Have the money, now I have to choose…

[Pygmy]

I remember back when I was into collecting military battle rifles..I'd get into a shop where there were HUNDREDS of them and nearly have an orgasm.

It works the other way too though..I got to a point where I just had TOO many guns..Some of them I hadn't used in years and had no good place to display them , so I sold a bunch...

Some of them I don't miss, but there are several that I wish I hadn't parted with, mostly for sentimental reasons.

[t_barb]

Pygmy, I would love to hear more about your experience with the .280..  I had a chance to buy one a few years back from someone that won it at a gun raffle (Browning A-Bolt...  Kicking myself to this day). 

 

I didn't know much about the round and had my mind set on a .270 at the time..  Seems like the bullet options are much greater with the .270 and with the .280 you are pretty much limited to 140gr. bullets..

 

Would like to get your thoughts on performance of the .280 and the variety of bullets available, as I might just be missing it.

 

Thx in advance for your help!

[Pygmy]

Let me start out by saying that I am a reloader. My .280 has never fired a factory load. Handloading makes nearly every chambering more versatile regarding bullet weights. It is a 7mm and takes the same bullets as a 7mm08 or a 7MM Remington mag. Bullets are available from 100 grains to 175 grains to handle anything from woodchucks to moose. .270 bullets are generally available from 100 to 160grains.

Factory loads are more limited for the .280, but in a quick check in the Natchez catalog I quickly found factory loads from 139 grains to 175 grains. There are lots of .270 factory loads out there in 130, 140, and 150 grain weights.

As far as performance in the field goes, the .270 and .280 with equal bullet weights are so close that it is not even worth arguing. If you want to split hairs, the .280 has marginally more velocity with equal bullet weights.

I bought the .280 because I wanted to have something that was efficient, versatile, and a little DIFFERENT.. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a .270 or a 30-06.

If I were not a handloader, I probably would buy the .270, simply for the reason of ammo availability.

As far performance on game goes, you could all your life with a .270 and a .280 side by side and neither you nor the game animals you kill would ever know the difference.