For a hunt out west in the mountains.




Savage Ultralite in 280 Ackley. Carbon fiber wrapped barrel.

I agree.

Good choice! Good cartridge, good barrels on Savage rifles.

In the late 70’s/early 80’s I purchased a Rem 700 Mountain rifle in .280 Rem. I’ve taken dozens of whitetails and mulies with it, and a few antelope.  

Your choice is even better.

That's my dream rifle as well.   I'm fascinated with the 280AI, love the savage action, and last year dropped a proof cf on my long range gun along with a chassis.

After following reviews of the ultralight I've been a bit unimpressed with the accuracy that's being reported.  Maybe mine just loves my handloads or maybe the stock is holding the ultralight back.

@Bendigo

So you bought your own c.f. barrel aftermarket? Which one? Specs? Group pics?

C.f. Barrels are not moa all day barrels imho. They look like thin barrels that have a thick carbon wrap to stiffen them. So I would think that a good barrel would be extremely accurate for a few shots and then it should cool down.

Like any good hunting rifle....I'll take that first shot accuracy all day long.

So educate me, I've never owned a c.f. Barrel.... Just handled them a few times.

Just read that savage uses those Proof barrels on these rifles.

I bought a 24" 6.5CR cf proof and spun it onto my savage 10.  The barrel was $850 from brownells. You basically spend $450 on a sweet barrel and another $400 to take 2lbs off of it.  It makes the rifle in the chassis balance much better.  It's not so front heavy and you can move it around quickly with the just the shooting hand as it sits lighter on the bipod.

Accuracy has been phenomenal (for me given it's a $450 rifle that I barreled and put into a chassis in my garage).  Average 5 shot group size is 1/2".  When I have my stuff together I can pull closer to 1/4".  Worst groups go 3/4".  
I haven't seen any stringing or accuracy affected by heat.  While I haven't shot any commercial ammo through it I also haven't tried to tune a load for it.  Load is 41.7grns of h4350 under an eldm that I worked up for a different rifle.  I'll look for group photos on my phone and post.


I guess I expected more from the ultralight with the trued and blueprinted action with the proof barrel.  That stock cant help.  I'd still get one through. It's a good value.

Top Group is a DPMS SASS that I put a BA 6.5 barrel on
Two middle groups are the Savage proof. Left is my buddies first time shooting it. Right is mine.
Bottom is a $600 PA-10 that I put a Criterion hybrid 18" 6.5C on.

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File

This one is my lightweight mountain rifle 6.5 pounds with the scope all build on a 700 action.

After obsessing over a Savage Ultralite in 280AI, I started looking seriously and couldn't find the 280 anywhere.  Handled .270s, 30-06s, and the PRC.  They are light but the stock is flimsy and there's minimal options for mag fed replacements.  I also didn't care for the fact that they only gave the 280 a 22" barrel instead of the 24" on the PRC.

In my panic'd search I came across a lone take off Remmy 700 long action for sale. Then I started researching for a barrel company that would do a carbon fiber Remage barrel and came across Carbon Six.  With many recommending reviews, almost zero negative ones, a half moa guarantee, and a ton of options.  Called and talked to a very nice and intelligent fellow and ordered the barrel.
While waiting the 4 months for the barrel the action got dropped off at GA Precision for a mini tactical bolt knob and blueprinting.  Stopped by a gunshop next door and they had 4 boxes of Nosler accubond 280AI ammo for literally half the price of what it goes for now.
Then found 150 new nosler brass in the classifieds.
Picked up a KRG Bravo from the same Classifieds.  The Bravo seems to be the best balance of weight, cost, functionality, and getting the best accuracy. Its about the same cost as a magpul hunter stock with bottom metal at a pound lighter.

Overall, the rifle will be a bit heavier than the savage.  I can't be certain how much until dropping the barreled action into a flimsy tupperware stock for a fair comparison.  The Remington action opens up many cheaper (and more expensive) options for later.
Price wise the barreled action might be $25-$50 cheaper than the current asking price of $1400 of the savage minus the tax, shipping, and transfer fees.  Add to that the $400 for the Krg. I'm not aware of a stock option for the savage that offers the options for a similar price.  So if you're changing the stock on the savage, you might come out ahead going the remage way.  You could definitely find a cheaper donor action than what I did.  I'm $600 into a blueprinted action plus $130 for mini tactical bolt knob and trigger tuning.

Twist options were 1-10, 9, 8.5, and 8.  I went with a 1-9 for bullets from 140grn to 175grn but primarily the 160s.

So far the benifits of going this way are,
Mulitple affordable stock options. Plus cheaper Magpul mags.
The choice of barrel length, 4 profiles, 4 twist rates, muzzle threads, and a few more odd options. I probably could of gotten lighter than the savage with the carbon six fly weight profile.
Maintain the switch barrel options that the barrel nut affords.

The premise for this rifle was  
1. a lightweight hunting rifle capable of being drug around mountains chasing elk. (Slim chance I'm a flatlander but I can dream and MO now has an elk season).
2. Long range target shooting out to a mile.  (This will happen already have a range).
3. To see if I can get more accuracy than the savage.

Hopefully I'll update in 4 months.

Looks like Buds got the 280ai's in stock now.

280AI Ultralite

I have always wanted a 700 mountain rifle in .280 rem. Passed on one years ago.

