.280 Rem?
12-17-2011, 08:05 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Baileyville, Maine
Posts: 8
.280 Rem?
Ok so Im new to this forum and was just hoping to get someones opinion on a .280 Rem Rifle, I currently hunt with a Ruger M77 Mark II 7mm Rem Mag. and was looking into picking up a new rifle for mostly whitetail, bear, moose is the biggest it will probably see. My brother hunts also with a Ruger M77 Mark II chambered in .308 win. and he had no problem taking down a nice bull moose that dressed out at 875lbs. Ive read alot on the .280 round and Its a strong candidate for my next rifle but I want to make sure it will be worth the money and not just something thats going to hang on the wall and collect dust. Thanks
12-17-2011, 08:40 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,832
Well if you have a 7mm Rem Mag, a .280 Rem would probably just collect dust.. Both are .284 bullet diameter and both are very close in ballistics.
The .280 Rem is based on a 3006 necked to a .284 bullet. The 7mm Rem Mag is based on the the H&H case necked to a .284 bullet. The 300Win .338Win .264 Win and .7mm Rem are all examples that where develped from necking up and down the .375 and 300 H&H cases..
The 7mm Rem Mag has an edge, in performance, but no animal will tell when hit in the right spot. Both have very close to the same recoil which are both very manageable.. Believe it or not the 7mm Rem Mag cartridges are probably cheaper than the .280 Rem at least in my neck of the woods they are probably because of popularity..It's up to you, but they are almost identical in performance..I'd say step up to a .338 Win Mag for moose and bear if you can handle the recoil and place your shots properly, and use the
7mm Rem Mag for deer if you really want another caliber of rifle. But you have a rifle at the moment that is more than capable of killing any one of these animals over and over again.. You can't go wrong with a 7mm Rem Mag..It's one of the most versatile calibers a one person gun hunter can own..But .338 is the ideal bear and moose caliber if you are looking for another caliber of rifle to hunt with..
The .280 Rem is based on a 3006 necked to a .284 bullet. The 7mm Rem Mag is based on the the H&H case necked to a .284 bullet. The 300Win .338Win .264 Win and .7mm Rem are all examples that where develped from necking up and down the .375 and 300 H&H cases..
The 7mm Rem Mag has an edge, in performance, but no animal will tell when hit in the right spot. Both have very close to the same recoil which are both very manageable.. Believe it or not the 7mm Rem Mag cartridges are probably cheaper than the .280 Rem at least in my neck of the woods they are probably because of popularity..It's up to you, but they are almost identical in performance..I'd say step up to a .338 Win Mag for moose and bear if you can handle the recoil and place your shots properly, and use the
7mm Rem Mag for deer if you really want another caliber of rifle. But you have a rifle at the moment that is more than capable of killing any one of these animals over and over again.. You can't go wrong with a 7mm Rem Mag..It's one of the most versatile calibers a one person gun hunter can own..But .338 is the ideal bear and moose caliber if you are looking for another caliber of rifle to hunt with..
Last edited by Jeff Ovington; 12-17-2011 at 09:12 PM.
12-17-2011, 09:04 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Baileyville, Maine
Posts: 8
Yea that was kind of what I was thinking I love my 7mm Mag. but im looking for something different I think I will step it up to the .338 Win. seems like overkill though for my neck of the woods. My 7 does a good job and carries out amazingly at long range but the only problem Ive seen is its a smaller caliber lead at a high velocity and if you dont hit something hard or experiment with different loads you can follow a very faint blood trail for a long ways through the woods. If I step up to the .338 I have a feeling I will never run into that sort of issue again.
12-18-2011, 04:36 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: WY
Posts: 2,056
Okay, this "trailing" thing. In over 30 years now, hunting pronghorn, deer, elk, caribou, and moose with .243s, .30-60, .300 Wby and .375 H&H - I've but once had to rely on a blood trail to find an animal that I'd hit. That animal was a grizzled old 5x5 bull elk who took a 300 gr .375 GK from an H&H through the boiler room. That bullet was so heavy that it went out at the same diameter it went in. Yeah, it left a blood trail, but I would have much preferred it take a couple steps and collapse, rather than run 100 more yards into the thick timber.
