Experience with the 280 Remington

[Bullthrower338]

My oldest son made all but 1 shot kills on 6 animals in SA with his 280, loaded with a good 140 grain bullet it is a killer. I have one that I’ve only shot deer with and a 7x64 that I haven’t killed anything with but want to!

 

[sestoppelman]

.280 is a very good round, smack between the .270 and the .30-06. I have owned a couple of them, in a custom barreled Ruger with 24" barrel 2900 was easy with the 160 Nosler, and very accurate.

These days I like the much older 7x64, its metric ballistic twin, was in fact shooting it today in a Steyr M72, a fairly recent purchase, good shooting rifle.

 

[Goose Cracker]

I've always been intrigued by the 280 and 280 AI. I already own a 7-08 and have always thought a 7RM was a little too much of a good thing. I think the 280/280 AI/284/7x64 is the "right" combo of performance and recoil, especially with 160 grain bullets. If I could only have one 7mm, this would be it.

I purchased a 280 AI in early 2021. Saw it on an auction site and was a bit smitten. It's a Cabelas special edition/select grade Winchester M70. I was pretty sure they never made a 280 AI in the Cabelas special edition, so I guessed this rifle started out as a 270 and was rebarreled. Turns out it was a rebarrel by Hill Country Rifles. Shoots factory Nosler Partition 160 grains to right at an inch. Got her right before I got shipped to London, so haven't been able to work up an appropriate handload just yet. She's a beaut!

 

[TMac]

Bullets currently used in my 280’s are 175gr partitions, 150gr Eld-X, and 145gr LRX. In the past I’ve used 140gr core-lokt, 150gr partitions and 140 Fusions. All have worked well on game up to and including elk.

 

[Marc Ret]

So, no turkey dinner from that bird ...

Ha! I was 19 when I shot that bird. My father's comment upon seeing it- "I'm not sure we can patch that up enough to have it for Thanksgiving."

 

[YancyW]

I have a 280ai and with a 160gr quality bullet, it is about all I need for the vast majority of the hunting I do. I'm not a one rifle kinda of guy, but it is a chambering that would cover a huge about of ground if it was all a guy had.

 

[flatwater bill]

I called Elmer Keith a short time before he died, and in the course of a rambling conversation (because I was so surprised that he took my call) he told me that the 280 was the cartridge that the military should have adopted. It was a phone call, and I made a plan to go see him, but he died before I got my sorry arse movin'. Just an anecdote about one of my huntin heroes, and the 280.........FWB

 

[mauser98]

I've used the 7x64 with 175gr Interlocks at 2720fps. Its been a great all around rifle. Shot a few animals with it!

 

[Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy]

I've used a 280 Rem as my main rifle for over 20 years. Mine is a stock Rem 700. It is a proven killer and has taken game on four continents. Hog deer up to kudu, nilgai, and elk. My favorite load is factory Barnes TTSX 140 gr. Found that to be a good match before I started handloading but don't see any reason to try and better it.

Hard to go wrong with it. The cartridge is very capable, mild recoil, and more accurate than I am.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i bought a remington 721 in .280 in the late 60,s and killed a pile of deer with 160 gr bullet and 54 grs imr 4350 in it and so did my younger brother. it became a rem collector by the 90,s and a collector offered a pile of money for it, not sorry or glad i sold it. i think i paid 100.00 for it. i have since bought a left hand ss browning a-bolt with the boss(not in love with that), it does shoot 53 grs imr 4831 and 150 gr bullets pretty good tho.

 

[geoff rath]

I've always been intrigued by the 280 and 280 AI. I already own a 7-08 and have always thought a 7RM was a little too much of a good thing. I think the 280/280 AI/284/7x64 is the "right" combo of performance and recoil, especially with 160 grain bullets. If I could only have one 7mm, this would be it.

I purchased a 280 AI in early 2021. Saw it on an auction site and was a bit smitten. It's a Cabelas special edition/select grade Winchester M70. I was pretty sure they never made a 280 AI in the Cabelas special edition, so I guessed this rifle started out as a 270 and was rebarreled. Turns out it was a rebarrel by Hill Country Rifles. Shoots factory Nosler Partition 160 grains to right at an inch. Got her right before I got shipped to London, so haven't been able to work up an appropriate handload just yet. She's a beaut!
View attachment 514913

 

[geoff rath]

If you could organise it, take it to Scotland for Red deer..

