDNN has them for 599 right now.

KSTEPHENS... I checked their website.. No rifles listed.. Am I opening their site wrong?

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Mike
Does it have to be a 280???

YES!! and NO... Well Maybe...


I know the 280 has a cult following, it is a good cartridge, 2 of my buddies use them.

Your buddies know the lure of the 7mm with that just right bullet at the just right speed..

I want a 7mm with more poop than a 7X57 but not as much as a 7mm Mag..

I foolishly flogged off my ugly old Winchester FW p/f in 284Win with Douglas barrel.. Now I'm sorry I did that..

500.. Thanks.. Thats what I recall my previous thoughts were..

I have a 700 mountain in 30-06 that I picked up for a song. I had the idea that I'd spin a new 280 barrel on it, to go with my other 280s, but thanfully I shot it first. 165 gr nosler ballistic tips and RL-19 made it a keeper. I only shoot 3 shoot groups with the rifle, as the light contour barrel heats up quickly. If you can't get it done with three shots, another two would like be a wasted effort.

they dont list them on the site. call the 1 800 # and ask for marshall. he'ss help you out. make sure you get a mountain. the 20" BBl shoots as well as the 14", really.

Remington has taken a bum rapp and earned a lot of it but the 280 Mountain rifle is a fine gun and yes.....it don't lock the bolt.....and you may have to settle for 1.25" groups but the light weight in 280 IMO is worth some drawbacks.

Add a 3-pos safety to it and have at it!

With any factory rifle you run the risk of mediocre workmanship. I have seen some very nice M700 Mtn. rifles though, particularly the older ones (no DM). My own light wt. is a M70 & has a very thin 23" bbl. but it's easily a 1moa rifle. Ready to hunt it comes in just at 7 1/4#. The .280 is a great light rifle round. Offering good performance even for elk w/ tolerable recoil from sub 8# rifles.

I have a Remington mountain rifle in 7-08. I am completely satisfied with it. I spent a little time working up a load last summer & got 3 shot groups about .5" to .75" with Hornady SST's.

I have a Remington 700 Titanium in .30-06, equiped with a Swaro 3-12x50 illuminated and mounted on a Titanium scope mount...

Have a look:


www.titanium-gunorks.de

Georgeus...?!
Shoots with 180grs Nosler Balistic Tips within 20mm - 5shots within 3-5 minutes

The only thing I would take if I had to do the decission again: .270 Win instead of .30-06...

Klaus

While a lot of people would not consider a Remington Mountain Rifle a "very light rifle", they are a good option.

A couple of years back I spotted one of the laminated stock, stainless steel version in a gun shop. It was chambered in 270 Winchester.
I fondled it for a while but wound up leaving without it. I called the guy a couple of weeks later and it was already sold.

I kept thinking about it and wound up ordering one chambered in 7-08 Remington. (The thinking being that a short action would be lighter than the long action version.)

I mounted a 2.5 X 8 Leupold on it and am very happy with the rifle. It shoots remarkably well for such a pencil thin barrel. With any of the 140 grain Noslers it will shoot three shot groups that average 1.0 to 1.25 inches. It even puts them all to the same point of aim.

The rifle is a joy to carrry and I like it a lot. The laminated stock is pretty and I think itwill be better in bad weather conditions than the plain wood version. I do not like detachable magazines and prefer this model with the regular magazine and floorplate.

A 700 Mountain Rifle chambered in 280 Remington would be a nice gun, I am sure.

I've got a 700 mountain rifle in 280, bought the first year they made them back in the 80's...

No telling how many deer it's killed, and a couple of red stags as well.

Accuracy isn't the best (around an inch with handloads), but the gun is too light for me to shoot very well past 400 yards, so one inch groups are fine with me.

Mine is built right, ultra smooth bolt, excellent workmanship, never a problem with it. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if something happened to mine.

