.270 vs .280

[IvW]

Twist
Bullet weight
Pressure

 

[Flewis]

Ya but 99% of 270s out there cant shoot more then 150 grain bullets, I've had some 270 that wouldn't even spin 150s enough. Every 280 made with shoot 175s.

They will handle the 160 semi spitzers and round nose. 280s will handle 175s.

 

[Flewis]

That would be interesting to confirm that. I'm sure it's not recommended but my understanding is they are very similar but I have not compared the dimensions.

The 280 is bigger at the shoulder but also shorter. Don’t think so. I know a guy with several 7x64s and I compared the rounds several years ago and they are quite different.

 

[Wiley64]

270 wsm owner here wishing it was just a 270

 

[hoytcanon]

Personally, I prefer the 7X64 Brenneke to either the .270 or .280... it is cuter.

 

[Huntsmans Bane]

I certainly wouldn't be undergunned for most hunting with any of these cartridges. I confess that I prefer the 280. However, it is not because it is better than the 30-06 or the 270. I prefer it because one of my earliest rifles was a 280 and it worked so well on the game I hunted. Had I started with either of the other rifles, I can't imagine that things would have been much different. I believe Guy has demonstrated that the '06 works pretty well on most of the game here in NA, and dozens have defied every prejudice I might muster to demonstrate that the 270 will work about as well. I still have my preference, but I wouldn't turn down either of the other cartridges if I was just starting.

 

[colorado]

What then?

I'm a 270 man, but I think the 280 Rem is a lovely cartridge as well. Just shot my "new to me" BDL in 7mm Magnum. Very accurate, mild recoil about the same as my admittingly hot 270 load of a 150g Partition at 3000 fps. Less recoil than my Mark V 270 Weatherby using factory ammo 150g Partitions at 3250 fps. I was shooting factory 7mm Mag 175g Corelokts btw. I'm sure my handloads will kick a bit more.

 

[Rule 303]

What's the difference between the 270 and 280, way less than the difference between a 9.3X62 and a 375H&H I am a 270 bloke simply because I read a lot on it when I was a Teenager so that's what I bought. If I was doing it again I would look for a 7X64 just to be different.

 

[sgt_zim]

I'm a 270 man, but I think the 280 Rem is a lovely cartridge as well. Just shot my "new to me" BDL in 7mm Magnum. Very accurate, mild recoil about the same as my admittingly hot 270 load of a 150g Partition at 3000 fps. Less recoil than my Mark V 270 Weatherby using factory ammo 150g Partitions at 3250 fps. I was shooting factory 7mm Mag 175g Corelokts btw. I'm sure my handloads will kick a bit more.

Meh on the recoil. I have a Savage Timberline in 280AI. 175 gr pills at 2700, barely feel them.

 

[Milan]

That would be interesting to confirm that. I'm sure it's not recommended but my understanding is they are very similar but I have not compared the dimensions.

The 7x64 will fit a 280 Rem chamber not the other way around. Sample of one. Would I recommend firing it? Not really. It's not like it headspaced the same and could be fireformed. It seemed loose in there as in too much head space. But again...sample of one. The SAAMI specs have the .280 headspacing about 5+ thou farther in.

 

[hoytcanon]

Of course the .280 is a very good cartridge. No question about that. The main reason I prefer the 7x64 is the finely crafted European rifles that are chambered in 7x64, and the design of the CIP standard chambers and barrels for the 7x64.
The 7x64 specifies a faster rifling twist than most .280 rifles, better suited to the heavyweight bullets. Remington came up with a lame 165 gr. RN as the heavy load for their slower twist rifles. In comparison, 7x64's easily stabilize 175 gr. spitzers. Those long heavy bullets hit hard and penetrate deeply. Remington also made the .280's throat shorter than the 7x64, supposedly to ensure accuracy. But properly made barrels can shoot high pressure loads very accurately with some "freebore" - IF the unrifled portion of the chamber throat is not made too loose.
My 7x64 rifles have no problem shooting the light 120 gr. RWS cone point bullet with a fast and flat trajectory into teeny, tiny groups. It is interesting that the 7x64 has no trouble with light, short bullets at the same time has the proper twist and enough throat length to use high pressure 175 grain loads that penetrate really big critters well and result in a cartridge that punches above it's weight class. The 7x64 more versatile than the .280, has always been loaded to full potential, and has been doing what it was designed to do, really well, for a few decades before the .280 was even thought of.
That's why I prefer the 7x64. But I'm open to using a .270, just need to gain some personal experience with it.

