The Horizon Firearms Vandal Carbon 2 in .280 Ackley Improved is a lightweight backcountry hunting rifle built around a 22-inch Proof Research carbon fiber barrel (Horizon Firearms part no. HRF-VC2-280A-22R). It sits in an iota EKO X carbon stock finished in Deep Olive on a Stiller Hyrax action, with a TriggerTech trigger and an Iota SIM brake on the threaded muzzle. Horizon builds its rifles to a 0.5 MOA standard with factory ammunition. For hunters who count every ounce on a long climb, it is one of the lightest rifles in Horizon’s lineup.

Key Specifications

• The chambering is .280 Ackley Improved, newly offered by Horizon for 2026.
• The barrel is a 22-inch Proof Research carbon fiber in a Sendero Light contour, which sheds weight without giving up accuracy.
• The twist rate is 1:8, chosen for the bullets used in this cartridge.
• The muzzle is threaded 5/8-24, so the brake can be swapped for other muzzle devices.
• An Iota Outdoors SIM brake comes on the threaded muzzle to reduce felt recoil.
• The barrel has a diamond fluting pattern and a Black Shadow coating, the same coating used on the action.
• The action is a Stiller Hyrax with a factory-installed 20 MOA Picatinny optic rail for long-range scopes.
• The stock is an iota EKO X carbon fiber in Horizon’s Deep Olive coating, with an integrated Picatinny rail on the underside.
• The trigger is a TriggerTech Primary Curved Shoe, set at the factory between 2.0 and 2.8 pounds and adjustable from 1.5 to 4.0 pounds.
• Magazines are AICS pattern, typically a 5-round AICS magazine in the integrated bottom metal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Vandal Carbon 2 threaded and does it have a muzzle brake? Yes. The muzzle is threaded 5/8-24 and comes with an Iota Outdoors SIM brake.

What magazines does it use? It uses AICS-pattern magazines installed in the integrated bottom metal, typically a 5-round AICS magazine, and accepts common AICS magazines built to the specification.

What accuracy does Horizon build to? Horizon builds its rifles to a standard of 0.5 MOA with factory ammunition.

Buy the Horizon Firearms Vandal Carbon 2 .280 Ackley Improved Rifle

If the goal is a rifle that stays light all day without cutting corners on the barrel, trigger or action, the Vandal Carbon 2 is built for it. See more bolt-action rifles while you are here. Order it from our Lubbock, Texas gun shop for fast, insured shipping to your FFL.