What would you do with a 280...

[sgt_zim]

... before you jumped up a caliber or two? My current deer-sized rifle is a 280 with 150 TTSX. I think that load holds up compared to an 06 with 168s or maybe even 180s. But I wonder how much of a difference you hit once the 06 gets to a 200 grain partition or TTSX or even a 225 partition?

No doubt the 30-06 with those heavy bullets will be much better up close than the 280s will be. But. You do have to sacrifice quite a lot of trajectory for those heavy 30-06 bullets.

A decent BC 160 gr .284 bullet will outclass a 200-220 gr bullet on anything past about 300 yards.

I'm with a couple other guys - if you're going to step up, step up to 35 Whelen or 9.3x62

 

[MRBlack]

I used my Dakota 76 in 280 Rem on my plains game safari in the Limpopo this year. I shot 160gr Swift A Frames and never felt lacking. It was perfectly adequate on Kudu and Nyala. I really don’t believe there is any noticeable difference between it and a 30-06 with 168s. Or 200s for that matter. Use a premium bullet and practice, practice, practice. The difference in those cartridges are negligible, but the difference in a solid hit and a poor hit is a ten fold difference.

If you are wanting a larger cartridge for a good 2 gun plains game battery I’d look at the 338 Winchester, 9.3x62, or a 375 H&H. A 280 class rifle is fine for everything up to Kudu and Wildebeest size. If eland or giraffe are on the list look no further than the 375. It’s a great opportunity to get comfortable with the “little big bore” for future safaris. Not to mention ammo is plentiful, relatively speaking, and it carries a golden reputation. If the recoil is an issue I’ve heard good things on the 9.3 too.

There is no such thing as too dead or barely dead. There is just dead. I wouldn’t fear using the 280 with premium bullets on a wide variety of plains game- barring the big stuff. But when it come to the larger end or if you are wanting another rifle. Seriously consider the 375 class of rifles. Besides it’s a good excuse to make another rifle purchase!

 

[Scrumbag]

His cup runneth over...his lips and gums...and maybe his chin....

And that's on days when his aim is "good"...

 

[Scrumbag]

No doubt the 30-06 with those heavy bullets will be much better up close than the 280s will be. But. You do have to sacrifice quite a lot of trajectory for those heavy 30-06 bullets.

A decent BC 160 gr .284 bullet will outclass a 200-220 gr bullet on anything past about 300 yards.

I'm with a couple other guys - if you're going to step up, step up to 35 Whelen or 9.3x62

It's hard to argue against a Nosler 160 gr Accubond in the 280 Rem for a lot of things.

If you want to talk heavy bullets:

The 7mm 175gr Sierra Gameking SBT is a simple but good bullet for the .280 Rem.
BC 0.538 and SD of 0.31 (whilst not a bonded bullet, even on tough bones not likely to break up badly due to impact velocities not being huge. Leaving the barrel at 2,700 fps will be doing well).

30 call 200gr SBT
SD of .30 and a useable BC of 0.552 and max MV of 2690 according to Sierra.

Between those 2 bullets I doubt you'd notice much difference in on game performance.

The heavy 30 cal:

30 Cal .220 gr RN
SD of 0.331 and a BC of 0.335. According to Sierra data, 2550fps from a 24" .30-06 is a fast as it gets.

A great round for walking around in thick woods but I don't thing one I'd load to take long shots down power line cuts with...

 

[Rell]

Perfect line up …

223 or 22-250 (60gr)
280 or 7mm Rem Mag (160gr)
9.3x62 (286gr)
450-400 3 inch or 404 or 416 Rigby (400gr)

Think about your entire battery and don’t buy toys that aren’t needed…. Go on more hunts!

Sorry even I can’t say that with a straight face. After you own a 9.3x62 they are all toys, but away.

“ I spent a third of my money on women, a third on guns/ hunts and a third I spent foolishly!”

 

[sgt_zim]

It's hard to argue against a Nosler 160 gr Accubond in the 280 Rem for a lot of things.

If you want to talk heavy bullets:

The 7mm 175gr Sierra Gameking SBT is a simple but good bullet for the .280 Rem.
BC 0.538 and SD of 0.31 (whilst not a bonded bullet, even on tough bones not likely to break up badly due to impact velocities not being huge. Leaving the barrel at 2,700 fps will be doing well).

30 call 200gr SBT
SD of .30 and a useable BC of 0.552 and max MV of 2690 according to Sierra.

Between those 2 bullets I doubt you'd notice much difference in on game performance.

The heavy 30 cal:

30 Cal .220 gr RN
SD of 0.331 and a BC of 0.335. According to Sierra data, 2550fps from a 24" .30-06 is a fast as it gets.

A great round for walking around in thick woods but I don't thing one I'd load to take long shots down power line cuts with...

I've got 160 gr SAF and 156 gr Oryx to load up for my 280 AI. Thinking I should be tickling 2900 with either of those.

A Frame has a decent BC, .45. Oryx, not so much at .33. But. Oryx is also a softer bullet, so I would expect the lower down range velocity of it to not be that big of a problem, at least compared to SAF

I had thought long and hard on the NAB 160, but that'll be the next one I try if the first 2 don't work out to my satisfaction.

