What to buy next? 7-08 or a 280?

I'm looking at getting another 7mm Something and narrow the everyday WTail Shooters I have to feed. Without ever shooting the unfired 7Rmg Wby VG SS S2 that was supposed to be this years expansion project, and not "really Needing" a longer range rifle from what I already have or will have an opportunity to use to it's user profile limits, but then whenever has NEED ever really been a reason to buy or not buy another rifle anyway.

So the ?? is do I buy an All Weather 7-08 (like the Wby 7Rmg is) that is a twin to my M70 Fwt 7x57's ballistics...or do I buy a 280 to plan on replacing at least one of the 270's on hand?? Shot down the idea of buying more 7x57's as they are frequently chambered wierdly, and Winchester & Ruger did not build enough of them to easily get into more shooters, and I cannot afford to buy as many SAKO, MRC's etc etc as I would like to have in a single caliber.

I know 7-08's are almost as fast a seller as 6.5 Creed's these days and right now with a 6.5 Swede I have zero interest in a 6.5CM, but the 6.5CM's sales IMO will slow down over the next 12-24 months now that the 6.5PRC's aka Next Shiney Object are within sight of being released next spring - how many times can we reinvent the wheel anyway?? - and 280's sometimes have a brass availability problem...but it's time to continue to narrow the skinny herd even more.

Gone are the days when I looked forward to maintaining and feeding as many calibers as I could find that were "different & interesting"...All Bolt Action Rifle calibers have always been interesting to me. Imelda Marcos and her shoe collection comes to mind when I used to walk thru the Shot Show looking at all the new to me toys for that year...
Ya'll thoughts.
Ron

So, you have 7 Rem Mag, 7 X 57, and a .270?

And the .270 is going away, and either a 7mm-08 or a .280 is taking its' place.

Did I get that right?

I've killed whitetails with a Chevrolet. I'm sure either will do the job. Get the one that is calling your name.

I vote 280 and I own a couple 7-08's. Worst case scenario you can size and fire form either 30 06 or 270 win. The 280 gives more horsepower to better take advantage of the selection of heavy 7mm Bullets. I've always thought the 280 was an under appreciated cartridge.

Jason, Yup, the plan is to get rid of at least one of the two 270's, and/or eventually both, and the 7Rmg and turn the 7x57 into a sunshine only shooter, then concentrate either on another Swede or some 7-08's and at least one 280 to fill the shoes of the 24" 270 M70 sporter.

Old Age is "talking to me again", as I watch a my wife's BinL go downhill faster than anybody thought. I can still "justify" using 2 calibers and mebbe having 3-4 shooters to play with...but they need to be in things that will not be difficult to pass on or cash out. All the shotguns are gone except for an 870 that fits that description....and is prepped for the primary job I bought it for.

CF Rifle hunting & punching paper is my only interest these days to stay proficient, and it does not take as many shooters at one time as I've owned in the past to cover my "needs"....just not ready for a 250 Savage kinda shooter yet, but then a Swede will cover that base too...and with a lot more options.
Ron

708 for me

Since you're keeping the 7 X 57. And since it is close to the 7mm-08. I vote .280.

You'll small, medium, large 7mm rifles.

Of course, I'd load that .280 with 162's or 168's.

280ai

The 280 is a great round when you reload.

A man after my own heart. I love my 7mm-08 but I'm really wanting a 280 to replace my 270. I bought my 7mm-08 back when they weren't popular at all and I've always liked the 280, so I tend to like more uncommon things (the 6.5 Creedmoor is an exception). I'm also a 7mm fan. I would go for the 280.

Do you reload? If so just keep the new 7mm Rem Mag and you can load it down to replicate the 7-08 and .280 as needed.

You are in a hole (too many guns). I'd stop digging and buy nothing new.

7mm08

If you are getting rid of the 270 win, why not have it rebarreled for 280 Rem ? Sounds like you already have a base rifle for it.

I love my cz550 in 7mm mauzer , the 7/08 would be another 7 mauzer.
I would go with a 280 or 280 AI . You could have your 270 rebareled in 280.

