Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 338 federal or 280 rem

What would you choose and what bullet for elk?

Not enough information. Where do you hunt and how? What would you consider an average range to shoot and what would be the farthest?

Hunting in montana. Hogback mountain area. Never hunted there before and not sure what to expect for range on shots.

While I like the 338 WM, I have never warmed up to the federal. So, as between your two choices, I would definitely run the 280 in a 150grn, possibly a 160grn partition.

I'd say which ever shot best.

if no difference, then which ever is lighter to carry all day.

I'd be inclined to go with the .280 with a 160 Partition as well, or maybe a 150 if you like monometals (TTSX, E-Tip, etc.). We used a 160 Partition over 59.0 grains of AA3100 in my wife's .280 for a little over 2,950 fps. It worked flawlessly on elk. If I were loading today, I would probably try 160 ABs with the same powder charge.

I used my .338 Federal Kimber Montana on last years bull. One shot,257 yards. He didn't take a step, just got wobbly kneed and tipped over. I used Federal's 185gr TSX load.

If you're shooting beyond 450-500yds then the 280 is the clear choice. Anything inside that and they'll both make them dead. You do get whatever advantages a short action offers with the 338. I have not used the 280, but I do think it would be a great choice and if I decide to get a longer range rig the 280ai is on my short list. I have used the 338 Fed on elk (185 TTSX at 2730 and 160 TTSX at 3020fps). Neither required tracking. Also shot a Kudu, Impala, Blesbok, Waterbuck and Gemsbok with the 160 TTSX. None required tracking. It works real well. I hope to be able to tell you how a 210 Partition works on elk in a couple weeks.

prm,

just out of curiosity.... if the TTSX's are working for you, why switch to the Partition?

I don't think it matters. Either will kill elk.

Just like to try different things. At the moment, if I had to settle on a go-to load it would be the 160 TTSXs. Most accurate in my rifle and they flat out kill things.

I'm taking both a 35 Whelen for timber and my 280 AI for the more open country. The 338 Fed just doesn't feel than good at longer ranges.

280 with 160 accubonds but I do have damn good load using rl 22 and the 160 accubond

Whichever one gets you in good physical shape

Both can kill game up close anywhere. The Fed can't hang with the .280 if you need to shoot some distance (as defined by how far you wish to be shooting). Do you own a light done right .280 Rem? If so, I'd work up a load with 160 AB's or Partitions and rock on.

My 280 is a model 700 mountain rifle

You are good to go brother....

30-06 in Rem TI 180 grain

Saw a bumper sticker one time that said "If you ain't go a 280, you ain't got schitt".

Just sayin'................if that helps at all.

MM

I like it. Maybe you should get some of those printed up and sell them at the 'fire. You'd probably make a few bucks.

.280 rem 160 partition, accubond. Kilt many elk with those two bullets from my 280, mostly from the partition because they were around longer. All ranges, sometimes not the best angles but a dead elk was made very quickly. Been running a .280 26 years off and on for elk and have done very well with it.

The federal factory 150 Nosler partition load works rather well in a buddies .280 a sleek M-70 feather weight. Same story, just dead game.

Neither one!

When hunting far from home I want two rifles chambered for popular cartridges. If you need more ammo those are not everywhere.

Also there are better actions such as the Mauser, M70, Ruger etc.

The retard speaks....someone quote me so he can see it

Here you go! Mentally impaired people can't help the way they are. He can. He's just an idiot.

I have a pair of barrels in 7mm to play with.
Shot out .30/06 is in with the 'smith to rebarrel to 280 AI and after I play with that, it will be rebarrled to standard 280.

After an informed decision is made, it will either stay 280, be rechambered to the AI or revert back to .30/06.

Rifle is a Model 70 Festherweight and, we have traveled some. My shelves are breeding 7mm bullets so I need more 7mm disposal units.