Mike:

I have an older Rem Mtn Rifle in 280 which I bought for trading foder several years ago. I discovered it shot very well. It will take 140gr Barnes TSX with a variety of powders and loads and put them consistently at 1 inch. So I knocked off the Remington bowling ball gloss and went to a hand rubbed finish. I put a slight bevel to the stock at the action port and installed a Leupold 3x9 compact.

It's now my number one rough-country, horseback rifle and has been with me on several North American hunts. Fits great in a scabbard, and you can carry it all day. Perfect for the backcountry.

The Remington 700 LSS MR is my very favorite factory production rifle. It wouldn't be my 1st choice in a light rifle, since no laminated stock that I know of is particularly light.

Depending on your budget, a NULA is never a bad choice if you have the $$. If you don't care about the resale value, you could buy a Colt Light Rifle (CLR) and send it to NULA to be rebarreled, restocked, and retriggered for around $1,200+/-. I doubt that a CLR/NULA hybrid would have much resale value, but it would a good choice if light weight is the primary criteria. CLRs were made in 270, so if you would be willing to forgo the 280 in lieu of the 270, you could do it for less.

For about the same $$, you could buy a Remington 700 LSS MR and have it rebarrled and restocked with a McM Edge. Same/same regarding the 270 vs. 280 rebarrel savings.

Jeff

Consider the mountain KS from the Rem. custom shop. Although 260Remguy's advice on the NULA is better.

I've got the NULA in 30-06 and it is a fine ultralight rifle. Worth the extra $$
I've got a mountain KS is .338 WM which is more accurate than the NULA and weighs a little over a pound more. I couldn't see doing the ultralight thing in anything bigger than the '06 as recoil is a factor.

If you want a really good combo look at the Rem 700 titianium in 7mmSAUM its ballistics are right on par with the 280 AI and the rifle weights 5-1/4 lbsin a short action receiver, a very hard to beat combo. Is it custom rifle quality? i doubt it, but for the money its a great deal for around a grand, most customs start at 2 grand and go on up from there.

I suggest you the Tikka T3 light; very light, very accurate and well made; I have one in 270 WSM and I'm really satisfied with it.

Mike
I have not ever had any bad luck with a Remington 700 or a Mod 7 except in belted mag calibers. Never saw one that would feed anywhere 100%.
They all shot good however.

I have owned and shot a lot of different bolt rifles over the years. The ONLY bolt rifle I would trust to walk in a store, buy the rifle, buy a scope mount, buy a scope, buy some ammo, take it to hunting camp [say if your own rifle got lost or broken], put it together, sight it in and expect it to work and be accurate is a Blaser R 93.

My 700 Mtn in 30-06 is a winner. Bought it new in '95, pre-DM, and never have had any kind of problem with it. And the bolt safety question is a non-issue to me.

I deer hunt in north GA and it tends to rain some. I glass bedded it and then soaked the bare wood inner cavities with three well dried coats of Min-Wax Marine Poly before it got wet the first time. That has controlled any stock warping problems for me.

Thank you all for the candid responses.. The jury is still out on the Remington Mtn.. One of the issues lurking about in the back of my head.. During my wayward youth as a hotrodder reloader, I noticed Rem's would not take near the extra poop say a Winchester or Sako action.. I feel the 280 needs just a bit more poop than the factories provide.. Also the Remington Mountain Rifle I've discovered, is not too light!... Ok. I'm sure those last statements will get me flamed...

Buy a Sako Finnlite in a short mag caliber. I have a 300 and a 270 and both shoot 1/2 inch with factory Federal ammo.

You might want to look at the Rem model 7 in 7mmSAUM.
It is light and handy, but it doesn't have the soda straw barrel that the Mtn. rifle has.
Factory loadings will give you what you are wanting in a "hot" 280.

quote:

Originally posted by MopaneMike:
... I'n not really a huge Remington fan, ...

...I foolishly flogged off my ugly old Winchester FW p/f in 284Win with Douglas barrel.. Now I'm sorry I did that. ...

