.280 Remington

[35 Whelen]

I've owned a 280 for 20 or so years now. It started life as a Ruger 77 in 7x57 with a 22" barrel. My Dad had the chamber lengthened to to a 280, then gave it to me.
It is my "serious" deer rifle and my back-up elk rifle. I've yet to kill an elk with it, but I've killed gobs of deer and hogs. 55.5 grs. of IMR4350 nets 2900+ with a 140 gr. Sierra SPT and right at 3000 with a 140 gr. Partition. 55.5 grs. of IMR4831 nets a hair over 2900 fps with a 160 gr. Partition. BTW, I've chrono'ed these loads many, many times over the years.
So, if you can't find rifle chambered in 280, re-chambering a 7x57, assuming correct magazine length, is a piece of cake.

On the historical side, the 280 started life as the 280. then in the late '70's/early '80's, Remington decided they'd sell more rifles if they renamed the cartridge the 7mm Remington Express. Of course this idea flopped, and it's been called the 280 Remington ever since.

Just as an interesting side note, there is very little that the 7mm will do the the 6.5mm will not with less recoil.

LOL...now that's funny.....seriously....

A much better choice than the .270, due to a wider selection of bullets to choose from.

Unless you simply must have something different for the sake of having something different, you would be better off with a 30-06.

I find it amusing that on so many internet forums when you ask for opinions on one cartridge, so many people try to talk you into another. Stay the course......

Good luck,
35W

 

[MachIVshooter]

AFAIK, only Remington chambers for 280 Rem, in three variations of the Model 700.

Thompson, Browning, Kimber and Weatherby currently chamber it. H&R and Thompson also offer it in their single shots.

Not sure when Ruger dropped .280. That's what my sister's is (M77 all weather). Winchester offered it for a long time, too.

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

Message deleted by me.

 

[natman]

A much better choice than the .270, due to a wider selection of bullets to choose from.

Unless you simply must have something different for the sake of having something different, you would be better off with a 30-06.

I find it amusing that on so many internet forums when you ask for opinions on one cartridge, so many people try to talk you into another. Stay the course......

The first quote isn't trying to steer the OP into another cartridge.

The second quote, which is mine, does recommend a different cartridge. I said the 280 Rem is a fine cartridge, which it is, but recommended the 30-06 instead for good reason - better rifle and ammo availability. Seems like a perfectly valid response to me.

 

[USSR]

The first quote isn't trying to steer the OP into another cartridge.

Yeah, I didn't quite follow the logic there either.

Don

 

[DM~]

If memory serves they called it a 7 Remington Express first time out of the gate,

Actually, it was called a 280 Rem. first time out of the gate, then switched to 7 Express Rem., and then changed it back to 280 Rem. again.

DM

 

[jmr40]

Rumor has it that a few were shipped with barrels stamped 7mm-06.

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

Thanks DM, I think your right. Do you remember the issue with the different barrel twist rates? I think there was like 3 of those too, before they settled on one.

 

[DM~]

Thanks DM, I think your right. Do you remember the issue with the different barrel twist rates? I think there was like 3 of those too, before they settled on one.

Nope, i don't remember the info on the twist, bit i have heard the above rumor that a few rifles got out the door with 7-06 on the bbls...

DM

 

[natman]

Thanks DM, I think your right. Do you remember the issue with the different barrel twist rates? I think there was like 3 of those too, before they settled on one.

I believe the name change with changing twist rates was the 244 Remington / 6mm Remington.

Yet another triumph for Remington's marketing department. Couldn't sell a bucket of water to a man whose pants were on fire.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Do you remember the issue with the different barrel twist rates? I think there was like 3 of those too, before they settled on one.

I believe you're thinking of the 6mm Rem, which began life as the .244 Rem and rifles were made with a 1 in 12 twist. When it got a bad rap for poor accuracy with heavier bullets, Remington renamed the cartridge and subsequent rifles had a 1 in 9 twist. Unfortunately, the damage was done, and the 6mm was never to enjoy the popularity of the .243 Win.

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

MarkIVshooter, I'm pretty sure, I was thinking of the 280. As for the other 2 cartridges you brought up, you are correct as far as you went, they're valiant effort to save the 6mm would have worked IF they offered anything in a factory load, that wasn't trying to match the 243win. Otherwise you had to handload to appreciate the difference. But they didn't try to market to handloaders either.
I also think when they realized they weren't going to touch 243win, the name change, to metric, was partly to try and cash in on the currently popular name recognition of the 7mm rem mag. just my......11 cents worth.

UPDATE After diligent research in my extensive library, I cant find squat on 280 barrel twist rate. Don't know where it came from.?!