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Guys,
I know this has probably been hashed out numerous times, but here goes. I am building another TC encore and have the frame and stock and am now looking for a barrel. I have plenty of reloading supplies for 7mag, but have been told (by a friend) that the .280 or even better .280ai will give me similar ballistics of a 7mag out to about 300 yards with less recoil and less pressure on my encore frame. Trying to decide which way to go. I know the .280ai costs alot more for reloading and the barrel itself, but in the long run may even out to about the same $. This is for whitetail, mulies, elk and hopefully one day bear/moose.

Thoughts?

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Your friend is right that the .280 and .280 ai will do alot. Out to 300 yds there is not alot of meaningful gain in terms of killing effectiveness on the species your refering to if you do your part and use quality bullets. I favor a 7 mag for that round. I couldn't short myself by going the other way.

Go with the 7 mag, it's a little hoh hum, but as one guy said, it's because it's too new to be nostalgic and not new enough to create alot of excitement with the newer guys. But it leaves little to be desired or to be had in 7mm.


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I'd go 7 mag.

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Three of the guys I hunt with put down the 7mm Rem Mag and went a bit stronger yet. All are pretty good medium long-range shooters. By that, I mean out to 600 yds. though. 2 opted for the 7mm STW and the other a 7mm-300 Wby. I helped with the 7mm-300 and it's a real shooter.

My personal experience is that my 280 AI shoots as hard as my 7mm Rem Mag.

No secret though. I'm not a big fan of the 7mm Rem Mag

Last edited by Steven_CO; 02/02/10.

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Well I thought since I had all of the 7mag reloading supplies why not just buy a 7mag barrel and start shooting.....

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Not a bit of harm in that. I'd never criticize. Only offer my meager opinion.

Last edited by Steven_CO; 02/02/10.

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the 7 mag is my favorite long range deer rifle

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What about a 7mm-08 compared to the 7mag.

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Originally Posted by skywalker
What about a 7mm-08 compared to the 7mag.


I hunt mulies and elk mostly. So, I probably wouldn't lean that direction, except for a youngsters perhaps.

Even for elk, the 7mm-08 will do it's job within it's limits, just like any cartridge.

You just need to decide what limits do you want to place on your hunting with respect to range and shots.

After it's all said and done it boils down to this.

There's no substitute for a well placed shot.


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Thought so. Just checking. I have researched this a good bit, but wanted some personal advice. Looks like 7mag it is. I already have a 25-06, so I figure step up to a magnum for everything else. This way I should be covered.

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I have a 26" stainless 7mag barrel I will part with. Less than a box through it. Sell or trade. Joe

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PM me price. I really want a blued fluted, but will entertain if offer is right.

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I view the 280 as waste of a good 7 Mag bullet.


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Originally Posted by 1minute
I view the 280 as waste of a good 7 Mag bullet.



I like it, that is great.


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- It is honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will meddle.
- Mischief is as sport to a fool: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

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Much as I like the 280, the 7 Mag is just simply more gun..............but also more recoil, more noise & more powder.

Generally speaking, the 7 Mag needs a bit longer throat than most come with, in order to seat 160-175 gr. bullets to the base of the neck.

Set up that way, it's quite a bit more gun than the 280.

The best I can do with any 280 I've had with 160 gr. bullets is around 2825-2850 but I can get 3170 out of the same 160 with a properly set up 7 Mag.............that's a very meaningful difference, IMHO.

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I guess if his 280 loads have similar ballistics to the 7RM, then it is operating at higher pressures than said 7RM, or my definition of similar needs to be relaxed.

That said, on a lighter package, prefer the AI--but if had all the supplies and money was factor, the 7RM can be loaded to duplicate the 280AI...


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Originally Posted by skywalker
Guys,
I know this has probably been hashed out numerous times, but here goes. I am building another TC encore and have the frame and stock and am now looking for a barrel. I have plenty of reloading supplies for 7mag, but have been told (by a friend) that the .280 or even better .280ai will give me similar ballistics of a 7mag out to about 300 yards with less recoil and less pressure on my encore frame. Trying to decide which way to go. I know the .280ai costs alot more for reloading and the barrel itself, but in the long run may even out to about the same $. This is for whitetail, mulies, elk and hopefully one day bear/moose.

Thoughts?


1. Ballistics from the 7Mag are greater at every range. If the .280 is 200-300fps behind the 7Mag, it will be so at all ranges since they shoot the same bullets.

2. The .280 and especially the .280AI are typically loaded to greater pressure than the 7Mag.

Good decision settling on the 7Mag. I have the same setup (among other rifles) for my primary hunting guns, a .25-06 and a 7Mag. The .25-06 gets used on medium to long-range shots at deer and coyotes, and the 7Mag gets used for long-range deer and anything larger (elk, moose, bear).

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Last edited by dcralston; 02/04/10.
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dcralston......I think you are confusing some cup numbers with psi numbers in that example .


actually , these days most load books will push the 2 calibers to roughly the same pressure.

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The SAAMI psi numbers for the 280 and 7RM are 60,000 and 61,000 respectively.

Max average.

Do you guys know what they placed the 280AI at--was it 65,000?


Defend the Constitution
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