7mm-08 or 280?

[Hank Zudd]

found 2 used in very good condition; 280 has 26' (didn't measure) bbl w/synthic stock.
7mm-08 has 22" bbl w/wooden stock. Both have scope mounts & hammer extensions.

from my quick study, 280 shoots a bit farther & flatter, but 7mm-08 recoils less and is not very far behind in trajactory & 300yd killing power.

as I already have a .223 on a frame, a spare 30/30 bbl & several shotgun bbls, I wanted another frame & a gun that could reach out farther than the 30-30. Will be handloading for this, so I already have primers & some powder.

thoughts.----added question, since ya'll like the 280; what's the recoil like, compared to a 30-30?

[LAB55]

buy them both

[burntmuch]

With the 280 You would be able to load it down to 7mm-08 level. . The 280 will be able to push the heavier bullets a little better.

[petemi]

I have the 22 inch 7mm-08, but I want the 280.  My friend and neighbor has one, and I love it.  It WILL reach out there.....accurately.  If I could have but one, it would be the 280.

Pete

[Daman]

I am partial to the 7mm-08. Nothing against the 280. Never shot one and probably never will. I have 270 and 30-06 so really no need for either, but I keep the 7mm-08 around for the kids I take hunting. Had a couple different ones, but the latest is the Handi and I like it a lot.

Daman

[Badnews Bob]

I juat love my .280 and I have a 7x57 also I happen to like it alot also. The 7-08 I think is about between them, I do believe I will get one of them when I find the right deal. As for recoil I would rather shoot my .280 than my .30-30.

[jather]

280. like it enough to have 2 of'em. bit more versatile than 7-08 imo. even with 26" barrel, still a tight package. load down to 7-08, or in 150gr. or lighter bullets, loads up towards 7mmMag performance. with heavier bullets, still a healthy performer. jather...

[JW307]

Recoil of a 280 is not that much worse.  You would probably never know the difference, and you definitely get a little more horsepower.

[noyb72]

Get the 280 and load it to full pressure. Then it will do much more than the 7mm. 280 was introduced in a gun that couldn't handle full pressure like the other 06 wildcat based factory rounds. So, if you handload it in an action that can handle the pressure, it really turns into something sweet. I like it better than .270 when handloaded because of the heavier bullets available. The longer barrel does nothing ad either.

Ron

[necchi]

I got the 708 and am quite happy with it, it's a proven 300 yard gun.
 My loading mentor at work mentioned the .280 once in a grumbling manner, his comment was the case was tuff to load for volume, it was either too much room left or compressed loads for accuracy. But he's old school and has stuck to the powders that work for him, there are a bunch of new powders that he won't bother trying.
 The 280 is basically a 30-06 necked down. And I've always felt if yer gonna shoot an 06 case it might as well be a 30-06.
With that said, I do wish my 708 had and extra few inches of barrel, and that's the part that would swing me towards the 280.
 Some one else said it, if you can swing it buy both, honest, the 708 handi is a well proven shooter by members here. If the 280 works out, sobeit, you can always sell/part out either here in usually short order time.

[Hank Zudd]

thanks for all the imput; if I can't pick up the 280 this week, it's in a shop in Central Texas for less than $200; I'll put the # out here if it don't work out for me.  thanks

[Lazermule]

I like both cartidges...  I have a 7mm-08 and its accuracy has always amazed me.  I have shot it accurately out to 1000 yards and am very happy with it.  I love the almost no recoil felt on my 7mm-08 as well.  With that said, a 280 is on my list as I think it is a good cartridge as well that hold a lot of merit.

LM

[mcwoodduck]

Since 280 is a 30-06 case necked to 284 and 7-08 is a 308 case necked to 284. all you are talking about is the case lenght.
If you are planning on shooting Factory stuff.  Toss a coin.
If you are going to reload.... Then the question is are you going to use light for caliber, standard for caliber, or heavy for caliber bullets?
Light for caliber I would look at the 7mm-08.
Meduim for caliber - Toss a coin.  The two are with in 100 FPS of each other and while the 7-08 shows less recoil  much like the game catching the bullet you will not feel a difference.  When i was a kid just shooting Dad had a 308, His buddy Larry had a 30-06, Dad always wanted a 30-06 thinking it was a lot more powerful.  I shot Dad's rifle and then Larry's.  No difference in recoil both were shooting 150 grain bullets. (some how they thought the 150's were for practice and the 180 were for hunting)  Sure there was a math difference in recoil as the larger powder charge of the 30-06 with both rifles and bullets being equal weights.
Heavy for Caliber I would get the 280.  the longer case holds more powder with the longer bullet allowing you to get more speed.
Your other oprion is to buy the 7-08 and ream it to 7X57 and be smack in the center of both. 

[dpe.ahoy]

I own both and the longer barrel of the 280 lets her stretch her legs a bit better than the 7mm-08.  The 7mm-08 kicks less than the 280 but that is offset some by the heavier gun, 4" more barrel on the 280.  I like the 7mm's better than the 30's and no matter which you get yer gonna like it.   DP

[thejanitor]

I have the 7/08 and do like it very much. But I have other calibers I can use for bigger jobs. Although the biggest animal I have shot hunting was with the 7/08 -just worked out that way. But if you can only get one the .280 would be my vote. You can always load it down.  - Brent

[Austin1]

I love 7mms I have all three but not in handy's sorry guy's. The diff is so small between them all, just pick the one ya like. The .280 does have a very slight power edge with heavy bullets though. The 7x57 is my fav as it was the first and way ahead of it's time! With all the new powders we have you can almost make a .280 into a 7 mag. But then the 7mags also work a little better with the new slower powders I love my 7x61 S&L as it does not shoot groups just a ragged holes but in the real world it is a no better killer than the 7mm/08 I guess Deer and Elk,Moose just don't read gun mags? And a 2'' or even 3" diff in trajectory means you better shoot more to learn your rifle and load if your going to be shooting at game at 300yrds or more.The faster bullet won't compensate for a bad shot, or poor range guess at the range the animal is at. A Moose at 300yds is still a big very big target but ya gota practice at that range to make a clean kill all the time. If you know your gun well shots at 300yds are not a problem, practice, practice and shoot long range often. And you can shove them ballistic tables up the gun writers A**    

[quickdtoo]

Your other oprion is to buy the 7-08 and ream it to 7X57 and be smack in the center of both. 

