I was just getting ready to buy a couple of new tires, finishing off my coffee..

[john keyes]

when I saw this.....

Mod.700 Mountain Rifle,Cal .280 Rem;Simmons 3-10 44Mag Wide Angle Scope. $450.00



I had been in the mood to buy a rifle lately and this was too much for me. Its in my safe now.  I was the first guy to call him, the ad had been out according to him "about ten minutes".

All I had on me was C-notes so I asked him if he had any lagniappe to soak up another 50 bucks so i wouldn't have to go and make change  ie brass bullets or dies (man I wanted some dies bad but he wouldn't let me have em).  He gave me a monster bag of NEW brass, some bullets and some fired brass, and some loaded ammo (H4831 and nosler solid base 140's).  So we called it good at $500 and everybody was happy.  I was real tempted to drop it off at the 'smith since he lives on that side of the river and tell him "hey put a 6mm rem barrel on this pig and call me when its ready, no hurry".  but I'm in the .280 business now, I'm gonna see what she will do. 













when I read that it was a mountain rifle I was really hoping it had a DBM. but it didn't.  hell I don't know if it is a true "mountain rifle" or not.  but we'll damn sure see if she will shoot.  the owner was a true gentleman of 80 something years old who had dozens of clocks, amazing.  Have you ever seen someone who has a shop you would die for it is so awesome, this man did.

He said he was the original owner and the rifle had always come through for him out in the field.  I'm not real thrilled about the simmons but I can live with it now. I have been jonesing hard for an old M8 in 6X   

[bigswede]

Nice find.  I always really liked the slim contours of the Mt. Rifle stock with the wrap around checkering on the forend.  I've never owned a 280, but know lots of people that really like them.  I am fond of its shorter cousin, the 7mm-08.  Have fun.

[drdougrx]

i HATE when that happens....just ruins my whole day....soon as I do something like that I have cancel all my appointments with heads of state, the joint chiefs and the dog groomer and explore the dickens outta the rifle!!!

I had one in 06...sold it and wish I never did!!!   

Best of luck with it!!

[john keyes]

went out and shot it today....very hot and windy to say the least but better than sitting at the house.
the only ammo I had was the handloads from '92 that came with the rifle.  58.3 H4831/ 140 Nosler SB
so I figured the rifle was gonna kick like a mule
 
its flingin the 140's out at 2900, I can live with that 

the recoil was not bad at all, my first group, not so hot

tried again, had two touching, blew it on the third

tried one more time.....to no avail



the one thing I have got to do is fling that simmons scope as far as I can, and hope it ends up in a dumpster so some other unfortunate soul does not get hooked up with it.  the eye relief has got to be the shortest ever. 

overall I'm very pleased with my new shootin iron and enjoy readin the old 280 threads....

even though it didn't seem to kick at first, if you keep on a shootin you will notice it.  after a while she will get to ya   

pretty funny how you spend time with short action cartridges like the 260, 7mm-08 and .308 so that when you do something with a long action they look like ICBMs

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

John, Had a .280 mt. rifle like yours in the 90's...with the light barrel it was difficult for me to hold steady when shooting on the plains, but that was before I had bi pods...did take an antelope and coyote with it....sorry to say, I never had stellar accuracy from that round or rifle...it was ok, but that was all...often grouped like you found..couple close, then one off...my pal said the only way his shot well, was to shoot one round then let it cool...good luck.....

[rugerfan.64]

I really like my 280,its a Browning A Bolt tho. It will shoot 3 into .44 inches or so. Followed by another group that went into .58. Not bad for a box stock rifle. And it will still shoot that good when I do my part. Awesome on deer and probably anything else that needs a hole poked into it. Enjoy!!

[myarmor]

The 280 is a great round and with your config, it looks like a keeper to me. Those 44Mag scopes were among the best of Simmons IMHO.




-Aaron

[charles p]

I've got a stock A-bolt in 280 and a Remington 700 with a match grade 26" Shilen in 280AI.  Like them both but the AI is heavy to carry.  I love the 7mm bullets.  I also have a 7mm Rem Mag, a 7mm-08 in a Mod 7, and two Contenders in 7-30W. 

The stock 280 is plenty of rifle for deer.  The 7mm-08 Mod 7 is a great carrying rifle and shoots great also.  The 140 grain bullet weight is my favorite 280 rifle fodder.  I have some 160s for elk only.   

[drdougrx]

WYO is correct about shoot one-let cool-shoot another.  My current MTN rifle is a 24", skinny barreled 700KS in 06 and the "shoot-cool-shoot" method is the only way I can get a pretty good group.  And..I usually get 2 together and one an inch or so away.  Never seems to matter on game BTW.......

[eastbank]

i killed a ton of deer with a old 280, i shot 54grs imr 4350(work up slowly) and the serria 162 boat tail bullet, its a little hard for a hunting bullet but it would realy fly and buck the wind. eastbank.