A true idiot would scoff at these two rounds for elk. Availability issues or not...... Elk-less Goons.

Better cartridges for said task, maybe. I love an accurate 338 win mag or 338 fed, 25-06 just as much as an accurate .280 rem. Wich one do you think the general public WILL shoot better?

Shot placement is the first step after finding an elk to kill it anyhow.

Also very little to do with action type....Do to my 1895 marlin 45-70 being accurate and aimed correctly then fired, elk have tipped over where they stood also. Does not make it a better action/caliber for elk hunting.

As far as one 'loosing' ammo in transit, has not happened to me. But who is to say it will happen one day... I also load ALOT of ammo for away safaris, to anticipate sighters and other flubs.

Either.

But I'm partial to the .280 with a good 150gr bullet.

Well you are pretty much comparing a 308 to a 30-06, either one will do and do just fine for any sort of reasonable shot on Elk or anything else for that matter! The question becomes what is a reasonable distance to shoot? That is up to you and no one else, since chances are there is going to be nobody watching when you get or if you get a shot! Take the one you think you can carry all day for about a week and still hit a basket ball off hand at 50 to a 100 yards with. As I get older two things are happening in my hunting, I don't like to carry more that I need to of anything, A day pack of about 15 to 25 lbs and a sub 8 lb rifle is about all I want to carry, Have a great hunt!

Darick: I own both calibers you are considering.
I have not killed an Elk yet with my 338 Federal so won't comment on it.
I have though killed a nifty 5x5 Bull Elk with my custom 280 Remington. I was Hunting Mule Deer at the time but an Elk opportunity came up and I mortified that Bull with a Nosler 140 grain Partition.
IF... I were specifically Hunting Bull Elk with the 280 Remington I would definitely use 160 grain Nosler Partitions in peppy loads!
I have killed other Bull Elk with the 7m/m Remington Magnum and these 160 grain Nosler Partitions.
Best of luck to you on your Montana Hunt.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Darick I shoot a 7x57Ackley but have always said if I was starting over I would build 7.5lb 280Remington and call it good. Now that I'm on the down hill side of my hunting I'm going to have a 338Federal built to finish off my hunting career. Both will work fine out to 400yds if you can shoot. powdr

My choice would be (is) the .280. Bullets of choice are either the Barnes 140 gr. TSX or the Nosler Accubond.
The .280 can be had, or built, in a lightweight, low recoiling rifle with plenty of punch for elk or anything else you care to hunt, shy of the big bears.

Either one, with confidence.

My 22� .338WM launches a 225g AB @ 2750fps. A .338 Fed can launch the same bullet well past 2350, but even at that velocity it will retain 1500fpe past 550 yards. Given a 200 yard zero, a 36� drop (roughly the height from brisket to back on a mature animal) gives you a range of 425 yards. Maximum Point Blank Range for a 6� target would be about 240 yards.

By contrast my .280 Rem pushes a 140g AB to 3038fps (26� barrel on a Ruger #1, so same overall length as most rifles with a 24�� barrel). That load retains 1500fpe another 25 yards, to 575. Zeroed for 260 yards, MPBR is about 305 yards and a 36� drop occurs slightly past 525 yards.

If those won�t suffice for 99% of your elk hunting you�re doing something very different than most people.

Given that the 338 Fed launches a 160 TTSX at ~3030 and a 280ai launches a 160 at the mid 2900's, I don't think the difference will be measurable at any normal range. Both will do quite well.

Just about any reasonable cartridge will kill elk as long as bullets go where they need to be.

In my opinion, the .280 Remington is the best cartridge EVER designed. That's because of properties of .284 caliber bullets. A 160 grain .284 bullet has superior sectional density and ballistic coefficients than 180 grain .308 caliber bullets.

.284 caliber caliber bullets are legendary for penetration. A long ago living fella up and culled darn near a thousand elephants with a 7x57.

