NVMIKE. No I didn't get your message. I don't know what happened there. You could give it another try. I can comment on what you asked here though. I have not loaded the 280 down with heavier bullets but the load I like for deer with the 280 is the 120 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullet @ about 2700-2800 fps. That load is about 25-06 level for recoil. The 7MM-08 is a fine caliber for young shooters and while I have not reloded a lot of ammo for it, the factory 140 Corlokt ammo performs well and is pretty easy on my bad shoulder. I have had a couple 260's and it shares the same qualities as the 7mm-08. The recoil is about the same. I like the 120 grain Ballistic tip best for this caliber for deer. The 140 X bullet if it shoots well is a real elk load for the 7mm-08 and the 260. It should be about the same as the 260 but I find that the bestof the best low recoil yet very effective calibers is the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser. While these rifles are not as easy to find, they just outperform their paper ballistics by miles. I started out loading the 140 grain Hornady spire point in my first Swede and it grouped 5/8 inch at 100 yards. That about ended my load development for that rifle. It is so effective on big game that you would swear that it was twice as big a caliber than it is. You hit a big game animal anywhere in the vitals and its over. My 6.5's are all military rifles which are pretty heavy but the recoil is almost nil. I had one in the 700 Classic for a while. It had a bit more recoil but still not bad. You probably can't find a 250 Savage anymore but as a low recoil deer rifle, it hard to beat. I got one for my wife in the 700 classic the year it came out and it was love at first shot. We both love that rifle and with 100 grain Ballistic tips it does a fantastic job on deer. I would not push the issue and try it for elk but I agree with Jim Carmichael in a recent artical where he names the 250 Savage as his favorite deer rifle. This one has no recoil yet for me has made the 243 look pretty sick. I know it shouldn't but the 100 grain bullet with a bit lower SD that the 243 and a bit less velocity has just worked better for mulies than my 6mm's ever did. The best 243 load I ever used was the old 90 grain semi spitzer partition from Nosler. I don't know if they make it anymore as I pretty well quit on the 243. Sorry ZX.

If you try the 7mm-08, try the 130 grain Speer hot core. I found it a bit fragil for full speed 280 use(meat destruction,bad). but at lower speeds in the 7mm-08, I think it would work very well. I have some loaded but have not tried them on deer yet. The didn't group real well in my current 7mm-08. It loves 140 corlokts as well. This one is the NEF youth model which fits my bad shoulder better that a long stock. You can start outwith youth models then just get the full length stock for almost nothing from NEF. My current 280 is also an NEF. I have ownedthe 7mm-08 caliber in the 700 BDL and the Browning BLR. I don't care for the newer lightweight BLR's.

You are correct in that the 280 would make a great one rifle battery for NA. It is very versitile. I have a friend who has countless dozens of rifles but now days his 280 is about all he ever drags out of the dungeon. Its a Browning a-bolt with a Shepard range finder scope. Does that combo ever work. His next favorite is the Browning Semi Auto in 308. That one soaks the recoil up pretty good although some lightweight 308's like my Lightweight Stalker can recoil pretty hard.