I avoided .277" altogether... I shoot 173 grain Torpedo's in my 7X64 and they do a marvelous job on game.

 

[Rick Cox]

having shot out 2 x 270 barrels, and am on a 2nd 280 barrel, on game, I feel moderately qualified to comment.
a little added history.
after the 2 x 270s, I went to a 30/06, and while it was good it lacked the trajectory requirement for what and where I hunted compared to the 270.
on the other end, the 25/06 had the trajectory, but lacked the "knockdown" of the 270.
in this area of guns, I was looking for max recoil in the vicinity of the 30/06.
going to a 7mm rem mag gave me the power of the 30/06 with a bit better trajectory than the 170.
the versatility of 7mm bullets became very apparent with choices from 120 gns to 175 gns for many applications.
but I wanted a lighter rifle for carrying in steep rough country where I had to carry water, survival stuff, and over 100 rds of ammo as well.
the 280 in a lighter rifle gave about the same recoil as the 7 mag, and proved to shoot flat enough for the job.
a 140 gn 7mm bullet is neck and neck with a 130 gn 270, and a 160 gn 7mm is similar to a 150 gn 270, while a 120 gn 7mm equals a 110 gn 270.
here we are talking similarities, but in each case the 280 is a noticeably slightly better killer.
then we come to the 175 gn 7mm bullet in 7mm.
readily available 270 bullets do not match this.
if you already have a 270, and it satisfies you, there is little point in going to the 280.
on the other hand, if you want just a little more killing power and versatility, the 280 will give it to you.
both are superior game killers to the 25 and 26 cals, and give better barrel life.
the whole thing is even more interesting with the modern breed of controlled expansion bullets.
bruce.

I gotta ask: what on earth were you carrying " over an hundreds of ammo" on a sheep hunt for??

 

[hoytcanon]

I gotta ask: what on earth were you carrying " over an hundreds of ammo" on a sheep hunt for??

He clearly needs 100+ rounds on a hunt because he is the world's worst shot having shot out numerous barrels "on game." 8000 - 10,000 rounds on game and you are either poaching, culling or missing.

 

[7x57Joe]

I gotta ask: what on earth were you carrying " over an hundreds of ammo" on a sheep hunt for??

I believe Bruce passed away a couple of years ago.

 

[hoytcanon]

I believe Bruce passed away a couple of years ago.

Yikes... bummer. Condolences.

 

[Trogon]

I believe Bruce passed away a couple of years ago.

Miss his presence on AH. He offered alot of good information on this forum.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

He clearly needs 100+ rounds on a hunt because he is the world's worst shot having shot out numerous barrels "on game." 8000 - 10,000 rounds on game and you are either poaching, culling or missing.

I believe Bruce passed away a couple of years ago.

He was also a competitive shooter IIRC.

From Australia so plenty of invasives to hunt

 

[hoytcanon]

He was also a competitive shooter IIRC.

From Australia so plenty of invasives to hunt

Hence the "culling" option... some folks are lucky enough to live in areas that have an abundance of live targets and gain a first hand perspective on terminal results that once a year deer hunters could never develope.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Hence the "culling" option... some folks are lucky enough to live in areas that have an abundance of live targets and gain a first hand perspective on terminal results that once a year deer hunters could never develope.

He was incredibly knowledgeable and had a lot of interesting posts

 

[meritman]

I would buy the .280 Rem, just because i am a handloader and their is a wider array of .284/7mm diameter bullets available to use, i have bullets from 100 gr-195 grn in this diameter.