Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .280 rem velocity

The .280 case capacity is nearly identical [perhaps 1-2 gr. greater--depending on brand] to the .284 WIN. (Which is, in itself, of the same capacity as the .30-06 case)
Try some loads for the .284 and you might find what you are seeking.

The .280 was/is downloaded by the factories in [deference to] the autoloaders for which it was initially introduced. Which, by the way, makes no sense at all, because the .270 Win. was also chambered in those same autoloaders at somewhat higher pressure. Still makes no sense at all. Try the .284 load data.
WILL

NTG a 280 is one of lifes better things... There aren't many 7mm's I don't like.

I've always sort of felt that the next jump in the same caliber is something on the order of the 7 Rem Mag,the objective being for me not more speed from 140 gr 7mm bullets, but the ability to push 160-175 gr bullets in the 3000 fps+ range,or about what the 280 gets with 140-150.

True we are burning a bit more powder but recoil is still manageable and we get whatever advantage accrues to the heavier bullets while still getting high velocity. That's where the bigger 7mm's come in IME.

Thanks Bob and Bighorn for the input. I know I'll get a 280 (or maybe 280ai) barrel some day and put it on a savage. This out of a guy that has a 270, knowing they're not that different, LOL!

Bighorn, what load do you have to push the 140 Barnes to 3050? It's interesting that Barnes shows the 270 with a 140 going to near 3050, but they don't show the 280 with a 140 doing that. I wish they'd show loads to load in "modern bolt actions" or do a load work up on the 280ai.

NTG I was not dumping on what you were saying and agree that 60 fps is not enough to consider.I guess my only point is that I tend to go with what I see from rifles I've actually used and loaded for,which in both the 7/08 and 280 have pretty much all had 22" barrels(I have had a couple of 7/08's with 20" barrels as well.

I note that Nosler used 26" barrels for both in working up their data, but in the 22" 7/08s I've worked with velocities ran in the 2800-2850 fps range, or about what I have also seen from the 7x57 with barrels of the same length.

I know the 7/08 is the pet cartridge of many on here and I have seen some pretty giddy velocities posted for it but I have never seen the cartridge hit some of those speed levels.

OTOH,and as Brit points out above I have also seen any run of the mill 280 with a 22" barrel hit 3000,3050 fps.with 140 gr bullets and a variety of powders. I also found that, using RL 22 I have seen velocities hit over 3100 fps but was not comfortable using those loads on a continuing basis...sort of pushing the envelope much the same way we might if we see a 7/08 hit over 2900 fps with the same bullets.

So for me and rifles I've used the real world difference seems to be more on the order of 150-200 fps difference between the two in the same barrels. I tend to look at weighted averages from rifles I've actually shot as opposed to what the manuals say.

I used to own a 7mm Rem. Mag., that I handloaded for. Used 160 gr. Game Kings almost exclusively, loaded to 2950 fps, and had good success on game up to moose with it.

Then, along came Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets, giving performance in the .280 with 140 gr. bullets at 3050 fps. so close to that of the 7mm that I couldn't tell the difference. The 7mm Rem. went down the road, and the .280 sits at the front of the gun safe nowadays.

pharmseller for 23 fps I ain't gonna argue the point.It's within the range of "normal".