Get the 7mm mag.

Found out something interesting about Savage Ultralite and maybe why they don't group quite as well as I expect them too.  The muzzle diameter of the savage proof is only .75".  Which is what carbon 6 calls a flyweight.  My 6.5 creed proof is .95 at the muzzle which is more of a bull profile and the 280ai I ordered is a magnum at .90".  So maybe I wasn't comparing apples to apples when looking at the Ultralite.  A gentleman I talked too at carbon six said that you can use a suppressor on a flyweight barrel but wouldn't recommend heavy usage.

NULA

Everything thing else is a half-assed imitation.

I have a Christensen 338LM that clicks in at 10lbs ready to kill. Great for long range, but it’s not what you would call a practical hunting rifle.

I also have a Kimber MT in 325WSM. Great gun, great killer. Overall it’s fit and finish can be questioned, especially the lack of bedding. Otherwise it’s tough as nails and has taken some work to get good groups, but it does. This is the one that tries to mirror a NULA the most. Clocks in sub-7lb ready to kill.

All of my other hunting rifles are traditional wood stock guns. Very stereotypical, but not what I prefer to pack in the Mts.

If you want the ultimate mountain rifle then don’t half-ass it with some garbage savage that has a carbon barrel screwed into the end. UMRs aren’t built by large manufacturers. They’re a specialized tool built by real specialists.

Dad had a .284 Win put together forever ago when you could find ammo.
Think it was a touch over 6lbs loaded with a fixed power scope.

And here is the winner.
Love my 20B Melvin is a genus.   Perfect Appalachian mountain rifle in .308.   24B for heading west

Also on the CF barrels Bartlien is the new king of the hill. It’s no surprise if you know anything about their steel barrels
That Savage is a nice rifle but still just a plastic fantastic stock which I personally can’t get past.  
As far as the under $2000 rifles you can find with no problem I think the Christensen Mesa at $1200 is hard to beat.  I picked one up a few weeks ago.  The stock isn’t a McMillan/Manners but it is a legit stiff composite stock.  Trigger tech trigger and a very smooth action with excellent fit finish.    I bought it as a backup rifle so far so good.
It is half pound heavier than advertised.  That part is BS but it has good balance which is more important IMO.  

I picked up the savage high country in 280 ai....

I’m sure it’ll be a fine Florida gun.

Let us know how it shoots.

@urbanredneck   You shoot that thing yet?

@bendigo78

Not yet. I did get some ammo.... $65 for 20 rounds of Nosler ... I've decided it is too valuable to shoot.

haha...Can't get to the range until maybe next week.

You can get reg 280 for around $30 a box.  Might be cheaper to break in the barrel.

I've got every part, tool, optic, and over $700 in ammo and reloading components for mine except the barrel. And it's been delayed 2 months for a carbon fiber shortage.  

I just want to see someone shoot one.

$30 a box..... give me a link man!

@bendigo78

@urbanredneck

I haven't seen anything online.   A shop outside kc had federal fusion $31 a box.  I went back this week to get more and all he had was remington corelokt for $39 a box.

ETA- The gun shop owner said that the remington was new production only because they had leftover brass when the plant started back up but who knows.

Also Midway just got more nosler 280ai brass instock.  Ended up being $2.25 apiece shipped.


Attached File

I'm looking real hard at the Savage 110 UltraLite in .308. Starts out at 5.8lbs.

@urbanredneck  done anymore than look at that rifle?

My father just called from a gunshop and asked if I wanted some 150grn corlokt 280s for $20 a box.

@bendigo78

man o man...that is beautiful. That would have been worth the efforts of calling them to see if they could ship me some. But the update is that I bit the bullet and picked up some norma brass at almost $2 apiece.


So...hoping to hit the range this friday.

I don't even have a chamber to chamber check any rounds if I wanted to load them up.  Need to find a cartridge chamber gauge.

I've got some reloader 26 and 162eldms, 180 scenars, and 140ttsx to try.

Look forward to seeing some groups.

Well shoot, I might have to grab one of those Christensen Mesa's in .308. My darn wallet.

Pretty happy with the choice.

I liked the original with the floor plate and coveted a coworker’s 7-08.    I had a M700 Ti mountain rifle in .308 but it wasn’t a shooter and the steel bolt on the Ti receiver was very grabby if you got any side loading on the bolt handle.  I sold it to an arfcommer out west who only wanted the action for a custom rifle and it was going to be rebarrelled.

Attached File


I have 2- Rem 700 .280 mnt rifles, both '92yr models.

1 with scope I have hunted with for 30yrs, stock all beat to shit and barrelhas probably 4k rounds through it.  Thought about a rebarrel/custom build the action and maybe go 30-06?  Groups started to open a few year back, were shooting minute of deer.

The other I just picked up a few months ago that's never been fired.

After a year and half of fiddling with it, got the 280ai sorted out in time for an antelope hunt. Had 9 days to hunt but found a group the night before and snuck in on them before sunrise.  Season was over in the first half hour of opening day. Was set up to shoot out to atleast 400 and shot him somewhere between 50-100.

Attached File

Nice looking pronghorn - definitely had plenty of rifle for all circumstances but it is nice to not need it.

Nice pronghorn  @bendigo78