Won't work on an H&R, 7x57 won't clean up the chamber unless you go Ackley, you could on a bolt rifle by setting the barrel back a few threads, but that won't work on a fixed barrel unless the barrel is shortened at the breech end and refitted to the frame.   

Tim

[Austin1]

Your other oprion is to buy the 7-08 and ream it to 7X57 and be smack in the center of both. 

Won't work on an H&R, 7x57 won't clean up the chamber unless you go Ackley, you could on a bolt rifle by setting the barrel back a few threads, but that won't work on a fixed barrel unless the barrel is shortened at the breech end and refitted to the frame.   

Tim

I was thinking about that he is probably thinking set the barrel back a bit and not thinking handy rifle lol. Of course 50% of the time you can't set the barrel back and re cut. 

[mcwoodduck]

Your other oprion is to buy the 7-08 and ream it to 7X57 and be smack in the center of both. 

Won't work on an H&R, 7x57 won't clean up the chamber unless you go Ackley, you could on a bolt rifle by setting the barrel back a few threads, but that won't work on a fixed barrel unless the barrel is shortened at the breech end and refitted to the frame.   

Tim

I was thinking about that he is probably thinking set the barrel back a bit and not thinking handy rifle lol. Of course 50% of the time you can't set the barrel back and re cut. 

NO you guys assumed I was thinking.   
I ment that the 7-08 is 51MM the 280 is 64MM and the 7X57 is 57mm long.  I was not thinking that the shoulders, taper, and the necks would be in a different place and not work.  So again I was not thinking he would actually do it.  Anything the 7X57 can do the 7-08 can do too.  Thank you for correcting me 

[Badnews Bob]

Just what is this thinking thingy yer talking about?

[cwlongshot]

 I have both but not both in Hands.
I LOVE my 280 1909 Argentine Mauser, and I sold my 280 H&R. It was a good shooter, but I almost never shot it!! I have had a 7-08 since it came out in the early 80's. Sold that original Ruger as it never was a great shooter. But that's not a hit against the caliber, just the rifle. Both calibers are capable of excellent accuracy and more than enough power and trajectory for 300 yard shots on big game.

I like both, I KNOW either will do fine out to 300 yards. The 7-08 is no slouch and nothing shot with it to 300 yards will be any "deader" or ever know the difference.

Buy the one you like, and practice shooting it.

CW

[scamp_walker]

Hank,

Sent you an email and PM regarding the shop info...i live in West Central Tex and am interested in the 280.

Thank you sir.

Scamp_Walker

[Lazermule]

Your other oprion is to buy the 7-08 and ream it to 7X57 and be smack in the center of both. 

Won't work on an H&R, 7x57 won't clean up the chamber unless you go Ackley, you could on a bolt rifle by setting the barrel back a few threads, but that won't work on a fixed barrel unless the barrel is shortened at the breech end and refitted to the frame.   

Tim

Quick,  How about reaming the 7mm-08 to a 284 Win?  The ballistics of the 284 win are rather impressive running up near the 7mm Rem mag. Just a thought if a guy was going to handload this may be the way to go.  I handload for a 284 Win and have been real impressed with it.

LM

[quickdtoo]

That would work fine too as long as the rebated rim works with an extractor.

Tim

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

[Lazermule]

That would work fine too as long as the rebated rim works with an extractor.

Tim

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

The gun I reload for (actually my dad's) is an Encore so there is some similarity but no guarantee that the NEF extractor would work.  If it didn't, I would bet that there is some talent on this forum that could make it work though.


LM

[briannmilewis]

That would work fine too as long as the rebated rim works with an extractor.

Tim

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

Wasn't the idea fo the 284 Win to provide 280 Rem performance from a short action?

[quickdtoo]

Wasn't the idea fo the 284 Win to provide 280 Rem performance from a short action?

I think that would be true, but the 7mm-08 can't be rechambered to 280, it won't clean up the old chamber, an improved 280 would work as an alternative or it could be rechambered to 284 for the performance improvement over the 7mm-08.

Tim

[Lazermule]

That would work fine too as long as the rebated rim works with an extractor.

Tim

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

Wasn't the idea fo the 284 Win to provide 280 Rem performance from a short action?

I was always told that the 284 Win was Winchester's answer to Remington's 7mm Rem Mag.....

LM

[Hank Zudd]

if anyone is looking for a 280 or 7mm-o8, both WERE at Tejas Trading Post in Giddings, Tx; sorry
don't have phone #. I had to pass on both, so I'll start saving the pennies so I don't have to keep losing
those bargins.  

When I first got into Handis, I had to pass up a very good used .308 w/survivor stock for $180.  that's my luck,,,,

[NickSS]

I have owned a 7-08 and have a 7X57 both are great cartridges.  I have also owned a 280, 270 and a 284 win.  Except for hair splitting on ballistics tables a game animal would never ever tell the difference with any of them.  Now if you are talking long range accuracy for target shooting I would buy the 7-08 in a hart beat.  The reason? It's sooooo easy to develop good accurate loads with using a broad range of powders