School me on .280 please

[RPRNY]

I'm considering a new accessory barrel from H&R in .280 Remington. I am an unabashed Handi Rifle fan and love the break action platform, despite its limitations. I'm looking for a new caliber that can put out 150 gr bullets to the 200 - 250 yard range with minute of deer accuracy but that has less recoil than 30-06 or 308. I already have a well done sporterized Swedish Mauser (6.5x55) that really covers that longer range 120 - 140 gr area well, so I'm not really looking at the 7mm (7mm08 being a factory barrel option) as an option. I'm a big 30-30 fan and with the Handi, loading up 30-30 and using spitzer bullets is a very effective option, but .280 seems to offer the option of some quite good 150 gr + bullets at very respectable velocities.

So, I would welcome your views and experiences with .280, pros and cons, as well as your views on .280 recoil vs 30-06. Given the 26" barrel length of the H&R .280, my guess is that attached to the receiver I would put it on with scope, I'd be looking at 7.5 - 8lbs. Thanks very much.

 

[Zak Smith]

.280 Remington is basically a "7mm-06" (ie, .30-06 case necked to 7mm), so your comment about not really looking at the 7mm doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

.280 Remington will be very close in recoil and close/mid-range ballistics to .30-06, 7mm-08, and even 6.5x55. Any animal you shoot within 400 yards isn't going to know the difference, and I think you'd be hard pressed to see a big difference in recoil either.

To compare recoil, you can take the bullet grains times the muzzle velocity, square that, and then divide by rifle mass. Do this for the different loads/rifles and you'll have numbers you can compare.

 

[RPRNY]

Zak,

Thanks for that, especially the recoil formula you gave with which I wasn't familiar.

To clarify, H&R accessory barrels in the range I'm looking at include .270 (which for no good reason, I'm not interested in) 7mm08 (which is really so close to 6.5x55 that it seems redundant) .280 and 30-30 (which can be loaded to extraordinary performance with spire tipped bullets in a throated single shot good to 65,000 psi).

While I understand that .280 is in the 7mm family, I understand that hand loaded, it can perform very well with heavier 30 cal family bullets in the 160 - 170 gr range. From the research I have done so far, I can't really get a sense of of recoil vis-a-vis 30-06 which, in a @ 7lbs Handi Rifle is pretty harsh. So your formula is very helpful, thanks.

 

[Zak Smith]

The recoil formula I posted is just an abbreviated version of "Free Recoil Energy" (ie, minus all the constants).

 

[MachIVshooter]

While I understand that .280 is in the 7mm family, I understand that hand loaded, it can perform very well with heavier 30 cal family bullets in the 160 - 170 gr range.

Huh? A .280 cannot perform well AT ALL with .30 cal bullets, regardless of weight. It cannot even accept them; It is a .284" bore cartridge.

 

[06]

My son says that the 280 has a very good BC and will make a fine long distance shooter. Am of the opinion that if you are going to "chunk lead" of any size you will have to pay in recoil (or get a heavier rifle). Have shot an '06 for 40+ years and am a very skinny guy (140). The recoil has never bothered me. If it frightens you then use a 223 or something similar.

 

[RPRNY]

MachIV - you misunderstood me; my bad. My reference was to bullet weights more common in the. 308 caliber family, not to bullets of .308 diameter.

06 - I'm sure you are indeed quite tough and hardy and can handle all sorts of big burly recoil despite your size. No need however to suggest that others who may not find 30-06 recoil in a lighter rifle enjoyable are skeered. I was pretty clear in asking for views, opinions and experiences with.280 (thank you for sharing your son's thoughts) so "try. 223 if [30-06] frightens you " is provocative without being germane.

 

[Zak Smith]

If you want less recoil a 7mm-08 makes more sense than .280 Rem.

 

[Float Pilot]

Up here in Alaska the 280 has received a resurgence of interest over the last 10 years or so with guys who have built up light weight mountain rifles in that caliber. For the purposes of mountain goat and Dall sheep hunting...
I have considered re-barreling a 1903A3 action in that cartridge, only because I do not own one... In truth my 7x57mm, 30-06 titanium or one of my 6.x55mm will do the same job just fine..
So I have not bothered yet...

 

[Abel]

I'm looking for a new caliber that can put out 150 gr bullets to the 200 - 250 yard range with minute of deer accuracy but that has less recoil than 30-06 or 308.

In the same rifle, I don't think I could tell the recoil difference between 308 & 280. If you are sure about this requirement, go with the 7mm-08. If you are 100% sure about the 150 gr bullet requirement, head towards the 280. Either meet the 250 yard dead deer requirement easily...but so does the 30-30 with certain loads.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

not a bad round, got a Ruger M77 in it, ammo variety is a problem also if you leave home without ammo (forget like I did once) it will cost you if you can find it at all.

 

[303tom]

Just another 06 wildcat round.................

 

[SaxonPig]

I like the 7mm. The bullets have a really good BC in heavier weights and as a result are very flat shooting. The 7x57 is a classic and the 280 is simply the 7x57 with a bit more case length and tad more velocity. I think it would be an excellent choice.

 

[Jim Watson]

A friend here had a 7x57 with dud barrel that would not shoot accurately with any load he tried. He had it rebarrelled to .280 for a little more power and is very happy with it.

Back when 1909 Mausers with the neat commercial style floorplate latch were readily available, there were a lot of them built into .280 sporters. The round could be overloaded to where it was indistinguishable from 7mm Magnum with bullets 150 gr or lighter, and it took little or no action work. So the customer's money could go into fit and finish instead of magazine and bolt face alterations.
Overloading was to the point that people were reforming WW .270 cases to .280 because the brass was harder than Remington and did not show "pressure signs" as much.

 

[jmr40]

I've owned a couple of 280's. They are a good round. On paper you can make a argument that they are a slightly better choice than either 270 or 30-06. In the real world you won't find a bit of difference in performance on game, trajectory, or recoil.

It is a good round for the rifle looney who wants to be able to brag about miniscule gains in performance and to have something different from the masses. If you handload it is especially good choice because it is one of those rounds where you can easily beat factory loads. if you are buying off the shelf ammo, I wouldn't recommend one.

If recoil reduction is your main goal 7-08 or even 260 make more sense. If you only want to shoot deer at under 250 yards,a 100-105 gr bullet from a 243 is more than adequate. Throw larger game in the mix and I'd go up to the 7-08.

 

[JohnBT]

"It is a good round for the rifle looney "



My father bought a like new Japanese BAR in .280 after he retired and got a great deal on it and it even included a decent scope.

It was a fine deer gun, but all in all it was about the same as his brother's first year BAR .30-06 or any good .270.

None of them were really any more useful for whitetails than my dad's Featherweight Model 70 in .243.

John

 

[Haxby]

No reason not to get a 280, or any other chambering mentioned here.
You could get a 308 or 30/06 and load it lighter.
You could load 155 to 160 grain bullets in the 6.5X55.

 

[RPRNY]

Thanks very much. Your observations have been helpful - no sense taking up .280 (which sounds like a great round) when it doesn't offer a significant reduction in recoil in the same rifle. Loading down 30-06 sounds like plan A and going 30-30 with spire tipped bullets and somewhat barkier loads than for a lever gun sounds like plan B.

 

[riflefan]

Brother-in-law has a .280. Nothing wrong with it, but at the range you can not tell any practical difference between it or my 30-06 as far as recoil. My .308 is more comfortable as far as recoil. Sounds like loading down the 30-06 is a good first option. 260 Remington may be worth a look. Bullet weight is lighter but still has really good performance.