I was reluctant to get a creedmoor too, but glad i did. my buddy got one soon after i did. I know now what all the hype is about and its not realy the cartridge as it is the bullet. the .264 diameter bullet is a beast, its high bc and sd make it a killer, weve killed about 12 animals so far and this thing blows holes in them with complete pass throughs and big blood trails if they dont drop right there. plus the creedmoor shoots fantastic with factory loads and that is more of the cartridge design. my buddy got rid of his 280 after killing a few animals with his creedmoor, no need for it when the creedmoor blows through everything, with less recoil and lower priced ammo. Mine with winchester 125gr xp shoots 1/2 in groups

7/08

OK here's my thoughts..."keep the 7Rmg and download it" was my initial thought, paired with the 7x57, and why it was bought last year to satisfy the All Weather aspects I'm looking for in one of the keepers, when I found a deal while looking for a 7-08 Stainless, I could not pass up. Today the ongoing reoccuring shoulder issues have finally convinced me to look at nix'ing that Plan. Hence this thread.

That I am gonna buy 1 or more 7-08's is a given, and will sell a cherry CRF M70 with an under 150/200 round count BACO M70 270 MOA shooter & probably a NIB Marlin XL 7 SS 270 too.

The not so "funny" here is that my grandpop, who was my gun mentor initially, strongly advised me NOT to buy into the "gotta have a 270 or 7Rmg to be one of the Kool Kids" in 1969, but get a 280 and go kill stuff that I was convinced my SAKO 243 was not capable of despite being super accurate & tried a 25'06 1st, about 50 years ago.... and right before I bought my 1st 270 in the early '70's, when a 25'06's performance with the bullets of the day disappointed me after running 2 of them in Ruger 77's, a blue wood standard and a blue wood Heavy Barrel. Most fun I ever had with the 25'06 was killing crows with a Florida Hwy Cop range buddy out of his uncles pecan orchard outside of Gainesville.

The Light Years better bullets of today in all the hunting & target calibers make that Old Style bullets argument a non issue anymore...and YES I could get along with a 243 if I had to, but prefer the larger bullet heavier high BC selections available now in a 6.5 something, and am hedging my bet with the Swede's lower chamber pressures to get CM & 260 performances in the same bullets. CM is only interesting to me IF I was not gonna reload ...just dunno if CM's are a flash in rthe pan or long term product, but cheap Swede ammo is decent enough to hunt with at my usually under 1-2-300 max yards and been around for over 100 years.

Watching my grandpop struggle to hunt with his busted up knees and hips using a cane proved that using a cane in the woods can be done to me...and I've now got a couple tucked away for those days to come, from my back and hip problems. Both of the last 2 major falls I've had were from dragging my right foot that I was too tired to pick up my , or in too big a hurry to escape a weather event...and cost me additional damage to my right shoulder & professional PT rehab time necessary with both of them ...it adds up over time and years.

Truth be told only reason for looking at a 280 is to get out of the 270's max 65K PSI's that I LOVE to push, and into higher BC, and heavier bullets than the .277's. I already have 7mm 140's, 150's, 154's & 160's on hand that were acquired to feed the 7x57 and the 7Rmg, and may yet try and run the 7Rmg at some bottom end downloads about like a 7-08 or 280's normal MV's, along with a 7-08 & the old Mauser to see if the shoulder will tolerate the bigger powder charges and higher pressures in the Wby VG's heavier shooter.

It has been my experince in reloading since the late '60's, that it is far easier to find more accurate nodes at the higher end of the powder charge spectrum than at the very bottom 10%'s...and that spells to me a more likely successful outcome if you start the load ladder process in a cartridge of the same caliber, but at a much lower capacity to get the same high % of fill to access the better/easier nodes to find...even though the MV's will also be lower too....but then I'm not looking for 4-500+ yard shots either

The 7x57's have way too many variations in chambering is what I'm seeing in doing the research, and why the 7-08, with it's almost identical ballistics has finally blossomed with recognition for Hunting Rifles, as us old farts and beginner shooters avoid the higher pressure's & MO recoil cartridges for the Great Average under 300 yards deer shooters.

