# .280 Remington



## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

What is the availability of this cartridge? Lately I have had issues finding .308, 30-06, and .243. It seems that 270 and 7mm are the red headed step child rounds that get left on the shelf. I know that the .280 is not as common of a round as the .270 and the 7mm but does anyone here own one and have experience buying rounds or reloading it? I am hoping for a little less recoil than a 30-06. .7mm bullets should be easy enough to find to reload it. H&R has a 26" barrel they can fit to my single shot for 106.00 It just sounds like too much of a steal to pass up. 

I love shopping for guns for my wife...


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Great Caliber! PM Packout about his experience with ammo availability.


-DallanC


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I never have problems finding ammo. I use either the Nosler Premium 150gr Partitions or the 140 Fusions. It is one of the calibers that seems to not sell out, yet enough demand to find fairly easily on the shelf. I like the 280 so much I own 2 and they are all the wife, the kids, and I will shoot. (kind of vanilla, but they won't even shoot their 257 Roberts any more) Killed lots of animals with the caliber. Elk killer cartridge. For $100, I don't see how you can go wrong. Plus it is lots better than the 270.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

^^^^^^This!^^^^^^ Way better than the 270, and if you Ackley improve it, it becomes better than the 7mm Rem Mag.-------SS


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Well I always have to play the other side of things, just my nature I guess :mrgreen: I picked up a .270 a little while back for the same reasons you are describing above. I wanted a gun that would give me less recoil than my other guns but still preform up to snuff. Ive been messing around with it now for a couple weeks and I can tell you this. I'm not real familiar with the .280 but based on what I know of the .284 bullet selection, I highly doubt you will find a better combination with the .280 than what you can get from the .270 using a 110gr Barnes TTSX going 3420 FPS and that light bullet still has a BC. of .377. Not to mention the recoil being much lighter than my 300wm or even my 30-06. I plugged some numbers into my recoil calculator and found that most of the loads in the .280 that are even close are right around 17ft lbs of recoil vs. 14.75 on that load from my .270. I have no doubt the .280 is a great gun but not one I would choose to reduce felt recoil from the 06. In the last few days I picked up a .260 in the Savage 11, I will let you know my finding once Ive had more time to play with it as well ;-)


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I was just carrying on the joke of old when Jack O'Connor and Warren Page argued which was better. Throw them in a bag, shake them up, dump them out and they are about the same. They are built on the the same parent case (just have a different shoulder to keep from firing in each other) and hold approx the same amount of powder (the 280 holds .9gr more). The "kick" difference, using the same gun, same load, will be almost unrecognizable. The recoil energy difference is .1 to .3 with the recoil velocity difference at .1 or less. Not enough for the average person to feel it. 

The 280 will provide you with many more options if you enjoy handloading. Lots more choices of bullets to use than you'll find for the .277. I don't hand load; I just buy them off the shelf and go kill critters with them. 

For heavier bullets, the BC of .284 bullets is better than the .277. I bought my first 280 in the 1980s and at that time it held better BC than the 270 for the weight of bullet I like to shoot. Today, I don't know how the BCs of the new bullets compare, but one thing is certain-- put a bullet from either gun through an animal's lungs and it will die. Calling either "superior" to the other should be followed by a smiley face and sarcasm qualifier.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Well just because different cartridges are derived from the same parent cartridge and hold about the same amount of powder means very little when discussing recoil. If it did, the difference in recoil between the .243 and .308 would be unrecognizable. Its about the size of the surface area the pressure pushes against (bullet diameter) and bullet weight that determines the recoil. Packout is right when he said that most people wont be able to "feel" the difference but technically, .280 recoils less that 06 and .270 recoils less than .280.

I really have to point again at the .260 for your wife, especially if you reload. If you dont reload, go with the 7mm-08. I know they make the H&R in the 08 so that gives ya something to think about.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Caliber discussions aside, are we talking a "Handi-Rifle" here? Be careful and do some research, some people get real shooters but there are alot of unhappy owners as well. Quality seems hit or miss which you would expect with a $100 rifle. IMO, save some $$$ over the next few months and look into a Savage Axis bolt action for around $300. Much better quality.

