Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7x57 vs 280

Nice thread to revive. Solid info and no petty name calling.

Jerk! ..........

I have no need.for.the 280 where I live because i cannot take.advantage.of.its speed.

Oh yeah, well let your pretend fantasies of your broke smoochies, know that I shoot it all so you can keep your lazy
[bleep] on the couch.

You've been led to water.....

Laughin.....

<LOL>

I just spent about an hour reading through this thread and it's living proof of life after death.

I remember Allen Day and always thought he made sense. I may not have always agreed with him but I always paid attention.

The last few years before my accident, I was doing some serious work with the 7x57 and .280 Re. I did get the .280 close to 2900 FPS with a 160 gr. Speer Grand Slam. 2880 FPS to be exact. Rifle is an Argentine Mauser by DWM with a 24" barrel. Nice gun, a nice shooter but too damn heavy.

With the 7x57 I dinked around with it off and from 1973 to date with a lot of blank time in between. The gun from 1974 was traded off too early and I'm still kicking myself for letting that one go. Didn't pick up another until around 1982 or 3. Fellow offered way more than I paid for it a year later and it was gone.

Then about 7 0r so years ago I acquired a Ruger #1A in 7x57. Accuracy sucked big time and I never could reach the rifling. The rifle had a Wilson barrel with a 2.5" throat as determined by chamber cast. The rifle was sent back to Ruger who replaced the barrel and now I could at least have fairly decent hunting accuracy. Proper hand loads made a big difference in groups which now hover at of very close to one inch.
I found a Winchester M70 at a gun show in 7x57 for a reasonable price and it came home with me.

Most load work up has been done with the M70 and Ruger. I also have a custom Mauser that is in need of of a new receiver. Just have to drop it off at my local gunsmith. The receiver used to be barreled to .270 and would lock up with hot ammo and even with factory at times. I'd put it away way back in the mid 70's and forgot about the problem. Probably gonna get expensive.

All this leads up to what Mr. Day said in his post. Fighting cancer with a port in my right shoulder, I'm faced with either no shooting at all or the weaker factory level loads and ammo reloaded to same.

I do have 150 gr. Noslers loaded to 2880 FPS with RL17, and was planning to use that on a cow elk hunt. Hunt didn't happen due to a wreck. I also have a load with the 140 gr. Ballistic Tip that does 2800 FPS using W760. I'm thinking of breaking those down and going with factory level rounds.

Have to check with the doc this Wednesday and see if this will be feasible.
PJ

After shooting sta-ball in the 7-08 I think it should be thrown in the mix. I’ve safely pushed 160s over 2830fps in two different rifles chambered in it.

I enjoy my M77 7x57. It’s an old hollow bolt and it shoots 160 partitions well with 45 grains of H4350. I also have a 280 700 mountain rifle. It does really well with 54 grains of Ramshot Hunter and a 140. Darn thing is real snappy. The Ruger is a mild thump and the Remington is a sharp whack.

If I had to keep one or the other I’d keep the 7x57

With a 140gn bullet I get 2870 fps in my 7x57 (H4350) and 2919fps in my 280 (Re19), both with 22 inch barrels.

I would agree with you. I used StaBALL in my 7-08 as well. While I do have a .280 Rem, I still want a .280 AI and have for several years now. Too many wants and not enough funds.

Uh oh eating ramen noodle

I saw a Cooper 280AI a few days ago. Damn near bought it, but it was $1,800.00. And it was on sale!!!! They lowered the price by $300. The test target was 1 hole.

I think we are going to see the market in firearms bottom out. My buddy won a pre64 westerner in a 264 off gun broker for $1000 bucks. Only thing wrong with different recoil pad. People don’t have the money like they used too. I know where nib extreme weather in a 264 made in South Carolina selling for $1000 bucks. Not the best deal around, but selling less than what usually sell for.

I use StaBall 6.5 in my 7x57 with a 22" barrel-Hornady cases-210 primers-3.1"ol.
I watched the chronograph and worked up close to published 7-08 velocity.
145 LRX at 2930
150 NBT at 2840

I agree. Even though the current administration thinks we are not in a recession and at 0% inflation. Things are going to get worse before it gets better. On the subject of EW's though. I almost bought a 325Wizzum for $600 last year. In like new condition. I remembered you have and like that cartridge. I probably should have bought it, I was talking to a guy at the range a couple weeks ago that was looking for a good 325 for some damn reason..

Yeah man, I like reading these ol gems myself.

Yep I have a South Carolina made one.. Made in 09 I think, bought it new in 2013 at sportsman’s warehouse for $980 I think. I bought it 2 days before a moose/caribou hunt. Only bullets I could find were 200gr Speer hot-cor and imr 4007. I loaded some ammo headed to the range hoping for the best. After on paper I shot couple groups and I will be damned. Shot around an inch or less. Couple days later shot a caribou at 400yds with it.

I just compared 150 grain Nosler Partition hitting 2.5” above point of aim @ 100 meters with velocities at 2,865 FPS vs. 2,700 FPS (my 280 loads vs my 7x57 loads in Remington 700’s)
According to the application I have on my phone and the identical environment (pressure, humidity, etc.) I loaded in:
The POI at 300 yards is 4.6” low vs 6.5” below point of aim.
Velocity 2,332 FPS vs 2,186 FPS at 300 yards
Energy 1,811 ft-lb vs 1,592 ft-lb. at 300 yards also.

If that data is accurate - I think it’s close at any rate, you might draw your own conclusion regarding the 280 vs the 7x57.

If components were available and at reasonable prices it would be fun to run tests - throwing in the 7-08, 280 AI and the 7mm RM for further comparison. But it would be better if actual pressure testing was included and at the same pressure for each cartridge.

Superformance in the 280 Rem with 120gr NBT bullets is both faster and more accurate over standard powders in my tests. 60.0grs Superformance pushed the little 120's to 3173 fps. Data is from Hodgdon 2020 Annual Manual for loads. Three shots of the 120gr NBT grouped less than an inch at 100 yds which is excellent for my mountain contour 22" barrel. I need to try this powder in 140gr loads.

Well I must confess to never really caring about which bullet is faster than the other one. As long as it shoots accurately I'm good with it. I load all my own ammo and let the rifle tell me when it's had enough.
I have at the present time 2 270's, 2 7MM-08, 1 280 and 3 7X57's. Some of these are factory rifles some custom. IF I had to keep only one of them it would be one of the 7X57's. Which one would be a hard choice.
I like the classic's and the 7X57 is the epitome of classic IMHO.