For use on game ranging from varmints to deer, I know that many folks like the 243 or 25-06 but I feel a little more comfortable covering the upper end of the spectrum. Is the 280 a poor choice for a dual purpose gun? What would you choose and why?

NE,

I would choose a .257 Roberts. I have one and this is exactly what I use it for. It has a little more than the .243 for deer-sized game but doesn't have the recoil or blast of the '06 based cartridges. I use 100 grain bullets for varmints and 120 grain bullets for deer.

No flies on the 280,it will do many things,very well.

I am a big 25 fan and love the 25-284,25-06Ackley and 257Wby. Currently,I'm awaiting delivery of a 257WSM,constructed as a lightweight general purpose rifle,to the fill the role you mention.

I've much faith in the abilitiy of a fast stepping 25's ability to reliably anchor Game and find myself toting one,more often than not.

BUT,I'm the last guy to cuss the 7mm's and the 280 is a dandy.................

NB, I think a multi-purpose (dual) rifle is whatever you use for everything. Nearly anything you can handload for, up to the 375 H&H (and bigger) will work as long as you can shoot it accurately. One of my closest friends has used the same 7mm Rem Mag loaded with 160 Speer's on everything from coyotes and antelope to deer and elk since 1970. Another rancher I know uses a 25-06 on everything, coyotes to elk. I think the 280 is a great round, though for varmint's and deer I'd load 139 Hornadies. My 22" bbl'd 280 (with RL22) pushed them at 3,250 (+). There's certainly something to be said for becoming familiar with your big-game rifle by using it on varmint's year-round. I have a 243 that I think of as strictly a varmint rifle, though I'll load it with 85 gr. Nosler's or Barnes X's this fall for my daughter to start deer hunting with. Guess that's my "dual-purpose" rifle.

BA

[ 06-09-2002, 22:39: Message edited by: Brad ]

Never thought I would say this;I used to think that the .06 was just that, the best all around caliber. I still like the round, but I have been shooting the 6.5x55 a little over a year and from 100 gr to 160, its a tack driver and doesn't have the recoil of the 06. I reload for both, my 06 is a single shot and my 6.5 is a military swede that I have modified and the 6.5 is fast becoming my favorite...

I love the 243. where i live deer are smaller so it works good for me, its my wife's gun but i love shooting it.

STICK WILL YOU SHOOT ME AN E-MAIL ON HOW YOU ARE GOING TO SET THAT GUN UP, I HAVE A 25-06, AND WOULD LIKE THE ADDED VELOCITY IN THE WSM, IT WOULD BE A FAST RIDE

fats,

You can't kill anything with a steenking 25!......(grin)

Email will be enroute................

I would like to get a 6.5x55 for a dual purpose job, you can fire 90gr V-maxes right through to 140 gr bullets and the 6.5 penetrates very well and kills out of all proportions. I read somewhere that due to the high BC of it's 140 gr bullets it actually overtakes the .270 for power at some point in it's flight.

Pick an adequate cartridge for the biggest task you expect to do and load down for the other jobs.
That principal has given me a bunch of all around rifles. Don't overlook cast bullets.

I vote for the 6.5x55

God Forbid!!! If I could have only 1 rifle it would have to be the tried and true 30-06!!

Another vote for the .257 Roberts!
I bought one when I was in the Navy and have used it for everything from ground squirrels and chucks to deer. It does very well with 75gr. Hornady HP for coyotes and for deer I've used 100gr and up. It is a low recoiling pussycat with light bullets and deadly on deer with handloads.

And why not go to the best. The 308win

Johan

I would go either with a good 6.5 (the swede, 6.5/284, etc.) or a good 308 winchester. But I can't see their being any major problem with a 280, 7x57, 7/08, etc. it's all about what you want to do and what you like to do it with

[ 06-13-2002, 20:20: Message edited by: Curtis_Lemay ]

25-06 and 100gr Ballistic Tips will cover that whole spectrum with astounding authority!!!!

But the real secret is that if you have a gun that is light and fun to shoot at varmints.... then deer are just bigger varmints with horns! It's the practice that counts.

You probably won't regret a 280 unless you do a good amount of varminting (ie pdogs, crows, etc). Once you've owned a 25-06, you'll quickly realize there isn't a deer on this planet that a 100gr NBT won't absolutely dump!

ps. Ol' Sarge should chime in about now...

6.5x55 and 100gr ballistic tips for rabbits, foxes, muntjac, roe and fallow. See the animal react to the shot.

The .280 is a bit too much for varmint shooting(not particuliarly pleasant after a number of rounds). A .257 roberts is more inline with what you want.

Nebraska, nothing a bunch of gun nuts had rather do than sit around and argue the merits of this caliber or cartridge above another. Truth is in every situation there are more than one right answers. I for one would go along with 75% of everything said in this thread so far.

But the bottom line is it doesn't matter what WE think or like. You are going to be the guy behind the butt plate and it's gonna be your ears listening to the blast. For what you specify here, varmints to deer, anything from a .222 Remington up to a 30/06 would work great.
Some may howl that .222 is too light but I've seen lots of spectacular deer kills with this cartridge. The right or wrong bullet placed in the right or wrong spot on an animal is where the battle is won. Everything is is just BS.

