280 Remington - Is it a bad choice?

[CCAguns]

My 280 AI barrel was recrowned to 21" by Ackley who didn't recommend replacing the barrel due to the Remington barrel's excellent concentricity that he measured. I would think you could get 3100 fps with a 160 gr bullet from a 24" barrel - more than enough velocity. Higher velocities reduce barrel life. Also, remember that you can still shoot 280 Remington factory ammo through the 280 AI. Although considerably slower than my AI handloads, a 160 gr factory loading is most sufficient for big game even at 2750 fps!

 

[PredatorSlayer]

You can still shoot 280 ammo in a 280AI - most of the time accuracy is still pretty awesome.

 

[hrnhntr]

I've got a 280Rem in the safe I've been considering selling if you are interested. It has 40 down the tube max. Remington XCRII Action and Barrel, B&C Stock, Timney Trigger. Great rifle, shoots lights out with factory Barnes ammo, but it has just been sitting in the safe without a scope for a few years now. Considered giving it to my son in 4 years when he turns 18. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

 

[manitou]

My .280 handloads are 140 gr Nosler accubonds pushed at 3040 fps. They group at or under .5" (unless I drink a bunch of coffee
Killed 4 animals out West this season: 621 yds, 454 yds, 379 yds and 341 yds. Love the cartridge.
I don't own a .280ai... yet, but my resistance is weakening daily. Do I need it? Nope. It's just a darned sexy cartridge.

 

[Plinker147]

280 one on my all time favorites. I had a Remington 700 in one of the first mountain rifles in a 280. Loved that rifle, sold it to make a $. That was dumb.

But now days with stamped factory brass 280Ai, no reason to have a regular 280. 280AI is beautiful
Frosting on an already delicious cake

 

[just country]

morning, rem. 280 and 260 r definitely winners
have been around awhile. 2 of the best rem.'s
justme gbot tum

 

[Kaptoe]

280ai is a spectacular Caliber. Bullet selection for a reloader is 7mm is great

Mine likes the 150s. Either Barnes or ablr

 

[wv270wsm]

Don't have any experience with the ai but the plain Jane 280 is pretty sweet. Good selection bullets pretty decent velocity and all the ones I've been around shoot really well

 

[7magcreedmoor]

I built 2 ackleys. 168 grain at 3015 in the first and 180 at 2870 in the second. 26 inch barrels. Love em.

 

[chanceinmt]

I love my .280.....My first was a Remington Mountain Rifle...sold it needed the money....the 2nd was a plain jane SS Remington....I had ER Shaw rechamber it to .280 JRS awesome rifle but alas it was stolen and the Hornady custom die set in Montana .....….my name is on a slip under the recoil pad and would love to have it back. My current .280 is an original 7mm Express with a stock change and I have killed several dozen deer and bear with it in Montana. it shoots factory Barnes 140g X, 150g Partition and 150g Rem Core Locs in the 3/8 inch group range or smaller and the Partitions are sudden death for anything I hunt. My stepdaughter started with it at 12 and has killed everything she has shot at with it no problem. The 22 inch barrel mics .665 at the muzzle and I bought it out of consignment years ago in Missoula for a song and Matt Brainard in Missoula tuned the factory trigger to about 1.5 very crisp lbs. It is the most consistently accurate hunting rifle I have ever owned or shot.....I still have the original chunky heavy basket weave impress checkered stock.

 

[twister]

get it as an AI and just shoot regular ammo most of the time.

 

[Doginab]

Looking to build/buy a 7mm rifle and leaning towards the 280 Remington. I had a 7mm-08, which is a great caliber, but sold the rifle to a young man looking for his first deer rifle. I'm partial to the long actions.

I keep bouncing between the 280 Remington and the 280 AI. I know the latter is faster, more suitable for heavier bullets but factory ammo is more expensive. I've shot magnum calibers for years, with a preference for the 340 Wby but my shoulder and I have moved past that.

My goals are modest. Looking at a 6-700 yard rifle for mule deer and elk at closer ranges. I would like to shoot bullets in the 160gr+ range. Most factory 280 Rem ammo is in the 140-150gr range but there are some in the 160gr+ range.

I have a rifle in 6.5 CM but it is a target/hunting hybrid that is better suited as a long range target rifle.

Am I being ambitious sticking with the 280 Rem given my goals?

I've had one for years, it bore the brunt of my early reloading efforts and is the most accurate of the 32 rifles I own. I don't think you'll regret it. 140 gr. @ 3000+or-. All from a 22 inch barrel.

 

[NickW]

Go Ackley. Buddy just returned from NM on an Elk hunt. Two in his group used a 280ai. One and done including one at 702 yards. Both were running 168gr Berger VLD hunting bullets. Factory ammo and brass available. Could run .280 in it if you needed / wanted.

The 3rd hunter in their group ran a 260ai with Berger 156 Elite hunters. 3 rnds in the boiler room before Elk went down. Range was 350y.

 

[nicholasjohn]

Several months ago I got a Dakota Model 10 in 280 Remington. I had wanted a 270, but got such a great deal on a really nice rifle, so I bought the 280. Now I'm glad that it's a 280, mostly because of the better bullet selection in 7mm diameter. Also, heavier bullets should do better in this cartridge than in the 270, should I decide to go that route.

I have found that most everything that has been written in this post is exactly correct. Factory ammo in 280 Remington is pretty scarce where I live, but that's OK, too - I plan to handload anyway. Also, somebody mentioned factory ammo being loaded a bit on the light side, and I would second that, too. I tried two different loads, and found them both to be 100 fps shy of advertised velocities. ( I have a 24" barrel, so the discrepancy is probably not a barrel length issue.) The loads were the 156-grain Norma Oryx, and the Hornady 150-grain ELD-X. They both shot groups of about 3/4" at 100 yards, from a barrel that had a couple dozen rounds through it at the time. I also shot a big Oregon blacktail with the Hornady, which performed beautifully. ( First shot, at 286 yards, broke the spine behind the shoulder and exited. I shot again, and the lung shot finished the deer. Found that bullet in the far-side shoulder; about half the bullet was left. It looked just like the pictures in the advertisement.)

Anyhow, I plan to load the 143-grain Hammer bullets, and I'm going to start my loading project with H-4350. This is my wintertime project, and I'm looking forward to it. The guy at Hammer Bullets told me to expect around 3050 to 3100 fps with this bullet, which seems reasonable to me. For the guy who started this thread, I would say this : If you go with the 280 Remington, I hope you're a handloader. If not, the 280 AI that a few of the guys have recommended to you might be the better way to go. You will definitely have a better selection of factory ammo in that cartridge, and an extra 75-100 fps doesn't hurt a thing. It is not a 7mm magnum, but it is very close. So is the standard 280, for that matter. Either way, I don't think you'll be disappointed.