 

[Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy]

If you could organise it, take it to Scotland for Red deer..

Great suggestion! Mine accounted for five on a cull hunt in Dumfries and Galloway. Worked perfectly.

Another surprising bonus - no hassles importing through Edinburgh. Thought the UK would be a nightmare (I'm sure that London would have been harder). Had waaay more issues going through NY (JFK).

 

[Areaonereal]

Used a custom barreled 280, Rem 700 action shooting 140 gr. Hornady Interbond, (with a 160 Grand Slam for a one shot kill on a Sable at 80 yds,) the 140 Interbond accounted for 30 cull Springbok, wart hogs, Kudu, waterbuck, Impala and Blesbok. East Cape, South Africa, March 2022. Long range efficient cartridge with plenty of energy..

 

[benchracer]

In about 1999 or 2000, the Australian Weatherby distributor had a super sale of Mk5 rifles, i purchaced a stainless 280 Rem & a blued 240 Weatherby mag in the 6 lug mk5 model both shoot 3 shots about 1 moa very constantly with 100g bullets the 240 is my favorite goat rifle both rifles are fitted with Leupold vx2 3-9 scopes.
I have shot a lot of pigs with the 280 using 140 grain rem cor lokt bullets hand loads, comparing its results to my 270 Win with 140 grain bullets & my 30/06 with 150 g bullets the results are identical dead pigs. is any body able to share their experiences with the 280 rem & what bullets they use ?i purchased 300 rem cases no factory ammo.

MRBlack and Bob Nelson are on to the right formula for the 280 Remington: Slow burning powders and 160 class bullets.

In a bolt action rifle, the 280 Rem can be treated like a magnum and will perform like a magnum. As Bob Nelson mentioned, the 160's @ 2900ish is the place to be. This is easily and safely accomplished with the right components from a 24" barrel.

Run at redline, the 280 Remington is capable of performance well north of even this level, but talk like that scares the internet so I won't go there.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

In about 1999 or 2000, the Australian Weatherby distributor had a super sale of Mk5 rifles, i purchaced a stainless 280 Rem & a blued 240 Weatherby mag in the 6 lug mk5 model both shoot 3 shots about 1 moa very constantly with 100g bullets the 240 is my favorite goat rifle both rifles are fitted with Leupold vx2 3-9 scopes.
I have shot a lot of pigs with the 280 using 140 grain rem cor lokt bullets hand loads, comparing its results to my 270 Win with 140 grain bullets & my 30/06 with 150 g bullets the results are identical dead pigs. is any body able to share their experiences with the 280 rem & what bullets they use ?i purchased 300 rem cases no factory ammo.

I do not have a .280 myself, but I can tell you that I had a good friend that used one exclusively. He lived and Guided in Idaho where he killed many bull elk and mule deer with that cartridge. He also took white tails, black bears and a big horn. In California where I hunted with.him he killed blacktails and hogs while I was hunting with him. He felt that the .280 was the best all around cartridge for North America.

 

[Bonk]

I've never owned a 280Rem but I do own a 7x64. AFAIK, they're about as close to ballistic twins as is possible. I prefer the 7x64 purely for nostalgic reasons but I darn sure wouldn't feel ashamed showing up to hunting camp with a 280Rem. Fine caliber.

 

[sgt_zim]

I am on the back order list at Swift. They indicated that 160gr 7mm A-Frames would be available in the first quarter of this year

Same here on the backorder.

I've gotten stellar groups with those out of my 280AI, and at 7mm RM velocities. I only have 10 left out of the original box.

 

[rookhawk]

I don't have a 280 or 280AI, but I have no opposition to owning one and surely would if I found an elegant American custom chambered in that caliber.

I've owned several 7x64 Brenneke rifles which are wonderful and are damn near identical to the 280, just with a funny accent. Some 7mm work best with 140gr bullets, others are long-throated just like the old 275 Rigby/7x57s. The long throated ones like heavy for caliber 175gr and 180gr bullets. I prefer the latter situation because the 140gr Barnes TTSX all copper load is the same volume as a 180gr lead core bullet. You get the best of both worlds.

If your gun doesn't like 140gr barnes it probably doesn't like 175gr lead core bullets either. That means stick with 140gr lead or 120gr copper.

 

[IvW]

No experience with a 280 but a 7x64 Brenneke or 7x65R using 160 to 175gr premium grade bullets is extremely effective on African pg.....