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.280 vs 7mm mag

93glide93glide Member Posts: 30 ✭✭
edited June 2005 in Ask the Experts
Could anyone who uses these two calibers tell me the differences between these two. I am deciding on a barrel for my Encore and it's down to these two. I know the knockdown is greater on the 7mm but I'd like to know other differences.

Thanks

Comments

  • DONDALINGERDONDALINGER Member Posts: 1,541 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    GLIDE, If you are referring to the 7mm Rem Mag (as opposed to the 7mm express which is identical to the .280)The 7mm mag is a belted round meaning it headspaces off the belt on the brass not on the bottleneck(case shoulder) like the .280. I personally prefer the .280. If you want to shoot antelope at 600 yds. you may want to opt for the 7mm mag. The 7mm mag is an extremely flat shooting, powerful and accurate round. I had one and it was the most accurate gun I have owned to date. I ended up giving it to my brother. I bought the .280 Browning Abolt stalker. The .280 is basically a 30-06 case necked down to take a 7mm bullet. Just like the .270 only the .280 has more sectional density. The ammo is cheaper for a .280, but there are not alot of bullet weights available for factory ammo. I reload the 140 gr. Noslers in mine and they are devaststing on deer. You will probably get alot of opinions on this one. I guess to sum it up, I opted for the .280 after owning the 7mm mag because the .280 is plenty efficient, accurate and you will get a longer barrel life with less recoil. I have seen deer my brother in law killed with his 7 mm mag, and the bullet actually disintegrated inside the deer, no exit hole, just alot of gel from the hydrostatic shock and bits and pieces of copper and lead.

    "They call me Don. Dr. Jason Donald Dalinger."
  • ern98ern98 Member Posts: 1,725 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You know there will be many different takes on these two cartridges. The 7mm-06, aka 280rem, will do anything that the great 30-06 will do just with more velosity. Well, so will the 7mmMag. I suppose that it all comes down to what we all do with these rifles. Given that you are talking about your Encore, then the argument that the 280rem will take 4 in the mag instead of 2 like most 7mmmags doesn't count. I personally have my 280rem and then I step up to a 300weatherby and I also step down to my 25-06. So I don't really see a need here for a 7mmMag. Others will set it out differently. So, lets try this, the 7mmMag is, next to the 30-06, the best choice for a one gun battery you could make. Oh nevermind you have an Encore which has multipal barrels. Personally for where and what I shoot 7mm at the 280rem does everything I want and I don't see the need for the extra recoil, muzzle blast and such, so I shoot the 280rem. By the time I need a magnum for hunting I think I want something more then just a 7mm. Just my opinion.
  • stevegsteveg Member Posts: 845 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    what about a 308 would it fit in this disscusion theres plenty of 308 ammo cheap
  • gskyhawkgskyhawk Member Posts: 4,773
    edited November -1
    my Ruger 77V in 280 gives me well under 1 " groups at 100 yards, about 2 1/4" at 300 yards and does it with a 154 gr Hornady spire pt on top of IMR 4350 leaving the Mz at 2900fps,,,,,, I have pushed the load up to 3100 fps but the groups where opening up so backed off to the load stated about , what more would you want? [8D]

    now if you where talking a 1 gun battery that you would use that same rifle for every thing up to the size of elk them I would go with a 7mm mag but thats not the case here , go with the 280 and if you ever need some thing bigger then just buy a new barrel [:D]
  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    93glide,

    Caliber wise I like the .280. While both it and the 7mm Rem mag shoot the same dia. bullet, the .280 kicks less. If you are talking shooting long range it's the 7mm dia. bullet that does the work there. With the best ballistic coeffients of any caliber, I prefer to let the bullet flight characteristics take over vs. the magnum recoil.
    I forgot to mention that in a recent post regarding .308-v.-7mm Rem mag. to SteveG.

    The 7mm Rem mag will always have the advantage over the .280 even at long distances velocity-wise, but beyond 400 yds. it's so close it doesn't matter. 400 yds. is where great ballistics(high BC) takes over from velocity, and the bullets fly better than just about any caliber out there.
    I would do like reloading...start low and work up. You have the advantage of getting both if you want. -Good luck

    We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    tough question,...

    I have the 7mm rem mag and the Ackley Improved version of the 280rem. Both have been near flawless on game, and very easy to load for. If you will be under 400yds or so, no need for the magnum unless you plan to hunt heavy game. The heavy bullets will obviously shine when shoved by the magnum, but if the 150gr class is what you plan to use, the 280 will be more than enough. Either choice is a good one,..but far more factory ammo exists for the rem mag than the 280, so that may be enough to make your decision if you don't plan to handload.