As far as versatility goes, your 7RM will do it all. Jumping up to a heavier caliber doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be more effective, particularly if you find yourself having to trail animals often - which suggests to me that they're not being hit particularly well or that your bullets are not performing well.
You may want to consider the distances you're shooting at? I've not hunted in Maine, but I've always been led to believe that it's not the open steppes like we have here out west? I've become very conscious that it's possible to drive a bullet at such high velocity that it doesn't perform well at SHORT ranges (100 yards or less). I've seen that with standards like the .30-06 and .270, so I'm certain there's potential for the 7RM to do the same. That your brother "easily took down a moose" with a .308 supports that argument, while also fueling the concept that bigger (or faster) is not necessarily better. In spite of lots of marketing fluff and opinions, the .308 remains a fine deer/elk/moose cartridge out to 300 yards.
Again, your 7RM can handle every game animal on this continent. It's particularly well-suited for long range hunting. If you find that your hunting isn't "long range", rather than the .338, I suggest you look at something based on the .308 case (.308, 7mm-08, .260, or .243) - all of which will handle deer-sized game easily. Save your RM for the moose or the long-range work. OR - drop to something even smaller (.223, etc.) and hone your shooting skills and/or do some predator work.
As far as versatility goes, your 7RM will do it all. Jumping up to a heavier caliber doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be more effective, particularly if you find yourself having to trail animals often - which suggests to me that they're not being hit particularly well or that your bullets are not performing well.
You may want to consider the distances you're shooting at? I've not hunted in Maine, but I've always been led to believe that it's not the open steppes like we have here out west? I've become very conscious that it's possible to drive a bullet at such high velocity that it doesn't perform well at SHORT ranges (100 yards or less). I've seen that with standards like the .30-06 and .270, so I'm certain there's potential for the 7RM to do the same. That your brother "easily took down a moose" with a .308 supports that argument, while also fueling the concept that bigger (or faster) is not necessarily better. In spite of lots of marketing fluff and opinions, the .308 remains a fine deer/elk/moose cartridge out to 300 yards.
Again, your 7RM can handle every game animal on this continent. It's particularly well-suited for long range hunting. If you find that your hunting isn't "long range", rather than the .338, I suggest you look at something based on the .308 case (.308, 7mm-08, .260, or .243) - all of which will handle deer-sized game easily. Save your RM for the moose or the long-range work. OR - drop to something even smaller (.223, etc.) and hone your shooting skills and/or do some predator work.
12-18-2011, 06:29 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Adirondacks
Posts: 1,305
I have Ruger' Hawkeye AW in .280.It shoots extremely well.In fact it's the most accurate gun I have seen shot for myself by anyone in person.As the others said there's not much difference from your 7RM so I to would suggest considering the 7-08 if you want to stay with a 7mm.
12-18-2011, 07:09 AM
#7
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Baileyville, Maine
Posts: 8
Yeah i agree with you guys, each year I have been trying different loads for my 7mm, to see on whitetail what offers optimal expansion, and accuracy, hunting in maine can be difficult because we have alot of mixed terrain, shots can range from 20 yards to 400 yards, this last fall was the closest shot I have ever had on a deer, the buck came out of a thicket into a clearing I was watching, only problem is he came out about 20 yards up the clearing from my blind. Now the deer I speak of trailing was hit by my cousin using 175 Remington Core-lokt rounds, he hit just behind the rib-cage at around 125yards, I think that due to the heavier bullet the lead didnt expand like it was supposed to, but so far the best Ive found you can't find anymore in my neck of the woods, the Winchester Supreme 160grain Fail-Safe, the last 2 deer Ive shot have been with 140grain Remington Premier Accu-Points. They seem to do what I want. I personally since I inherited this rifle have not had to track anything "Ive" shot with it, but I also make sure the rifle is zeroed at 200 yards, and I know the balistic tables of the round Im using. I was interested in the .280 Rem round because its something that I thought I might like cause of the performance was similar to the 7RM, and the .338WM I was thinking about was mostly because more knockdown power for hunting out of state. Biggest game we have here is the moose, Im sure my 7RM is more than enough for that but eventually Im going to go on a hunt in Alaska for Grizzly and I want a little more assurance, although then again I always have my side-arm which Ive seen do a number on tv to Alaskan Game, so what do you guys think try different rounds for my 7RM???
