Handi Rifle in 280 Rem

[kombi1976]

I'm seriously considering buying a Handi rifle in .280 Rem and I was wondering what people's experience has been with them. When I looked up the specs on H&R's website they have a 26" barrel and seem to be a good deal.
 
I'm a fan of the 7mm cal. and am a big fan of the 7x57 as it provides reasonable performance with 160gr & even 175gr bullets even though it's forte is in the 140gr weight range. Unfortunately H&R don't chamber this cartridge.

While the 7mm-08 is also made and it's the ballistic equivalent of the 7x57, I would prefer a round that can handle the heavier projectiles and the 7mm-08 has issues with seating these. As such the .280 Rem is a good compromise.

What's the consensus on this particular rifle?

 
Cheers & God Bless

[Big Blue]

The .280 is a great all around choice. It will do long distance with varmints up to deer. I personally picked the 7mm-08 for two reasons, the first is I chanced upon one, the second is the low recoil,but I can't find fault with your choice of the .280. Premium bullets have made these rifles even better than before. I'm currently playing with Barnes bullets in the 7mm-08, and the Buffalo Classic. The 140 gr. Barnes Triple shock should give me the performance of a larger size and caliber, while maintaining the low recoil, high accuracy of the 7mm.
Don

[Ditchdigger]

I really like my 280 barrel. The Rem. corlokt 150"s shoot 1.5" at 100 yds.and chrono 2975 fps. from the 26" barrel. I've got B.T.s in 140 and 150 grs. I'm going to load when I get some time. Digger

[like2shoot]

I have fired only 20 rounds through mine, but I enjoyed shooting those. I had mounted a new scope that changed vertical point of impact  every couple of shots. In spite of that defect, I still got reasonable sized groups. The scope is on its way back for repair,  I'm looking forward to shooting the rifle with a scope that works. I used 150 grain Remington core locks and 4350 powder. The recoil was a little more than I anticipated, but wasn't bad.