Poll - One all around single cartridge under conditions

[USAF Ret]

What bullets and impact velocities from that story?

Unless you know that info, stories about cartridges and number of shots mean nothing. What matters is the shot placement, bullet, impact velocity.

I sent them an e-mail, but did find out they were hunting with Sierra TGKs. I don't think that was a great bullet choice.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

What bullets and impact velocities from that story?

Unless you know that info, stories about cartridges and number of shots mean nothing. What matters is the shot placement, bullet, impact velocity.

This ^^ - To be fair, I would absolutely keep sending lead until the elk hit the ground, and that's one thing (and highly recommended). However, if it actually took 4 shots to put one down, then the first 3 weren't placed well, or the bullets weren't performing well, one of the two.

But then the other hand, do not let me talk you out of a 280 AI (said a guy with a 280 AI) The 7mm's are indeed, excellent elk medicine, and a 280AI gets you a bit more reach than the less juicy cartridges.

 

[USAF Ret]

This ^^ - To be fair, I would absolutely keep sending lead until the elk hit the ground, and that's one thing (and highly recommended). However, if it actually took 4 shots to put one down, then the first 3 weren't placed well, or the bullets weren't performing well, one of the two.

But then the other hand, do not let me talk you out of a 280 AI (said a guy with a 280 AI) The 7mm's are indeed, excellent elk medicine, and a 280AI gets you a bit more reach than the less juicy cartridges.

Shot placements were good. I am pretty sure it was the TGK. Good deer bullet. I sent an e-mail and asked about what damage they saw when the opened the carcass,

 

[Chris in TN]

Shot placements were good. I am pretty sure it was the TGK. Good deer bullet. I sent an e-mail and asked about what damage they saw when the opened the carcass,

What you describe sounds like a projectile being used beyond its ideal expansion window.

TGKs work really well at higher speeds. I've never seen one shot into anything at lower speeds.

Again, as the owner of a .280AI who has shot two elk with it and watched my dad over his shoulder as he shot one, and who has killed a pile of deer with it and a few coyotes.....

You don't need a .280ai to hunt elk effectively inside of 500 yards. You just don't. What you need, is a smaller, lower-recoil rifle, shooting bullets that work within the velocity window you have. You don't need heavily built bullets at longer ranges; they are counterproductive. And at closer ranges, you don't need the high velocity that the heavy bullets perform well with.

At some point I will probably chop my 280ai to 20" and keep it, because there's nothing else it would make sense to rebarrel a long action rifle to - if I go to a shorter cartridge I'd rather use a short action, but I no longer see a need for a long action at all, it's just a rifle I won't ever get rid of. So it'll likely stay a .280ai and maybe once it's shortened (or rebarreled shorter if I ever shoot it enough more to justify that) I'll use it some, but it won't be because I sense any sort of need for that level of performance inside of maybe 600 yards.