...The jury is still out on the Remington Mtn..

... During my wayward youth as a hotrodder reloader, I noticed Rem's would not take near the extra poop say a Winchester or Sako action..

Also the Remington Mountain Rifle I've discovered, is not too light!...

Hey Mike, I'm a HUGE Remington fan, but I'd encourage you to get "anything else". It is very clear that you have your mind made up about the Remington rifles and if you did get one, I doubt you would ever be satisfied with it. You'd go to the Range, experience a w-i-d-e flier which would open your 5-shot group to something in the 0.4xx" area and you would be sure the problem was with the (excellent) Remington rifle.
---

Where ever you got the impression that the Remington Three Rings of Steel is inferior in strength to the M70 or Sakos is simply Full-of-Beans.

Here is a Link to a fine rifle that shows the effects of Cumulative Metal Fatigue which can happen with "Hot Rodding" firearms. It does not give a WARNING, it just lets go when the steel has been over-stressed too many times.

So, I'd encourage you to get another M70 in 280Rem, or have one rebarrelled to what you want. You can send it to "Rifles Inc." and they will make it as light as you will ever want.

And best of all, when you Hot Rod it, you won't be blowing up an excellent Remington rifle.

Best of luck to you.

I think a .280 in a Remington 700 Mt. Rifle is one of the best off the shelf factory combinations. I sold mine not too long ago as I bought a custom .280, but I had no problems finding loads with 140-160 gr bullets that averaged 1 MOA. The Mt. Rifle is not the lightest rifle these days, but can be made up to go just under 8lbs all set to go and the rifle handles & balances well. It is certainly one of the lightest if you prefer wood to synthetic. I prefer the older version with floorplate vs. the DM model, but that is personal preference.

-Lou

Hot Core.. it's too bad you took portions of the statements and ran with them to the extreme.. As mentioned, I expected some flaming, there's alway's at least one..



Lou270.. I agreee with you. As I first posted, I keep coming back to the Mtn rifle.. It balances very well, it's not untill you read the specs on paper or put it on a scale you realise it's 8lbs of rifle.. My next question I was working up to, would be.. The pro's or con's regarding detachable mag vs standard??

Thanks all

quote:

Originally posted by MopaneMike:
... it's too bad you took portions of the statements and ran with them to the extreme.. ...

Hey Mike, Simply stating the obvious. If that upsets you because I can see through your transparent back-hand slaps at the excellent Remington rifles, to bad.

Mike, I agree my Mtn. -06 isn't the lightest rifle out there but it is light enough for me. Once a long-shooting rifle gets too light it can be difficult to hold steady enough to take long shots!

I disagree about the 700s strength being less than others tho. It was designed to be stronger than others of its time, ie, the Md. 70, and the carefully thought out "three rings of steel" handle ruptured cases better too.

Fact is, the brass case is the weak link in the formula, ALL rifles made today have far more strength than is needed to handle more pressure than the cases can.

I can't lose my non-detach magazine! Removing cartridges only requires pushing a latch, easy enough for even me!

Some folks are so immature they have to think anyone with a different idea, opinion or taste than theirs is automatically an idiot, and they say so without intelligent or justifing debate. Ignore them, any response only feeds their fragile egos.

I have a Mtn Rifle in 280. Put a compact Nikon on it. Light and handy. Will shoot Hornady 139s and 140 Nos Parts just fine. It will stay with me.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim C. <><:
Mike, I agree my Mtn. -06 isn't the lightest rifle out there but it is light enough for me. Once a long-shooting rifle gets too light it can be difficult to hold steady enough to take long shots!

I disagree about the 700s strength being less than others tho. It was designed to be stronger than others of its time, ie, the Md. 70, and the carefully thought out "three rings of steel" handle ruptured cases better too.

Fact is, the brass case is the weak link in the formula, ALL rifles made today have far more strength than is needed to handle more pressure than the cases can.