Nothing in North American will be long for this world were it to take a 175 grain Partition leaving a .280 Remington's barrel at 2800 FPS as long as that bullet goes in the right place. Please keep in mind that bigger cartridges will not compensate for bad shooting.

I don't have a dog in this race. I when I was much older and knew everything about everything, knowing anything about the .280 Remington musta slipped my all-knowing mind. As I've acquired wisdom, I've come to recognize that there's magic in .284 caliber bullets, and the .280 Remington won't beat the heck outta bench shooters, which is where rifle confidence is made.

I do own a 7MM Rem Mag. It does live up to its reputation. But truth be told, there ain't spittin' difference between the 7MM Rem Mag & .280 Rem.

In my opinion, the .280 Rem is the quintessential one-rifle-battery for ALL North American hunting.

Were I accorded a rifle do-over, I'd buy the best rifle I could afford (hopefully a Sako) in .280 Rem and spend the rest of my money creating hunting memories.

Question: 338 federal or 280 rem
Answer: Yes.

I hunt elk with a 30-06 and 180 grain Nosler Partitions hand-loaded to perform like a .300 magnum (61 grains RL22 � 2,870 fps). BTW the trajectory is identical to Federal Premium 30-06, 150 grain Sierra Game King BTSP so I can use the same rifle for deer and elk without adjusting my scope.

I think the middle calibers, anything from as small as .270 to as big as .338 magnum, are best suited for hunting elk. I recommend a minimum of 150 grain premium controlled expansion bullets. It�s my opinion that anything bigger than a .338mag is more gun than necessary and I don�t enjoy the recoil of those big calibers. A well placed shot from just about any legal caliber will kill an elk but nothing will work right with bad bullet placement, so one needs to use a caliber with which they are comfortable and proficient and take the time to get it right the first time.

KC

Lots of excellent advice in boomwack's post.

I'd bring them both if you can. Carry the Federal if you're hunting in the thick stuff and bring the 280 if you anticipate a long shot.

.338-06

Don't internet much got a life, hunt'n season and what not. But to follow up late on sanssouci response to my post, thank you sanssouci. Question... do you know a fella that would answer to the nick-name of hodge??

"Hodge" would argue the point of the .280 also.... He has ran one almost as long as me

When I hunted elk, I used a .338 Win Mag with Nosler partition bullets, mostly the 250-grain.

My brother-in-law usually hunted with me and used a .280 Remington and various factory-loaded ammo. He killed his elk just as dead with the .280 as I did with the .338 Win Mag.

That being said, I'd rather use a .280 Remington for elk hunting than a .338 Federal because, as other posters have noted, the .280 will shoot flatter at the longer ranges.

No, it said "If ya ain't got a 270, you ain't got shiit."

I know because I have that bumper sticker... Dober had them made up years back.

A 280 is a wannabee 270...

See, a 270 is shiit.

Yup, it's the shiit!

If one already owns a 25.06, it seems hard to justify purchasing a 280 as the 25.06, with today's loads, wouldn't present such a remarkable difference from the 280, would it?

Isaac,
Good point but range has a lot to do with the decision. The payload far out will be heavier with the .280 but inside usual hunting ranges, you are likely spot on.
John

The only stupid questions are the ones you already know the answer too. Look inside yourself grasshopper. Lol.

I use the 338 WM. If I broke the stock on that I'd go to my 300 WM or the 350 RM. It would be a while before I got to the 280 (after the 06). But in open country I'd take the 280 over the 338 Federal. I'd also use premium bullets - Nosler Partitions are the ones I use. If I had nothing else to shoot, I'd use a 270, but that would be like using a half length rubber.

I am hurt.

I'm surprised at you! Here we are trying to help the op recognize his addiction and to help him through it. . We all know the magic number of rifles is N + 1 where N is the number of rifles you currently own. Nothing wrong with adding another rifle to the stable (why not add 2?) Just makes for longer, pleasurable days at the range!