Search YOUR soul, my friend, and listen to the force. Pick the rifle that speaks to you, then get good with it and you'll do fine.

The "upper end of the spectrum" you mention is probably from the .257 up to the 30/06. The .257 Roberts is a delightful and pleasant rifle to hunt with...and very effective. The 06 is the master of versatility. Dip down in the lighter bullets for varmints and wander up the bullet selection for the larger stuff. 270 or 280 would be great. This is a happy subject.

My first choice would be the 257 AI. If I wanted a little more bullet diameter/weight I would opt for the 6.5 X 284.

My goodness, all these posts and no one has given the correct answer yet. The .270 Winnie is all you need.

I happen to own both a .25-284, and a .280, which is my second .280.
I've killed, or seen killed lots of stuff in the elk class with .25-06 class rounds, even the .243.
Frankly, for the deer class, the 6 mm-.25's leave nothing to be desired if one uses a premium bullet like the Nosler Partition. With the .25-06 class rounds, you really don't even need that.
I, for one, wouldn't put up with the recoil of the .280 class for varmits. I have not the slightest doubt of the effectiveness of the .25-06 class rounds, with a premium bullet, on the deer class under any conditions.
I have several buddys who have discovered the same thing. E

Y'all missed the ideal dual purpose cartridge -------- 260 Remington .!

Maybe I'm confused. I look at the 7mm Remington as something of dual-purpose; 115-grain hollow points turn things inside out for very little recoil, same gun is fine for elk.

Then there's the 6mm-284, similar ballistics with pretty minor recoil. I'm still a little hesitant about using this gun for elk, no qualms about antelope or deer.

Tom

Depending on the shooting distance, why not consider a 6x45 ? (6mm-223)

In South Africa impala are taken at distances of 150m with 100gr bullets at 2300f/sec and springbuck at distances of 300m with 87gr bullets at 2600f/sec. Do you want to hunt bigger animals at longer distances?

My 6x45 is a pleasure to shoot and I don't have to adjust my scope for my different loads (100gr Hornady RN, 87gr Hornady SP and 87gr Hornady V-Max) The rifle is zeroed at 200m with the 87gr loads, and my loads have been tailored to give the same point of impact at 100m. Bullet failure and meat damage is nonexistant.

In South Africa we do very little varminting, and most of my hunting is for meat - and I have to pay for it. So meat damage has to be limited.

If you consider deer as vermin and don't eat the meat - by all means blow it up. Just keep quiet about it as the anti-hunting brigade like to hear these stories....

Johan

Mr. Nebraska sir...

I have probably killed 2 doz. deer with .25 calibers, mostly with 2 different 257R and recently with a 25-06. Both are sure fire killers on deer sized game. If Elk are not on the menu, you don't need anything more.

Almost all of my varmint shooting is walking up jackrabbits or calling dogs. Again both work very well. A concern here would be your style of varmint hunting. For my style, the 25-06 is excellent. However, if I were to hunker down over bags (or from prone) and shoot a hundred or more rounds at P dogs or sage rats, the recoil of the 25-06 might get pretty tough. Naturally, the weight of the rifle figures heavily (pun) into this, and my gun is very light.

So....If your varmint shooting is in small doses as you wander the hills, I'd get a 25-06. If you do burn a lot of rounds at a time, the .257 is easier on you. Both will kill deer just fine, and better than a .243 or a 6 rem.

JimF

A 25-06 if you don't reload,and a 6.5-06 if you do! Get a fast-twist barrel for either one,and you are in business!

If you are not going to extreme range on the varmints, the 243 is a nice little round, and will handle deer if you choose your shots well.

Don

Ok, are all you babys and baby boomers through??

..The best deer varmint combo ever on this earth is a 250-3000...Always has been and always will be...Why?? because it kills deer like the hammer of Thor and is so mild in the recoil dept. with light bullets that you can shoot it all day long...Where Idawhores shoot rockchucks, one may shoot 300 or twice that many rounds on a good day. If you think a 25-06 won't get your attention after 300 shots a day, you ain't hunted a lot of varmints, and a prarie dog town will eat you plumb up....About 1:00 PM I get to reaching for my 222 and 6x45...

Jeff Cooper said it and I believe it, 308...Now, What man in his right mind would admit that there is such a thing as a dual purpose gun! What if your ol' lady held you to that? If just one of our wives or girl friends or both! were looking over your shoulder as your contribute to this treasonous thread the word would get around in a New York second and we're all sunk!!!!!!! You guys are treadin' on hallowed ground here, hear me? My lovely spouse is utterly convinced that this room is filled with absolutely necessary utensils, and is sure that it is her patriotic and moral duty to fill any voids that may exist. And Lord knows there are needs yet to be met. C'mon guys be careful........ Jim

AMEN on the 222 and Dogtowns! I guess there are some things an OLD GOAT can remember about the past.

I will also throw my hat into the .260, 6.5x55, 6.5x.284 ring. Good selection of bullets, even match bullets, & a bit more thump than a .243 for bigger deer. In a pinch you could use it on elk as well.

Thank you Nebraska, I thoroughly enjoy this forum. Some times we get entirely too serious don't you think? Jim.......