Keep .280 Rem or sell for something else?

More info needed. Which model 70 and what other rifles do you already own? Some Winchesters are heavy pigs to lug around. Even the model 70 Featherweight is heavier than most any standard rifle made by current manufacturers. A Winchester Featherweight is hard to keep under 8 lbs scoped, a Winchester sporter closer to 9 lbs. You could go with a short action Kimber and keep it under 6 lbs scoped. A Tikka scoped can be just a hair over 7 lbs.

I tend to hunt in some steep rugged terrain and when you throw in high altitude and low oxygen levels it's even worse. It's not rifle weight as much as balance. You don't notice 1-2 more pounds in your pack nearly as much as 1/4 lb in a rifle carried in your hands. Especially if that 1/4lb effects how it's balanced.

The 280 is a fine cartridge but it has never been as popular as the 270 or 30-06 which do the same things. And the 30-06 and 270 are fading fast. Most people today who are into the 7mm's are going to 7-08 or one of the 7mm magnums.

I'm seeing the same with 30-06. It's dying off and people are finding 308 gives about 97% of the muzzle velocity while burning a lot less powder, less recoil and better accuracy. If more power is needed people are now skipping 30-06 in favor of one of the 30 caliber magnums.

Here you go ------- load yourself up!!!!

bme27 said:

Looking for some advice. I have a Winchester Model 70 in .280 Rem that I’m considering selling to buy something else. Biggest reasons are ammo/brass availability and weight. I just got into reloading and will working on a load for it if I decide to keep it (getting a load for my 308 Marlin Express had to come first).

Reloading allows a person to shoot any cartridge they want, but I like the idea of being able to get factory ammo if I don’t have the time to reload (I have three kids under 4).

If I sell it, I’d look at getting a 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, .308, or probably something else in a short action as I would want this rifle to be my Idaho mountain rifle and cutting weight while hunting the mountains in Idaho I do hunt is helpful.

let me know if I’m crazy for thinking of selling the .280, or throw out any suggestions on rifles and cartridges you would sell it for to pick up.

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.280 Remington + factory loaded 65K psi ammo = .270 Winchester.

Class dismissed.

Laphroaig said:

According to official Winchester specs, a short action M70 featherweight is 4 oz. lighter than a standard length action.

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I believe it. One of my wife's 7mm-08s is a M70 "featherweight," and I never could figure out why Winchester called it that. In order to sell more guns, I guess.

Barring bigger animals at "woods" ranges, the 6.5 makes for a nice light rifle.

Bill M. said:

And...there is certainly nothing magic about a .280 regardless of how some people feel. I got mine because I am too wimpy to want a 7mm mag. in a hunting weight gun.

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See my post - #11 this thread. My wife uses a highly customized 7mm Rem Mag for big game hunting nowadays. However, she uses what amount to 280 Remington or 7mm-08 "+P" loads in it. Handloading can make a 7mm Rem Mag (and a lot of other cartridges) very, very versatile.
BTW, I'm glad my 5'1" 120lb wife is kind of "wimpy" in some ways.

My .308 is the only real lightweight. It is a Savage UL, under 6 lbs without the scope and I have a light fixed 6x on it.

bme27 said:

Thanks for the info on the 308ME! Do you use either of the 160s Marlin offers for 30 cal? I thought about trying their 30-30 one since the 308ME designated one is never in stock anywhere. I have CFE-223 so I’ll try that powder first.

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I have both the #30395 (.30-30) and #30396 (.308ME and .300Savage) versions.
The blems I bought are #30396 as for the .308ME.
IVE used the #xx395’s in .30-30’s, but not in the .308ME.
You “MIGHT” lose a little accuracy using the xx395 seated to the cannelure as that will cause a little bit more jump to the lands. But maybe not…
FWIW; MidwayUSA has them in stock.
#139344
Pricey, but the b.c. Is .395, a bit better.
For less expensive but very good substitute, the Speer flat nose HotCores are about $10/100 cheaper.

