Why shoot deer size game with a 280 over 7mm rem mag?

[Southernfryedyankee]

Alot of the threads I have been reading people are saying the 280 is very close to the 7mag. I have a 7mag so why should I go with 280? I personally dont care about the belt so that doesnt matter and I dont want that to be a deciding factor. I want to build another rifle for primarily deer. Is the 280 considered a light magnum or just a standard cartridge? Are there any opinions on the 280 for deer. IF I have to shoot longer than 300yds Ill take my 7 but an open field 300 yds or less I want something that will make a clean harvest and wont obliterate the meat.

[AJ Peacock]

Tons of good options out there. The 280 Ackley improved is very close to the 7mmRM. I don't think it makes much sense to build that, as you are duplicating your capability. If you want a short action 7mm, then the 284Win or 7mm-08 are good options.

When I wanted a light deer rifle I chose a .243Win. Very good light deer rifle. If I were doing it again, I'd probably build a 338 Federal for a close range deer rifle, since it would easily work for larger game at close range and the barrel life would be nearly infinite.

What other requirements do you have beside 300yd max range? Are you only looking at 7mm, only deer size game, etc.?

AJ

[Southernfryedyankee]

Originally Posted by AJ Peacock

Tons of good options out there. The 280 Ackley improved is very close to the 7mmRM. I don't think it makes much sense to build that, as you are duplicating your capability. If you want a short action 7mm, then the 284Win or 7mm-08 are good options.

When I wanted a light deer rifle I chose a .243Win. Very good light deer rifle. If I were doing it again, I'd probably build a 338 Federal for a close range deer rifle, since it would easily work for larger game at close range and the barrel life would be nearly infinite.

What other requirements do you have beside 300yd max range? Are you only looking at 7mm, only deer size game, etc.?

AJ

I have a 7mag, 308, 243, 22, 12g slugger but I have another savage action layin around and I wanted something different. I love the ballistics of the 7mm bullets so the 280 seemed like a great choice for 300 yds or less in the longer open field, the 243 or 308 for short open fields, the 12g for 150 yds or less wooded areas

[AJ Peacock]

Looks like you have the Light end of things covered. Is your Savage a long action or short? Large shank or small?

If those were the rifles I had, I'd either build a serious long range rifle (although the 7RM s likely all you need for that) or just a fun caliber.

One caliber I've been contemplating for a short action build of my own is the 338-300WSM, I have several friends that have been using them for elk the last few years.

Do you ever plan on hunting larger game than deer?

AJ

[Southernfryedyankee]

Originally Posted by AJ Peacock

Looks like you have the Light end of things covered. Is your Savage a long action or short? Large shank or small?

If those were the rifles I had, I'd either build a serious long range rifle (although the 7RM s likely all you need for that) or just a fun caliber.

One caliber I've been contemplating for a short action build of my own is the 338-300WSM, I have several friends that have been using them for elk the last few years.

Do you ever plan on hunting larger game than deer?

AJ

I have a LA small shank which kinda sucks as I would love to build a wicked long ranger. I would LOVE to hunt larger game when the time comes. If I was a reloader I would love to do a 7mm stw or 7mm allen mag, but I still have to deal with the small shank. The stw is probably more doable as it has factory ammo available and I think I can swing that on a small shank. I already have the 7mag barrel that I got from Mcgowen and now I wanna choose something new.

[AJ Peacock]

OK, not a reloader. Get with it man!

That really limits your options.

I think I have the perfect mid-range buy it off the shelf caliber, that will fit your needs perfectly.

It is also a super fun caliber. 25-06

Or the good old 270Win.

Aj

[Michael Eichele]

This is kind of like the 30-06/308 debate.

If all you were doing was shooting critters, you wouldnt use a 280 over a 7mmRM.

However, to shoot critters ethically, one needs to practice and fine tune. In this sense, a 280 is appealing to me and others since even though the 7mmRM is faster, the 280 offers less recoil, longer barrel life and is a less finicky cartridge than the 7mmRM. All of these attributes equal more time at the range and better success in the field. Dont get me wrong, the 7mmRM has its place like most other cartridges. If all you care about is power, go with the RM. If you want good power, moderate recoil and a bit better barrel life, the 280 is a better choice.

Remember, "better" is a subjective term. What is better for you? The answer will be reflected by what qualities are MORE important to you.