Thanks for the interest and comments.
Ron

I would keep the rifle you have in 7mm and use custom lite rounds for .280 performance.

If I were to buy a new rifle today, I would look into a .300 wm or a 6.5-.300 wby.

Owning a .257 wby, a .270 and a 7mm R.E.M. Covers me for anything I would need a sub-.30 caliber for.

Selling off a .270 to get a .280 or a 7mm R.E.M. To get a 7mm-08 makes about as much sense as exchanging a dollar bill for a dollar coin

Sell all, buy a 6.5 Creedmoor, or 7/08, scope it as you wish, buy the gun that is quality and fits you. Adjust trigger if need, any minor bedding work. Sight it, learn it, practice, and go fill your freezer.

OR, just load your 270 with 140 Accubonds or Ballistic Tips and fill an Ark...

All work.......I like to consolidate to K.I.S.S. on ammo and/or reloading, but that is just me.

A 270 is tough to beat, but I do like 6, 6.5 and 7mm....6.5s being my fave all around for deer/hogs.

I decided long ago, I can only shoot one rifle at a time......bear in mind the old adage...

Beware of the man with one gun, he probably knows how to use it.

This is a heckuva round...you will probably sell ur 7 mag as well!

The unfired 7Rmg is gonna get sold asap before I get even more stupid than when I let "Finding a Very Good Deal" fog my thick head, and start to shoot it, looking for a less than max load at 280 MV's out of boredom.

I have always been addicted to the "Mo Powah" aka "Push the Envelope Past Max" principle and my reconstructed shoulder just will NOT tolerate those shenanigans anymore...hence the ?? posed by this thread...7-08 or 280, which to buy next ??
Ron

Original Poster





Every thread.

Coincidentally my first rifle was a 7RM, and I too attempted to download to 280 speeds using an old Speer manual for a 145 BTSP load....well turns out the manual was later revised for that data, it was "Hot" and I was spitting them fast. At 30 yds, my first deer, a healthy 8pt had it's on shoulder completely destroyed, the deer went down quickly, but much meat ruined. Never again

Since I have shot them several with a 6BR, my longest at 400 yds LRF. It's not the power, but the placement using a projectile that will do what it needs to do, on that impact spot, angle, and speed.

I hate recoil and blast. About anything that needs to be done, when it comes to deer and hogs, can usually be done with a 6mm bore, but a 6.5 can give confidence and margin, just in case. 7mm - the 08 was the one I used a good bit just before I went to various 6.5s. There was a 243 and 270 between, and others since........all worked. One must simply be proficient and confident with their choice. Minimal recoil and blast lends to better marksmanship and usually more range time.....

The better bullet technology has become, and shooters, the more data supports smaller calibers of smaller capacity for a large amount of work that gets done in the field. Enjoy and Happy Hunting. I support your choosing a user friendly round for your shoulder....take care of it.

Considering recoil only, the 7-08. Never shot a 280. I would suspect it’s close to the 30-06.

I'd get one of each. If I wanted a super light weight rifle, I'd go 7-08. If I was getting a normal hunting rifle, I'd go with the 280 (or 280AI)

Hornady is now making factory ammo for 280ai — Precision Hunter 162 ELD-x at 2850.

Man, Hornady just flat out continues to impress!

What speed does a 708 162gr get? Just wondering

Straight 7mm-08, 24" barrel 2700 fps MV is pretty much topped out.

Same barrel, 7mm-08 A.I., 2800-2830 fps MV.

High node of handloads of the 162 in my 280ai were north of 2950 but I hit pressure. It shoots the Berger VLDs so well I didn’t see the point in finishing load dev for the eld-x

From a practical standpoint, considering what you have, you should simply sell the 7 Rem Mag, keep the $$ in your pocket, and be done.

I get that the question of rifle acquisition goes beyond what is practical though - and is often driven by emotion. To that I say - get whichever one makes your heart go pitter-patter the most.