As for .280 vs .270, IMO the 7mm is better due to wider bullet selections available. I only own a .270 because it was DIRT CHEAP (new in box at a pawn shop). If I were buying a new rifle of that size I'd go with a .280


-DallanC


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## mgdhunter (Nov 21, 2010)

The .280 is a great cartridge. I own three of them and would not hesitate to use them on anything up to moose. I have taken many deer and elk with this cartridge. I also own two 7MM Rem Mag, and although the .280 Ackley is an improvement over the .280, Saying it is better than the 7MM Mag is quite a broad statement. It is close in the lighter bullets, but according to every reloading manual i've looked at, the 7MM still holds an edge from the midrange to heavy bullets. Reloading and testing your own 7MM ammo can also give you more of an edge. With all being said, and this thread being about the >280 Rem cartridge, at that price, you will not be disappointed in this cartridge. Good luck and Good hunting!!:grin:


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

My statements come with massive amounts of experience. I have had several 270's, several 7MM's, a 280, a couple 280 Ackley's, and a 280 RCBS. I can go into all the details if you want, or you can just trust me. Oh, and I also have a Dakota and a STW that I gave to the old man. 

If recoil is the only consideration, things change. I personally care about case design/reloadability, precision accuracy, and the ability to launch a bullet that has enough weight and BC to be effective out to the range of my shooting ability. 

I have found the 7MM to be the perfect combination. For targets it's 6MM for critters it's 7MM. Pretty simple. 6.5 is a good middle of the road that can be used for either purpose.---------SS


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## Firehawk (Sep 30, 2007)

What are your thoughts on a .280 with a 22" barrel? I have a standard length action model 70 that is currently a 7-08. I have always wondered about moving to a .280 due to the action length, but it is a custom shillen barrel that is very accurate in 7-08, n
But only a 22" barrel.

FH


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

My standard 280 is a Winchester action with a 22" Douglas #4 barrel. It is very handy, swings well and launches 150 Swift Scirocco bullets at 2950 FPS. This combo is capable of MOA accuracy out to 600 yards or so. In my opinion, this is more than sufficient for most hunters needs. I have never killed game bigger than deer, but I loaned the rifle to a friend who made a great one shot kill on a big bull at 400 yards.----SS


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## mgdhunter (Nov 21, 2010)

I am not questioning Massive amounts of experience, I am questioning an all inclusive/broad statement. Opinions can vary, and people can either agree to disagree, or they can respect others with their statements. I to, have 50+ years of experience in the hunting/shooting world. Taught by my Father and Uncle (his oldest brother) who both shot for the Air Force Rifle team. Uncle coached, and won the Vandenberg Trophy for being the top Air Force shooter in 1959 at Camp Perry. Not my bragging rights, but something I hold very dear to my heart. I have had experience with many calibers, and/or wildcat cartridges in my day also. I don't think that one cartridge is above another, it may just fit the situation of the person better. I'm not here to impress anyone, just to have cordial discussions, and help a fellow hunter/ shooter. It is also interesting as to what will set someone off when an opinion is expressed. Arguments and contention will get anyone/everyone to a place called "Nowhere!"


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## mgdhunter (Nov 21, 2010)

All in all, the .280 cartridge is a fantastic round. Fits many different purposes. I have taken antelope, deer, and elk with mine, and it has never let me down. Good Luck, and Happy Hunting!!!


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

I love the 280. My first rifle was a 280, chosen for its modest recoil and great bullet selection. I gave it the nod over the 270 because I wanted to hunt elk with it and I liked the slightly heavier 160 grain bullet which is fairly standard, as opposed to a 150 grain in 270. Both are great cartridges though, just with their own slight advantages over one another. 


Bo0YaA said:


> Its about the size of the surface area the pressure pushes against (bullet diameter) and bullet weight that determines the recoil. Packout is right when he said that most people wont be able to "feel" the difference but technically, .280 recoils less that 06 and .270 recoils less than .280.


Recoil has exactly nothing to do with bullet diameter. The way a gun moves backward is only affected by the velocity and mass of the stuff moving forward out of the barrel and the weight of the gun itself.


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