.270 vs .280....which do you prefer?

The 280 is the one to go with. Better bullet coificent, better selection of bullets and isn't that far behind the 7mm Rem mag.

Jack Oconnar made the 270 famous...but told Jim Carmichal the 280 Remington is a better cartridge than the 270 Winchester.

So take it from the guy who made the 270 famous..then admits the 280 is by far the better cartridge.

I love my 280 and shells are available at major sporting goods stores.
 
mike shickele said:
Naw, I reload, but I'll stick with my origonal oppinion. It's struck me over the years that many dispise, or find false negative with those things that are common. They fail to see that fact that if your up at Pink Mountian, and you've lost you're ammo, you should be able to find 270win, 308win, or 30-06springfield ammo; not so with the 280. When companies buy brass for retail, do you think that they buy 280 first?. Reloaders often presume that they are in some form of eleatest club, throwing common sense out the window along the way.
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That's an 'interesting' way of looking at things. Can't say it applies to anyone I know who reloads, though. If I've tuned my .280 for a particular reload, buying factory ammo in a bind isn't going to be the greatest solution. I've got a better one: don't leave your ammo at home. :cool:
 
I have 2 Rem 700 280's that I have personally bought, appr 30 years ago my grandfather gave me my first real hunting rifle a Husquavarna rechambered to 270 Weatherby this is the only reason I have ever owned a 270 and yes I still have it and just loaded it up with 140gr TSX @ 3300fps but it sits in the safe because I use my 280's...

So obviously I'd go with the 280 Rem...
 
Both are great all around medium to large North American game cartridges with no flies in either ointment :cool: I ended up choosing the .270WCF as I found a good deal on a Model 70 featherweight (my favorite) so chambered. It could have easily been a .280 Rem as there ain't a dime's worth of difference between them to my way of thinking. If it's mainly deer with the odd coyote thrown in, I'd take a .270WCF. Now if it's mainly deer with the odd elk in the equation, my nod goes to the .280 Rem. If we be chasing moose as our No# 1 quarry with deer second, I'll take a .30-06 over either the .270 or .280. Ahh...the choices of a gunnut :D
 
Jack also said, "there isn't much difference between a 30/06 and .270 ". I vote for the 30/06. Good for moose and bear and you can even can go to a 200 grain bullet if you want. You can also get the managed load from remington so a kid can shoot it ok.
 
It is too bad there is so much hype in the shooting world. The 280 should go down in history as one of the all time greats. Instead, the manufatureres come up with every kind of a change of shape of the case, and promote it as needed, if you are really a hunter, just to keep selling rifles.
The men who get paid, plus free guided trips for writing in magazines about all the newest styles and fads, do their utmost to convince you anything but an ultra short case is obsolete and looked down on by any knowledgeble firearm authority. And the sheep out there buy them.
As a result, the fabulous 280 is all but gone. After following this thread I looked today in Canadian Tire. They had a good supply of centre fire ammunition. All the calibres we call common, plus about six or eight magnums, including at least three different short varieties.
But no 280s.
There has been so much hype written about the, obviously good, 7mm magnum. But a lifetime of use in the field would be unable to determine whether one was using a 7mm mag, or a 280.
The 7mm size is probably the most efficient size bore for the 30-06 size case.
 
Ive owned a 280, shot a 270 a bit. Both will shoot 130/140's @ 3000+ fps. Both will do the same on game. If I had to pick one it'd be 280, because its less common than the 270.
 
I wrestled with this decision myself. Threw all my eggs in one basket and went 280 in a Cooper. IMHO, there are better load/ bullet potentials with the 280.
(however, now I'm kicking my butt for not going 280AI)
 
Gun5tuff said:
Since we're talking personal preference here, by choosing 270 or 280 you can avoid belted cartridges. I have a 270 but if I were buying a small bore today it would be the 280 as I like shooting heavy bullets.
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No problem, I just perfer the larger case for myself.

I also like the 6.5x55 so it isn't just about the magnums!
 
todbartell said:
Ive owned a 280, shot a 270 a bit. Both will shoot 130/140's @ 3000+ fps. Both will do the same on game. If I had to pick one it'd be 280, because its less common than the 270.
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I own the .270 it will do the same on game. If I had to, I'd pick the .270
because it is more common than the .280 (easier to get and less expensive ammo) :p
Cdn1
 
colt15 said:
The 280 is the one to go with. Better bullet coificent, better selection of bullets and isn't that far behind the 7mm Rem mag.

Jack Oconnar made the 270 famous...but told Jim Carmichal the 280 Remington is a better cartridge than the 270 Winchester.

So take it from the guy who made the 270 famous..then admits the 280 is by far the better cartridge.

I love my 280 and shells are available at major sporting goods stores.
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A lot of people put words in JOC's mouth after he died. Nobody dared while he was alive.
 
Given that both are virtually interchangeable in terms of performance my take on it is if you have half a desire for the 280 and the one you're looking at turns you on - buy it as it may not be there tomorrow and finding another "right one" might prove difficult. The 270 is ubiquitous so you'll be able to find good a one at pretty much any gun store you step into so timing isn't an issue. I didn't pull the trigger on a pre-Garcia Mannlicher stocked Sako in 308 or a Safari Grade Browning Highpower in 358 Norma a number of years ago and regret both decisions to this day (hen's teeth appear to be more available :( ). Go figure, I'm saying go try something a little different when my long time go to gun has been a 30-06. Either way will prove to be a good choice.

Cheers
 
Always wanted a .280, bought one 17 years ago. I have sold away almost every gun I ever owned to try something new, but that .280 stays with me. Period.

I know the .270 will also do everything I do with my .280, but I never had the urge to own one. I have no problem finding factory ammo for it, and I handload so I can tailor it how I like.
 
O.K. Walther, there you have it. Four pages of a good discussion on the topic. Do you reload? Have you made up your mind on which caliber to buy? If so, let us know on what you based your decision. Also, have you not considered a 30.06 as a do everything gun?
 
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