Sighted for 150-200yds, the 300yd drop difference is insignificant.
I also use LVR in my 6.5Grendel (and .35Rem, .30/30) which is seeing the most use, so I bought an 8lb jug which should last me the rest of my life…
Sorry for the thread drift….

My Ruger 280 likes IMR 4831 and 150 gr TSX and the 139 gr LRX.

If I were to be limited to only three rifle/calibers the .280 Rem would be one of the three. The other two would be a varmint caliber and the other for dangerious game, and the .280 for every other huntable animal on the planet.

bme27 said:

But it seems everyone with a 280 loved 4831 so I will have to get a bottle of it.

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When I got my first 280 I had some Sierra 140 grain Gameking bullets and since I used IMR 4831 in my 270's with good results I thought I would use it to sight the rifle in and get used to shooting the rifle. I was surprised to see the small groups and felt lucky that the rifle shot so well. I tried the IMR 4831 with Nosler bullets and it also worked. Before I bought the 280 I planned on using Reloader 19 and Reloader 22 so I had a good supply of both of them on hand for the transition. But as time went by I tried Reloader 17, 19 and 22, IMR 4350 ahd H4350 but nothing worked as well as the IMR 4831 so I have stuck with it and don't plan to change. I'm a hunter and not a target shooter and I like the Nosler Partition because I can depend on it to do the job.

keep the 280, the other calibers you mentioned have nothing over the 280. It's a long action so what how often are you firing more than one shot. Reloading makes all the calibers you listed equally available 280 brass is easy to find or make, use the money you saved by keeping the 280 and spend it on better optics or ammo.

You can make 280 brass from 270 Win brass. Once fired is pretty cheap online. Or buy new. If you reload, brass should not be a problem. (I can't recall if forming from 30-06 will leave you with short necks or not.)

LocoGringo said:

Edit to add: maybe look into having the 280 barrel reamed out to 280 Ackley Improved and get even MORE performance out of it with the same reloading components. Just a thought...

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AI cartridges are not worth the effort IMHO. Virtually all the increased performance was actually from loading the cartridges hotter than you probably should.

late last year i added a browning ss syn stocked left hand .280 to my other five left hand rifles, imr 4831 and imr 4350 are the powders it likes, i have not hunted it yet but will this year.

I've shot bear, caribou and a lot of deer with my .280,



it just keeps on keeping on, putting meat in my freezer!

DM

Crosshair said:

You can make 280 brass from 270 Win brass. Once fired is pretty cheap online. Or buy new. If you reload, brass should not be a problem. (I can't recall if forming from 30-06 will leave you with short necks or not.)

AI cartridges are not worth the effort IMHO. Virtually all the increased performance was actually from loading the cartridges hotter than you probably should.

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There is an advantage to .280 AI specifically though . It is a SAAMI approved cartridge so there is published data to load it quite a bit stronger then standard .280 . And there is factory ammo for it , too .

codytrucker said:

There is an advantage to .280 AI specifically though . It is a SAAMI approved cartridge so there is published data to load it quite a bit stronger then standard .280 . And there is factory ammo for it , too .

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It's only about 100 FPS faster on most loadings on Hodgdon's website. Often burning 10 more grains of powder to do it. The juice is just not worth the squeeze when you already have a regular 280.

Unless you are worried about availability of ammo at Wal-Mart, there is no reason to get rid of a perfectly good .280

The other calibers mentioned won't accomplish anything a .280 can't do for hunting applications.

Buy five boxes of factory shells to acquire brass, and get a set of reloading dies. You'll be set to shoot all the hunting-ammo .280 you'll ever need for the rest of your life.

Plenty of factory ammo out there.

There are many advantages to the Ackley then just some extra speed but some just hate to hate,

Crosshair said:

It's only about 100 FPS faster on most loadings on Hodgdon's website. Often burning 10 more grains of powder to do it. The juice is just not worth the squeeze when you already have a regular 280.

