I am looking at getting my next bolt rifle and am looking at the 280 Remington. I want something more unique but effect on game up to elk size.
I was hoping for some input from those that have hunted with this round. Good, bad, or ugly
Thanks for the input

If you want a .280, go with the Ackley chamber, it improves the rem geometry for more capacity and a more efficient burn.

Dad has a 280 rem. It shoots good and does great on deer size game. I would assume it would do good on elk also.

If your not going to shoot distance with it then it is little different than a 270. I was considering something similar a while back and decided not to. My caliber choices came down to 280 AI, 7mm rem mag and 7mm wby mag.

280 is a fine round as it is, if you are a reloader the 280AI is a good option as well. Have read it from more than one outdoor scribe that the 280 is what the 270 should have been.

Interesting note, if you compare a 270 and 280 the latter will have a little longer case body. That is to prevent the 280 from being fired in a 270 chamber.

I bought a used Ruger "canoe paddle" bolt in .280, stainless. Cleaned it up and put a Leupold scope on it. It's been my go-to rifle for the last few years. Although I don't really abuse it, I do think I hunt better with a rifle I'm not worried about scratching. Hasn't failed me yet.

some good thoughts here, thank you for sharing!

+1. Jim Carmichael calls it the pefect caliber for everything short of the big bears. I've never owned one but have no reason to doubt all the accolades it receives.

I had one built last year and love it. Recoil is mild and I wouldn't be scared to take it elk hunting. I'm running 140 gr Accubonds and they do the job quite well. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Got my 1st 280 in the 60's and haven't been without one since. It's so similar to the 270 that in the field you'll probably never be able to tell the difference. So if you want something different, it's the perfect choice.

IMO,for elk, the 280 would be marginally better than the 270 due to the availability of heavier bullets.

And I've done the AI thing. IMO, not worth the trouble.

If starting from scratch, why not just go with a 7 Rem Mag? The hand-loader can make it sing, and the non-hand loader can get a large variety of ammo.

I think the 280 rem will deliver just like a 7 RM will but with less recoil. Granted, it uses less powder so it is a little slower, but not by much. I also wanted a round that was more unique.

Just curious. I presume you load your own.

Looks like from the charts it's pretty close to the 7 mag as is to me....

Mass produced ammo offerings?

As I stated before, the hand loader can make the Rem Mag sing. Look at a chart of a 180 gr, BC .659, MV 3000 fps. Same exact thing as comparing a 30-06 to a 300 Win Mag.

But if a guy wants a 280, more power to him. Not trying to change minds, just curious as to why not the Rem Mag and that has been explained.

On my 2nd 280 and love it. 140gr Accubonds pushed to the max is a very deadly rifle. I have the Remington LSS which is no longer made.

My dad bought a Remington Model 725 280 in 1958. He mounted a Weaver 6X scope and used it until he passed away in 1996. My son has used it ever since (he did replace the scope, mount and rings three years ago). It has never failed to do it's job. BTW dad once killed a feral bull with it...I believe it would effective on any North American game except Grizzly Bears...

Yes, I will

That is pretty much what I have read on the round also.

Mass-produced ammo today is pretty shiny compared to what it used to be in all but the cartridges capable of being loaded in older rifles with weaker actions. Especially if one steps up the the premium offerings. The reasons for handloading today have much more to do with economics and super-fine accuracy tweakings than velocity gains.

I'll add that I'm sure long-range applications are a whole different ball game.'

JRJ6, you said you are looking for something "unique", and the .280/.280AI certainly fills the bill. I assume this is why you are bypassing the very similar. 270 and the 7mm RM, as FiremanJG has posted. You could build up a rifle based on the latter two cartridges for a lot less fuss and muss than a .280AI, which would really be UNIQUE.

But then it just wouldn't be as much fun, would it? Long ago, I became smitten by the ancient 7x57 Mauser and have owned, shot, and loaded for that caliber ever since. It does absolutely nothing that a 7mm-08, a .270, a .284, or a .280 can't do as well or better.

Some folks like football, some basketball, some baseball, and some hockey. I like the 7x57. I say follow your heart and build your rifle.

dawaba, I have rifles in 270 win and 7mm RM. I have never fired a 280 rem, just read online about it. I was hoping to get people's real life experiences with the round though. It's always better to have someone who has actually used the round to help make a decision.

When they say "they don't build em like they used to", that's very true with rifles and ammo. They are all better today. But surely you know that it is a rare occasion for mass produced ammo to achieve what a hand load tuned to the rifle can do. Hang out in the Reloading forum and you will see what lengths we go through to get everything perfect. In this case a giant machine in a factory cannot do what we can do loading manually. That being said, keep the playing field even, hadloaded 280 against handloaded 7 Rem Mag squeezing all the perfromace each can do. The 280 and the 7 Rem Mag are not even. Again I go back to the 30-06 and the 300 Win Mag.

But this is all a moot point, since OP stated why he wants a 280 and that he will be loading his own. And again, I was just curious as to why not go Rem Mag, and he explained. So lets not highjack his thread.

Over the last few years I have been shooting and experimenting with the .280 I have grown to really like the Hornady 154sst and the 154 interbonds.
The particular rifle I have is in a "Mountain Rifle" configuration, light weight slim lines etc. I've been fortunate enough to harvest a hand full of different animals with it including a darn nice bull. It hits plenty hard and it happens to be one of those rifles that "just feels right". If I was going for another custom I'd go with the AI version "just because". But I'm more than satisfied with the standard offering.

I have 2 standards and 1 AI. Derrick at Horizon is getting ready to start another AI project for me as soon as i get him all of my components. As soon as I shoot barrel out of my Forbes .280, it will be come back as an AI. Just trying to make them all the same so I dont have to load for both of them. Get the standard .280, you wont be disappointed. Since you are handloading, it is really easy. Brass is easy to find, tons of good bullets available, plus it isnt very powder sensitive. Put a 140 AB over H4831 and rock on.

I bought a Steyr .280 back in September and since have shot 3 Elk with it. All went down quickly with no muss or fuss just hammered them. I shot two with 160 accubonds and the last one with the 168gr Berger. My load with the 168gr is running 2930fps which is right on the heels of the 7mm magnum.