+1

You know, a 338 Fed will shoot a 160gn bullet a couple hundred feet per second faster than a 280 Rem. I'm 1 gn under and 50FPS under Barnes published data for the .338 160 TTSX. Running ~3020-3040. You certainly don't have the BC, but it's still not bad. I don't think wither cartridge will disappoint.

I've killed a bunch of em with my .280 and 140 gr TTSX. I also have a 300 wby that I never take because the .280 does such a good job and hurts me less!

Either is capable---I would choose the 280, only if a .340 Weatherby were not available

280 with a 150 Ballistic Tip.

Or a 120TTSX...or a 162 Amax...or a 168 VLD....or a 150 LR Accubond...maybe even a 139 Horny!

Laughing, but my first .280, a Ruger #1, would have come home with me even if chambered for the more antiquated and grossly inferior .270.

When I sold the #1 a few weeks back a .270 bolt gun would have been acceptable as a replacement but I already had .280 dies, brass and 7mm bullets. (I also shoot a 7mm RM.)

So while I still �ain't got shiit", I do have another .280.

The equation might be better and more correctly expressed as
M = n + m

where M = Magic Number, n = number currently owned and m >= 1.


In many cases "m" will be greater than 1, especially if the value of "n" is low. Also, the value of "m" tends to correlate with financial circumstances, socio-political events, etc.

This formula works for handguns as well.

The 280 is a fine cartridge to be sure but it tries to fill a gap that doesn't need filling. Both the 270 and 30-06 have long histories and great track records. The 280 just doesn't offer any great superiority over either. It would be much more popular if either of the others hadn't come first.

By comparison, the 7mm-08 puts a bullet with a higher BC in the good old 308 case. There isn't a smaller round using the same case until you get down to the 243. I don't know why there isn't a commercial 270 version of the 308. I'm sure that someone has experimented with it. I suspect that it would be a good one, but likely without any advantage over the 7mm-08.

Aint no way you kilt that big whistle buck with no 270. Everyone knows they bounce off elk. Nice bull! Back about 40 years ago I read in an Outdoor Life or such an old indian was quoted as saying. "Any gun good shoot em good". Makes sense to me.

7-08 with a 150 Ballistic Tip works too...

The 280 is the schizzl. Top is Pards 280 and the 140 TSX at just over 500 yds and the other is mine with a 280 and 150 partition at just under closer. :-)

And then there is a 270 and the 130 TSX at a long ways and another 280 and the 140 TSX closer. They all work well. :-)

The 338's are Impressive also.

You just skipped over the 260 Rem with that comment.

Oops, my bad. I totally forgot about that one. I've never even seen a 260, let alone shot one. It's not very common around here.

pathfinder they both look pretty dead to me.

The 270 has more magical pixie dust powers than the 280. Just point one at an animal and he dies.

Being a 270 Win fan since old enough to lift a rifle, and seeing done, and doing so much with one, is probably the only reason I have never owned a 280.

The 270 or 280 loaded with partitions, Accubonds or TSXs will get 'er done.

Yes, 280...to the the OP's query.

And the performance of the 7-08 is reason enough. After watching daughter I had to wonder why I felt the need to burn so much more powder to drive a 180g.

Probably just getting cheap...

280.

140 NPT or Bitterroot ( have a stash).

Today,a TTSX more than likely. Never used them but friends I trust say good things.

Believe me. They are! :-)

Now if I could just add a cow elk bergered at 750 yds to the collection I'd have something.

Why is it that people shoot cow elk hanging out in the next zip code so often?

They come in herds....it's all those eyes watching you try to get closer.

The cows are too smart .

I was at the range today and a guy showed up with an older Rem 700 with a synthetic stock that said 7mm Rem Express on the barrel. First time I've seen one of those stamped that way. Pretty neat. I'm not sure how popular the 280 Rem really is, but I've seen quite a few around here over the years.