    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Here is a synopsis of the two cartridges:

    .280 Remington

    During the early 1940's, engineers at Remington began to develop two 7mm cartridges on the .30-06 and the .300 H&H Magnum cases. Both projects were shelved during World War II and it was not until 1957 that Remington got around to introducing the .280 in the Model 740 autoloading rifle. During the next year when the Model 725 bolt action was introduced, it too was available in .280 caliber. The .280 Remington is an offspring of the .30-06 with its shoulder angle moved forward to prevent it from being accidentally chambered in a rifle of .270 Winchester caliber.

    Three factors kept the .280 from quickly becoming one of our most popular cartridges, as it rightfully should be. For one, the .270 Winchester which offers similar performance, had already won the hearts of America's hunters. Secondly, Remington chose to load the .280 to chamber pressures lower than was common for the .270 Winchester. Last, and possibly most influential of all, until the 7mm Remington Magnum was introduced in 1962, cartridges of 7mm caliber were only mildly popular in the U.S.

    In 1979, in an attempt to revive their dying cartridge, Remington changed its name to 7mm Remington Express. The name change accomplished little except to confuse shooters. A few years later the cartridge became known as the .280 Remington.

    As this was written, the .280 Remington is doing better than it ever has before. Ruger's Model 77 is available in this caliber and the Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle in .280 is outselling it's other calibers (including the .270 and .30-06) by a considerable margin. During 1986 and 1987, demand for the .280 Mountain Rifle far exceeded production capabilities. The .280 Remington is an excellent choice for hunting all North American game except the big bears. For deer sized game, a 140 grain bullet pushed along with H4350, H414, IMR-4831, or W-760 is an excellent choice. For elk and other similar size game, try H4831, IMR-4831 or any other powder of similar burning rate behind a 160 grain spitzer.


    Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition

    302087.jpg


    7mm Remington Magnum

    A number of people should be given equal shares of credit for the introduction of the 7mm Remington Magnum. There was Warren Page who had many friends at Remington and who sang the praises of a wildcat called 7mm Mashburn Super Magnum in many of his hunting articles. There was Les Bowman who also had many friends at Remington and who necked up the .264 Winchester Magnum case to 7mm and had a rifle built in what he called .280 Remington Magnum. Jack O'Connor's name probably should be on this list since his gift of a rifle in .275 H & H Magnum is what sparked Bowman's interest in a 7mm magnum cartridge.

    We must not overlook Remington's own Mike Walker who took note of what was being said and who nudged Remington brass into making the right move. It was a good move too. Since the advent of smokeless powders, no more than a couple of other cartridges have been so successful so quickly as the 7mm Remington Magnum. For several years after its introduction in 1962 the demand for Model 700 rifles in this caliber far exceeded Remington's ability to produce them.

    Only a small handful of other cartridges have served dual roles as well as Remington's Big Seven. It has established an enviable record as a big game cartridge and as an accuracy cartridge for 1000 yard competition. Sierra, Hornady, and Speer offer superbly accurate match grade bullets in 7mm caliber, and those firms as well as Nosler and Remington make excellent big game bullets for the handloader.

    When loaded with a 140 grain spitzer, the 7mm Remington Magnum is a powerful and flat shooting cartridge, but for all use on game up to the size of elk and moose the cartridge is seen at its best with a 160 grain bullet loaded to about 3000 fps. For big game loads, the single best powder for use with all bullets weights is H4831. When loading the heavier bullets, H1000 also does a fine job. In target rifles, faster burning powders such as H4350 and IMR-4350 often produce the best accuracy with match grade bullets.


    Source: Hodgdon Data Manual 26th Edition

    302088.jpg


    What all this means is that there can be approximately 200 fps. difference in velocity between the two cartridges which can amount to approximately 300 ft/lbs of energy with the edge going to the 7mm Rem. Mag. in power.

    Best.
  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I like the .280,but I have been hunting with my brother who uses a 7 mag and have witnessed him cleanly take a white tail buck at 500 yards.Sorry, I'm not much help either.
  • stevegsteveg Member Posts: 845 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    everyone is going to have there own preference as to 7mm 280 3006 the best thing that you can do if you know some people that have the different cal. try shooting them untell you find the one you like and does what you wont it to
  • mbsamsmbsams Member Posts: 1,076 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The only reasonable solution to this problem is to buy a 270
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