12-18-2011, 07:13 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,143
Okay, this "trailing" thing. In over 30 years now, hunting pronghorn, deer, elk, caribou, and moose with .243s, .30-60, .300 Wby and .375 H&H - I've but once had to rely on a blood trail to find an animal that I'd hit. That animal was a grizzled old 5x5 bull elk who took a 300 gr .375 GK from an H&H through the boiler room. That bullet was so heavy that it went out at the same diameter it went in. Yeah, it left a blood trail, but I would have much preferred it take a couple steps and collapse, rather than run 100 more yards into the thick timber.
As far as versatility goes, your 7RM will do it all. Jumping up to a heavier caliber doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be more effective, particularly if you find yourself having to trail animals often - which suggests to me that they're not being hit particularly well or that your bullets are not performing well.
You may want to consider the distances you're shooting at? I've not hunted in Maine, but I've always been led to believe that it's not the open steppes like we have here out west? I've become very conscious that it's possible to drive a bullet at such high velocity that it doesn't perform well at SHORT ranges (100 yards or less). I've seen that with standards like the .30-06 and .270, so I'm certain there's potential for the 7RM to do the same. That your brother "easily took down a moose" with a .308 supports that argument, while also fueling the concept that bigger (or faster) is not necessarily better. In spite of lots of marketing fluff and opinions, the .308 remains a fine deer/elk/moose cartridge out to 300 yards.
Again, your 7RM can handle every game animal on this continent. It's particularly well-suited for long range hunting. If you find that your hunting isn't "long range", rather than the .338, I suggest you look at something based on the .308 case (.308, 7mm-08, .260, or .243) - all of which will handle deer-sized game easily. Save your RM for the moose or the long-range work. OR - drop to something even smaller (.223, etc.) and hone your shooting skills and/or do some predator work.
As far as versatility goes, your 7RM will do it all. Jumping up to a heavier caliber doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be more effective, particularly if you find yourself having to trail animals often - which suggests to me that they're not being hit particularly well or that your bullets are not performing well.
You may want to consider the distances you're shooting at? I've not hunted in Maine, but I've always been led to believe that it's not the open steppes like we have here out west? I've become very conscious that it's possible to drive a bullet at such high velocity that it doesn't perform well at SHORT ranges (100 yards or less). I've seen that with standards like the .30-06 and .270, so I'm certain there's potential for the 7RM to do the same. That your brother "easily took down a moose" with a .308 supports that argument, while also fueling the concept that bigger (or faster) is not necessarily better. In spite of lots of marketing fluff and opinions, the .308 remains a fine deer/elk/moose cartridge out to 300 yards.
Again, your 7RM can handle every game animal on this continent. It's particularly well-suited for long range hunting. If you find that your hunting isn't "long range", rather than the .338, I suggest you look at something based on the .308 case (.308, 7mm-08, .260, or .243) - all of which will handle deer-sized game easily. Save your RM for the moose or the long-range work. OR - drop to something even smaller (.223, etc.) and hone your shooting skills and/or do some predator work.
I also believe that a fast bullet might not expand to it's fullest potenial at close ranges. I've heard some folks say that one of the reason for the 150g bullet in the 270 was for the easten whitetail hunter,slower velocity gave the bullet better preformance at shorter distances.
As far as hunting in ME. i never hunted there either. I had a friend that lived there,her and her family did quite a bit of moose and whitetail hunting.She told me they ALL carried marlin 336 in 30-30. And they got their share of moose and deer!!
12-18-2011, 07:13 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,178
I've got a Savage 7mm-08 Hunter in the wood stock and blued barrel,bolt-action with the Leupold 3X9X40mm scope...it does a great job of taking down Whitetail Deer and doesn't have as bad a recoil as a 30-06 or .308 Rifle.This year I put down a nice big 175 lb 11-Point Buck with it,last year I dropped a 9-Point Buck in is tracks so I can't complain...and its a good accurate Rifle.I sighted mine out at 100 yards with 140 grain winchester bullets...got me a box of the Remington Managed recoil shells in 140 grains to lessen the recoil even more and was considering letting my Daughters shot it during the Youth Deason!