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Sierra manual list 8 loads at 2,800 FPS and 1 at 2,900 in .280 rem . with 140 grain bullets . It list 5 loads at 3,050 and 3 at 3,100 for the AI . It also list 12 loads in 7MM mag at 3,200 FPS as max loads .

I have a .280 rem and its fine , I like it , don't want to change it . I also have a .280 AI and its good , too . Not enough difference between it and a 7 mag to make a difference to me .

Merely pointing out that if you want to up the pressure and performance of a .280 , there is published verified data .

You can load up a bazillion plinking rounds for cheap with this deal:



These bullets are almost as cheap as primers!

In all seriousness though, if you're set up to reload anyway, no need to switch.

NuclearMeltdown said:

You can load up a bazillion plinking rounds for cheap with this deal:

View attachment 1200794

These bullets are almost as cheap as primers!

In all seriousness though, if you're set up to reload anyway, no need to switch.

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Great just as I spent all my money for awhile these pop up.

I think a lot of guys here are not familiar with much of Idaho hunting, which is vastly more difficult to navigate than Midwest hunting. I lived in Iowa for a few years and couldn't believe just how little skill and effort was needed to get a deer out there. Most hunting I saw was within eyesight of your pickup, in fields or rolling hills.

I got into a discussion once with a fellow from Iowa who simply couldn't comprehend how few deer there are out here per square mile compared to most Midwest states, and he couldn't comprehend hiking 15 miles a day up and down draws and canyons to get a single deer. The difference in fatigue and pain between a 10lb rifle and a 7lb rifle at the end of the day is significant; especially as you get older. And what adds to that is the amount of survival gear, food, water, and equipment you need to have with you. I always had a hunting pack that was at least 30lbs with essentials. So a lighter rifle really does make a difference, as does a well-engineered pack system.

For example, my step-father is 72. He is an ex-cop and in excellent condition. However, he injured his neck in an ATV accident a few years ago and now can't have too much weight on his shoulders. For decades, he hunted with a Ruger M77 in .270 for deer and another Ruger M77 in 300 win mag. Both with wood stocks and very heavy. After his surgery, he tried slinging the 300 win mag on a hunt and after 5 miles of hiking, had a mini-stroke.

He went out and bought a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 6.5 CM for $1800. With his scope mounted, it is just over 6lbs. He loves it! With a wider sling, he barely even feels it on his shoulder, and he can once again hunt for miles without worrying about a stroke.

So, if I was the OP, then I would look into either a cheap and light rifle like the Ruger Predator in .308, or maybe look at trying to trim the fat on the Model 70 with a composite stock, lighter scope and mounts, and lighter sling.

My Model 70 in 30-06 AI with a composite stock weighs under 8lbs...

bme27 said:

Looking for some advice. I have a Winchester Model 70 in .280 Rem that I’m considering selling to buy something else. Biggest reasons are ammo/brass availability and weight. I just got into reloading and will working on a load for it if I decide to keep it (getting a load for my 308 Marlin Express had to come first).

Reloading allows a person to shoot any cartridge they want, but I like the idea of being able to get factory ammo if I don’t have the time to reload (I have three kids under 4).

If I sell it, I’d look at getting a 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, .308, or probably something else in a short action as I would want this rifle to be my Idaho mountain rifle and cutting weight while hunting the mountains in Idaho I do hunt is helpful.

let me know if I’m crazy for thinking of selling the .280, or throw out any suggestions on rifles and cartridges you would sell it for to pick up.

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You brought up a lot of good points. The 6.5 Creed is a good cartridge, and so are all the ones you already mentioned but the massive availability of .308 and the relatively low cost compared to some of the other rounds is definitely a selling point for me. Then again, the .280 is a damned fine round in and of itself too. I guess what I am saying is keep the .280, then find a nice used Remington UL in .308 and tell the wife "No, honey, I have always had this one" and follow the tradition of husbands everywhere. Either way, enjoy. Idaho is BEAUTIFUL.