Testify.......

[smokepole06]

I have been a Rem 700 shooter for 2 decades and love them. I am slowly branching out into new territory. My other love is my Huntsman. Well , with getting my daughter up to speed on Deer, we have experimented with the Handi in .243. Well with that comes my liking of the CF guns. Anyway I am now looking at something for me to add to the collection. It is no secret I love the '06. I have others like 30-30 in a Marlin, 308 in Rem, etc. Help me out by telling your experience with the following in a Handi.[ Accuracy out to 150 on deer, etc.]

.270
7mm-08
.280

[Mac11700]

Of all of your choices,to me I would go for the 280.The first one I had shot exceptionally good.

Remington 140 Core-locs


For bigger heavier critters

140 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws



This is to me is the #1 underrated Handi barrel

Now,if you still have a hankering for a 30-06,you can always do what I am getting soon. Get a nice 26" 25-06 and ship it out to Wayne York of Oregunsmithing and have yourself a 26" 30-06 Mine should be home next month,and I can hardly wait It will be 2 tone Cerrakoted and the Handi-grip stock and Varmint forearm will be professionally painted by Wayne. I filled the buttstock with Fiberglass Resin and added 10 1oz 12ga slug to it to add the weight,so I am dying here to get it back.

Mac

[smokepole06]

so they punch the entire bore to 30 cal?

[Badnews Bob]

I love my .280, I haven't really shot it much for group yet but without trying to hard it is shooting 2"s at 200 yards. Good enuff that I dropped a nice 200lb+ buck last year at 150+ yards with one shot. I think it may become my go to rifle for longer shots.

[smokepole06]

why do you think the 280 is better that the 3006 when they are so close in design. Is the BC that different?

[Yak Angler]

My .270 is great. 1.5" groups at 100 yards with factory ammo, just starting handloading for it and anticipate less then 1" groups soon.

wouldn't hesitate to take a 150 yard shot on a deer with it. the .270 has enough power out to 400+ for whitetail.

[gendoc]

i perfer my 280AI over the rest you mentioned in handi's, but if we cud have a 270 wsm
in these fine guns, which we can't  ..... my mind would be changed. if it would shoot like my ruger in 270wsm 

[thejanitor]

I have a .270 handi but have not shot a deer with it yet, but I have shot deer with the 7mm 08 handi 4 so far, two at less than 100 yds and two @ 200 & 225 yds. I always shoot no heavier than 140 grn bullets. The 7mm08 is much more pleasant to shoot than the .270 (130 gr)... I have bolt .270s that I love to shoot but in the handi it BARKS and kicks good.
All the guns you listed are great, but I have only killed deer with (in Handi) 30-30
30-06 & 7/08. What ever you get just have fun getting to know it and it will serve you well. - Brent

[Mac11700]

so they punch the entire bore to 30 cal?

Yup..that what he does.

Why do you think the 280 is better that the 30-06 when they are so close in design. Is the BC that different?

I don't necessarily think it is that much better than the o6',but I think it is defiantly underrated. When loaded to it's full Handi potential,it certainly has the potential to out perform the 22" version.Yes,the BC's of the bullets have a great deal to do with that,since many are much higher,but,making a 26" 30-06 evens things out some and puts them more on level footing when hand loading for each.

Personally I like the semi custom route over factory and I love a good cut rifle barrel,but if I couldn't have but 1 rifle in a Handi,I would get 1 that had a 26" barrel and hand load to take full advantage of the extra length.

Mac

[necchi]

The 708 is an excellant youth round!
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,188066.0.html

More than enough at 150! And Hodgdons has low recoil loads for this cal.

[smokepole06]

yes will work for youth as well. I was really looking for a round for me that i have never owned.

[uncyboo]

My ex-280 (lost in divorce, I had really bought it for her) was awesome. I built and installed a muzzle brake, did a trigger job, and with 140 grn. handloaded Barnes original style X's it was a MOA to MOA and a half rifle from the start. Miss it, not her.

My 7mm-08 I never shot before I bobbed it to 16 1/4". I've never put it on paper over 50 yds, so I can't attest to what it would do at 100 or more. It is intended to be a 50 yd or less gun, and has served that purpose well.

[necchi]

well yer handle says 06,,an from what I know the 270 and the 280 are basicaly necked down 06 cases,

An I always felt if yer gonna shoot a 30-06 it might as well be a 30,, just IMHO

It don't matter whom squeezes the trigger,,that 708 is a sweet round. I really like that gun, it's a pleasure to shoot off the bench,  .284 is a good size round,, way capable on Deer with 120-140 grn bullets,, trajectory is nice.
 That shot the boy made last year was unique, not for the gun, but for him. It's really my fault, I never had him shooting past 100 with it.
 Now that I'm loading for it the accuracy has improved 100%, and I have him shooting at 200. He will be putting shot's on paper at 300 before season, it's a matter of becoming comfortable/knowing the gun and it's ammo.

Good luck with yer choice,, this is the first 7-08 I've ever had, but I don't think I'll be without one for a long time

[Badnews Bob]

why do you think the 280 is better that the 3006 when they are so close in design. Is the BC that different?

No I don't think one is better than the other really but the .280 dose have better BC than the 06, I just really like 7mms they work for me.