I even like the Grand Slam 175 gr. Not a premium, of course, but like you said, at likely impact velocities, shouldn't be much of an issue.

 

[Scrumbag]

Perfect line up …

223 or 22-250 (60gr)
280 or 7mm Rem Mag (160gr)
9.3x62 (286gr)
450-400 3 inch or 404 or 416 Rigby (400gr)

Think about your entire battery and don’t buy toys that aren’t needed…. Go on more hunts!

Sorry even I can’t say that with a straight face. After you own a 9.3x62 they are all toys, but away.

“ I spent a third of my money on women, a third on guns/ hunts and a third I spent foolishly!”

I agree buddy

.223 Rem with 62gr Fusion / 60gr TMK / 62gr FMJ (and sometimes 65gr SBT)

7x64
160gr Sierra SBT for hunting, 160 gr TMK for 200 to 600 target work and 180 ELD / 185 out to 1,200 yds

9.3x62 though I’m drifting towards 250 gr bullets

404 Jeff for 400 gr

 

[crs]

Adios for the day as I hate leave such friendly banter, but my .458 DR and I have a date with our neighborhood gun maker. If all goes as planned, I will report in a few days or weeks (depending on how busy Aaron is) on how the gun work went.
Adios Amigos!

 

[Scrumbag]

I've got 160 gr SAF and 156 gr Oryx to load up for my 280 AI. Thinking I should be tickling 2900 with either of those.

A Frame has a decent BC, .45. Oryx, not so much at .33. But. Oryx is also a softer bullet, so I would expect the lower down range velocity of it to not be that big of a problem, at least compared to SAF

I had thought long and hard on the NAB 160, but that'll be the next one I try if the first 2 don't work out to my satisfaction.

I even like the Grand Slam 175 gr. Not a premium, of course, but like you said, at likely impact velocities, shouldn't be much of an issue.

Well that AI should give you more like 7mm Rem Mag performance I'd have thought so that Oryx should get you plenty of MPBR even with that flat base

Swift's aren't so easy to get here but sounds a good bullet.

 

[CoElkHunter]

If somebody paid for my Kodiak brown bear hunt, I’d swim to the float plane with a .35 Whelen, but WOULD worry about being killed by the bear I shot with it! Ha! Ha!

Don't be sad Bob, I would keep the Whelen above the water while swimming!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Adios for the day as I hate leave such friendly banter, but my .458 DR and I have a date with our neighborhood gun maker. If all goes as planned, I will report in a few days or weeks (depending on how busy Aaron is) on how the gun work went.
Adios Amigos!

Hasta la vista! Mantennos informados del progreso senor rifle doble.

 

[colorado]

The 280 Rem is one hell of a round. If you're looking for a bigger caliber (brown bear, cape buffalo, etc) I'd add a 375 H&H to the gun safe. No need for a 30-06 (though it's a grand round) or a 338.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Don't be sad Bob, I would keep the Whelen above the water while swimming!

@CoElkHunter
Ifn ya didn't mate I would tie a dozen 243s or 338s to your ankles and see how well you swim.
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

If it weren't for the magazine fed variants, I'd not keep a .223 around. They are louder than .22's without as much ballistic benefit as a .243. I've killed a lot of groundhogs with them, but when you examine the cartridge in its most commonly available form, I'm not that impressed. The .243 has a greater flexibility for those of us in Virginia where the .223 is outlawed for deer and larger game.
Obviously with a 7mm already in the stable, a .30 caliber is a waste of time because it doesn't really put you on another power level all together. We can debate the merits of the .35 vs. .338, .338 vs. .375 or even 9.3 vs. .375 for the next step up forever. The question is really what does the OP intend to do next? Whatever that is, just be sure that it's not a redundancy in the next step you take.

@CoElkHunter
Ifn ya didn't mate I would tie a dozen 243s or 338s to your ankles and see how well you swim.
Bob

Well according to you one's for toe-mah-toe staking and the other's for sissies so they'd probably help him float that turdy-phive howitzer death ray right out to the plane....

 

[xausa]

Talk about re-inventing the wheel! Wilhelm Brenneke invented his 7X64 in 1917 and the difference between it and the .280 Remington is mostly availability of ammunition. The case capacity of the 7X64 is 66.22 cc's of H20, the .280's is 68.58, due probably to a slightly steeper shoulder. Not a nickel's worth of difference in their performance.

Compared with a .270 Winchester, the .280 has the advantage for the hand loader of a larger selection of bullets.

The main advantage the .280 has in the US is ammunition availability. In Europe, the 7X64 is easier to find. I own both and have killed game with both. I prefer the 7X64, but that's probably because I have a weakness for Brenneke cartridges, and my rifle is an original Brenneke Mauser.

 

[TroyF]

One advantage of the 7x64 is that you can shoot them in a 280 rem. Depending on the brass one of the other may have more case capacity, it would be really hard for me to pick. Think of its going in a mauser 7x64 feels better, other actions I'd just jump up and do a 280ai.

 

[Say Man]

I have a Weatherby Mark V in 280 and shoot 162 grains out of it for sheep and goats! Good flatter shooter for those longer shots in the mountains! People use it for moose and larger game but if I was going for something bigger than sheep and goats I would lug the Browning 338 for a little more thump and protection against the brown bears!