7mm mag is 40% cheaper than .280
6.5 PRC is 10% cheaper than .280
7 PRC costs 60% more than 7mm mag
The magnum and PRC rifles hold 3 cartridges versus 4 of the .280 or .280AI. The AI ammo costs 10% more than 7 PRC.
Ammunition cost is insignificant to most hunters, especially compared to the cost of rifles, scopes, binoculars, clothes, boots, trucks, fuel, ATV/UTV's, leases, plane tickets, feeders, in state/out of state hunting licenses, stands, box blinds, ad infinitum.
I buy the best/most accurate ammo I can find, and including sighting in/target practice, I average about 3-5 rounds per animal. Again, insignificant compared to all the other hunting expenses.
Ammo cost should be the last concern anyone has if they are an avid hunter.
That's not anywhere near enough ammo for learning your rifle and keeping on top of your zero. It's a real deficiency. I always see hunters running out of ammo at the range. They'll say that's close enough when they start to run out. And then leave.
For me, it is. I can't speak for most on Aldeer, but I do know several others here that would fall into the same category. @Joshm28, for one. He's one of the few folks I know that I won't shoot against for money.
In the last 20 years, I have shot over 5,000 rounds out of numerous centerfire rifles, and I shoot an average of 2000 rounds per year of rimfire to stay sharp. If a rifle doesn't fit me, I don't buy it. Most rifles I do buy get a new trigger before a scope gets mounted. As a challenge from a buddy, I hunted my mule deer with a new, factory stock, Tikka. 358 yards, dead deer. That being said, I won't shoot at a game animal further than 500 yards, just because I understand flight time and don't want to chance wounding a critter that took a step when the trigger broke. Hogs, coyotes, etc., I don't have a self imposed limit.
My best 100 yard group is 5 rounds from a Remington 788 in 22-250 that could be covered with a dime. Exactly .28 center to center, less than .4 extreme spread. My .264 Win Mag shot 5 into 6" at 850 yards. These are hunting rifles, not target rifles. I also practice freehand/offhand, and have killed a deer at 225 yards, standing with no rest.
Based on this, I learn new rifles pretty quick, and I never accept "good enough", regardless of how much ammo or work I need to put into the rifle, even if I need to send it to a good gunsmith or have a custom load worked up. Some rifles are just picky. The ones that shoot great with factory ammo, mostly stay here.
I joke that I have been married to the same woman for almost 38 years, and am allowed no variety in that arena, so I get my variety by playing with new calibers. I have owned 2 different 6.5 PRC rifles, and sold both, as I really like the .264 Win Mag that I have, and neither did as well on critters as my .280 Ackley.
