So tell me about it. Are there any thoughts past what's commonly avail. on the 'net? I'm looking for a non-magnum, 350-400 yd deer rifle and I already have the dies. Any thoughts, pro or con, are welcome.
It would work fine for what you use it for. It shoots just a touch better than the .270, and has more than enough knock down power if you want to reach out.
Factory ammo isn't as available as the .270, but since you make your own, it shouldn't be an issue. I am not sure who chambers that round, but if I were to get one, I would try for one with a 24 inch barrel.
Wished I bought the 280 instead, when I bought the 308 Ruger Hawkeye .
Toolman you can't go wrong if you buy one and I beleive you'll be one of the very happy few that owns one.
It amaze's me that more folks don't own that caliber.
What rifle brand are you considering ?...A.H
Wished I bought the 280 instead, when I bought the 308 Ruger Hawkeye .
Toolman you can't go wrong if you buy one and I beleive you'll be one of the very happy few that owns one.
It amaze's me that more folks don't own that caliber.
What rifle brand are you considering ?...A.H
Not sure right now Mike, I'd never really thought about this cal. until I saw the dies on eBay with no bids on them. I actually bought them with the intentions of reselling them, but then I got to thinking...
The .280 rem/7mm express is a great cartridge. It is easy to work up loads for and has plenty of power. At one time it was considered one of the top cartridges but fell off to other newcomers. I don't currently have one but it is definately something I will be adding to my arsenal. I load for a friends son who inherited one from is grandpa and it is a sweet rifle. I don't see you going wrong if you pick one up to match your dies. And hey ther is always room for another rifle.
I think it is an excellent cartridge. Remington offer it in the 700 Alaskan and Mountain models, and perhaps others. The 700 Sendero in 264WM should also be an excellent long range gun, if you load your own ammo.
I bought the Thompson/Center Encore rifle and having a custom barrel made in .280 AI. The only reason I went with the Ackley over the factory caliber was the fact that there was only $30.00 in barrel prices. Otherwise I would have bought the .280 Rem. I think it's going to be a great caliber and can hardly wait to shoot it. I already have 100 rounds loaded and ready to fire form when the barrel arrives.
Your range may be a little much for the .280 Remington.
Remember at ranges generally beyond 100 yards the
crosswind factor begins to have an ever increasing
impact on bullet flight. The .280 is not meant for this
type long distance shooting. However, it is an excellent
cartridge that should have a larger place in the market.
350 to 400 yards is a very long distance demanding
superior optics perhaps a heavier, target grade barrel
for the average shooter. Some, a few, do develop
the ability to hit at this range without specialized
equipment and my hat is off to you if you join this
group.
Last edited by nathangdad; 02-22-2008 at 07:18 PM.
Reason: addition
Toolman,
The .280Rem is a great cartridge.Factory loads have it dropping off about 18-25 inches at 400yds.I am not sure how much you can improve that by handloads.I think you would probably be happy with the results.
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Your range may be a little much for the .280 Remington.
Remember at ranges generally beyond 100 yards the
crosswind factor begins to have an ever increasing
impact on bullet flight. The .280 is not meant for this
type long distance shooting. However, it is an excellent
cartridge that should have a larger place in the market.
350 to 400 yards is a very long distance demanding
superior optics perhaps a heavier, target grade barrel
for the average shooter. Some, a few, do develop
the ability to hit at this range without specialized
equipment and my hat is off to you if you join this
group.
Factory Load:Remington 140gr,Nosler balistic tip,3000fps,2799ft lbs at the muzzle,sighted in 1.5" at 100yds,has 2263fps, 1593ft lbs and drops 19" at 400yds.I believe it can handle long range if necessary. sam.
Just a note to Samuel and others concerning
my posts on wind drift. If you live in the Texas
Panhandle the wind is drifting about all the time.
When its not drifting you can enjoy that wonderful
weather phrase - "gusting".
A 140 +/- grain bullet dropping, as noted, nearly
20 inches at 400 yards can drift well more
than 20 inches in our part of the country by the
time it crosses the 400 yard marker.
I am not knocking the .280 as I think it should have
had a much more prominent place in the market.
I don't know why it did not do better over the
long run. Perhaps it was a lack of enthusiasm
in the gun magazines or perhaps it was just
put down by the (not so many years ago) overwhelming
press coverage for the 7mm Remington Magnum.
I would never feel undergunned or accuracy penalized
with a .280.
In the Texas Panhandle I would recommend
a medium weight barrel perhaps 26 inches in length
coupled with a scope of sufficient power and optical
quality to put you on antelope at 150 yards. Then I
would head to the northwestern Panhandle counties and
on into the northeastern New Mexico counties moving
down the interstate toward Raton.
Just as a theoretical question - can anyone estimate
the number of words written in the gun magazines
about the 7mm Remington magnum within, say,
the first five years of its manufacture?
This is still all just theoretical as I rarely see rifles in .280 around here. Where I hunt, shots can range anywhere from 150-350 yds with the majority coming in the 200-300 yd range, so the .280 looks like a good fit, but I may just stick with an '06 or .270 because the guns are easier to find. I do have an affinity for less-common calibers, but new guns in .280 are scarce. I'm also considering a .25-06 or 6.5x55. I don't like magnums for my purposes as they're powder-hungry and I don't need the added recoil and noise for 150-200 lb. W. Tx. whitetails.
The .280 will be fine, but if you have an 06' already then you have all the capability you need for that type of hunting. As far as wind goes, there is no way to 'know' what the wind is doing 400 yards down range versus where you shoot from, one can only 'estimate'. I for one am not going to take a 400 yard shot in any wind over 10 mph, that being said I have never had to shoot that far. Only once did I shoot to 300yards. I find it very uncommon that one has to shoot beyond 200 yards here in alaska due to the type of game and terrain/habitat etc.
So if your confident you can make those types of shots with an '06 I would expect you would be able to do it with the .280 just as well.
I wouldnt say new rifles in 280 are scarce. Look in any catolauge and most manufacturers offer 1-2 rifles in it. If you ask me its getting more and more followers.
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