I can't lose my non-detach magazine! Removing cartridges only requires pushing a latch, easy enough for even me!

Some folks are so immature they have to think anyone with a different idea, opinion or taste than theirs is automatically an idiot, and they say so without intelligent or justifing debate. Ignore them, any response only feeds their fragile egos.

MopaneMike,

For me, I much prefer the look of a floorplate vs detachable mag. I have a couple of rifles with DM and think they are very handy. The urban legend is that you can loose them in some inconvenient place and be left with a single shot. I suppose this happens now and again, but just like most things is blown vastly out of proportion. If you are prone to lose things buy a few mags off of ebay and stick them in various places on your person

-Lou

Lou,

Does the DM carry in your hand any better/worse than the floor plate?? Reason I ask, there seems to be a 2X1 ratio DM to Floor plate models for sale..

I have 2 Remington Mountain rifles in .280Rem.My wife's rifle,bedded in a TI stock,with a Leupold Ultra light 3X9 will shoot 3/4" groups with 140 Accubonds.My rifle is just going into a new McMillan,so it won't be quite as light,but will still be an easy carry.It too will be sighted with the AB's.Both rifles have shot a lot of bucks,with no problems along the way,and I highly reccomend them!I also have a custom .284,and a .280AI,but I still carry one of the Mountain rifles on most deer hunts.Good luck with whatever you choose! Monashee

I have been shooting Remington since 1974, and I have been very happy with mine. I currently shoot a custom 700 in .358 STA, and a custom shop mountain rifle in 7 mag arrived today. I expect better than average groups out of this new one, and will be surprised if it doesn't deliver. That said, I have also been very happy with my Kimber rifles, and the two I have both shoot sub-MOA. If they made a Montana in 7 mag, I would have one.

I think they are very good, but mine are older ones. I just purchased my third, a 280, and tried it out today ( 1988 rifle) It is about -10 degrees and a strong wind, a bitter day at the range,; but all groups were in the order of one inch, ie some one half others one and a quarter but it should shoot when I can work up loads and on a better day weather wise. the only; thing I dont like is they seem butt heavy. That can be corrected somewhat with a pachmayer decelerator, as you loose around 3 oz net of recoil pad and IME helps handling. Im sure you will be satisfied if you try one.

The only Rem DM I have is a 700 BDL Stainless in .300 Mag and it carries similar to floorplate or blind mags. I don't know when Remington made the switch from floorplate to DM, but think it's been a while. It's entirely possible you see 2x as many DMs because they made 2x more of them as the majority of "average joe's" I run into prefer their rifle to be DM.

-Lou

quote:

Originally posted by MopaneMike:
I'm in the search for a very light rifle in 280 Remington.. The Remington Mountain rifle keeps poping up in my searches. I'n not really a huge Remington fan, but I don't want to over look a viable option either.

Thanks Guy's..

As a gunsmith, I don't personally like the rem 700 group for big game hunting. But don't want to regurgitate this old argument. Read the mod 70 safety thread that evolved into a very comprehensive discussion of the remington action below: https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3221043/m/720106046

I too have a Remington LSS Mountain Rifle in .280 and it is my number 1 hunting rifle. Picked it up off an online auction site here in New Zealand, with a Leupold 3-9 VX II and the black synthetic ADL stock. This rifle was one of the 1992 era Mountain Rifles that sold down here before the container hit land as they were very very popular. I had one of these rifles years ago in 30-06 which I wish I'd never sold.

I then ordered the Remington laminated Mountain Rifle stock and a new floorplate not long after I brought mye Mountain Rifle and have been shooting it ever since. It weighs a tad over 7lbs and shoots 3/4 MOA with 120gr GS Customs at 3253fps using H414.

Don't forget that you can buy a 3 position Winchester M70 type safety to suit the Remington 700 - These are available from Brownells and do require a Gunsmith to fit.


Regards,

Michael.