.280 Remington?

[AlbanyCO]

Hey fellas, I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the .280 remington? I've read good things about the round and have been thinking about getting into handloading. I was given all of the equipment neccesary to handload by my grandfather and it looks like all I need is a set of dies and some components. Would this be a good round to start with, or should I start with something more popular? I will be primarily using it for deer, but if I run across a black bear I would like to be able to use it for that too. Anyone have a .280 out there?

[Grumulkin]

I don't have a 280 but it has a good reputation.  It also would be a fine cartridge to start handloading for.

[Lone Star]

The .280 is a fine cartridge, roughly equivalent to the .270 but less common.  It is ample for your choice of game.  Even the great .270 promoter Jack O'Connor praised the .280 highly; he should know as he owned three of them.  It would be a very good choice for your first reloading experience.


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[dpe.ahoy]

Only have 2 280s now, but have had several others.  They are excellent and not that far behind the 7 mag.  With the right bullet you can hunt anything you want.  It's a great all round cartridge.

[kudzu]

I have one (pro hunter) and I must say " I LIKE IT" . with the fac 140 fed Fusion ammo shoots under 2'' at 300 yrds.  Last  season had 7 kills with 6 shots  on the ol whitetails. You won't regret gettin one.

[jason280]

I bought my first .280 back in '96, a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle with a fixed Leupold M8 6x42.  I've used it yearly since, and have taken quite a few deer with the gun.  I added a NEF .280 a few years back as my "rain" gun, and it has also served me well.  I think the .280 is one of the finest all-around cartridges available, and is often overlooked. I picked up a half case of Federal High Energy 140gr Trophy Bonded bullets a couple years ago on clearance, and they have not let me down.  They average 3050fps out of a 22" barrel, and I haven't checked them out of my 26" NEF yet. 

[wflickin]

 I have hunted with a 280 for around 15 years now, and have to say it is my favorite round for hunting whitetail.  Also of the people I hunt with, more than half shoot a 280 as well. 

I have reloaded for it, and after Remington quite making the "extended range" line of ammo, I started to reload using 162 grain hornady's. 

Good luck with it.

[onesonek]

Both the .280 and .270 are excellent rounds and nearly identical ballistically. I kinda think had the .280 came out prior to the .270, the roles in popularity would reversed. I do believe the .280 has a slight advantage once heavier, larger game is considered. That's pretty much just a personal opinion of course! I haven't used a .270, but several .280's in both standard and AI versions. I'm sure you'll enjoy the .280!!!!

Dave

[LaOtto222]

There is not much difference between the 270 and 280, as has been pointed out. If you are a handloader, I think the 280 is more versatile, because there is a much wider variety of bullets available. The 7mm bullets are very popular so that is why you can get a larger selection. The 280 approaches (but does not match) the 7mm Rem Mag in performance with the same bullets. You can get bullets up to 175 grains for the 7 mm cases, giving it a very high sectional density (think thick bodies).