I have the chance to acquire a 280 Ross. However the availability of this brass is almost impossible to get and it’s far too expensive. producing it from a parent case is likely too much hassle. So what would be the ideal rechamber for it? The .287 diameter barrel ideally would be kept. Is there even a option? Has anyone done something similar?
rechamber/barrel 280 ross
- Thread starter mctrigger
- Start date
It would clean up with the 7mm Remington Ultra Mag, but I bet feed issues would ensue.
Then there is that oddball groove diameter. Bullets are available, but scarce.
I would rebarrel to the standard 7mm Rem Mag. Dave.
Then there is that oddball groove diameter. Bullets are available, but scarce.
I would rebarrel to the standard 7mm Rem Mag. Dave.
I bought a .280 Ross in 2005 that was rebuilt with a .284 caliber barrel. I bought 50 pieces of brass, at a time when it was easy to import. The guy who rebuilt the gun gave me 20 rounds of .300 H&H brass with the belt ground off. He claimed that .300 H&H with the belt removed could be run through a Ross die and then fire formed. I never tested out the advice.
By the way, I was in a gun shop in Agassiz BC this year and found 20 rounds of original. 280 Ross ammo. I also found 60 rounds of 6.5 x 57 ammo there and some .30 Remington. What are the chances of that? But it happens.
Half the fun is screwing around with these old guns trying to get them to run.
By the way, I was in a gun shop in Agassiz BC this year and found 20 rounds of original. 280 Ross ammo. I also found 60 rounds of 6.5 x 57 ammo there and some .30 Remington. What are the chances of that? But it happens.
Half the fun is screwing around with these old guns trying to get them to run.
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Lets see, take a collectible rifle thats worth north of 1000$, rebarrel (not rechamber) for 700$, and end up with a rifle worth 700$. Why not buy a sporterized 303 Ross with a bad bore for cheaps, and go at it... There were several companies in the business of sporterizing the 303's, some of them are very well done. You could pick one up for 250$ or less, depending on the bore.
Don't some have that strange extremely coarse barrel thread that can't be produced on any normal lathe ,making rebarreling nearly impossible? I seem to remember a guy here who struggled to reproduce the thread but I can't remember if he succeeded.
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
those are the 1905 ross, 3TPI left hand buttress thread
the 1910 have a 'normal' right hand thread, but it is a squared off thread like the Pattn14
The gun itself is a real beauty. Classic sporting rifle looks and fine wood. And has to come with a decent price. Just weighing the options before I commit.
Then I wouldn't rechamber it. Bullets and cases can be found (I too shoot one) and the gun is enough of a rarity in it's original chambering that rebarreling or rechambering just to make it easier to get ammo is not a wise move, IMHO. - dan
I have a body tapper die made for forming the 280 ross case from other parent cases(375 Ruger makes the nicest case).Once the cases are run through the BTD ,use the FLS dies finish up the shoulder and neck .
The problem with using the loading dies alone to form the Ross case is the dies will crack from the stress of sizing and the BTD eliminates that eventuality
The problem with using the loading dies alone to form the Ross case is the dies will crack from the stress of sizing and the BTD eliminates that eventuality
Where did you get the BT die from? - dan
M/T
If this M-10 is the one I think it is, with a price north of $2100 plus $260 for tax plus shipping @ $100 (in a case I hope), I would look more closely at the initial cost than the worries about even buying dies and some brass.
That particular rifle (if I am right, and I hope I'm not) sold for much less at auction awhile ago but the now asking price shows a desire to recoup a poor investment, when adding auction fee (15%), plus tax (13%) plus shipping.
Caveat Emptor
OGC
If this M-10 is the one I think it is, with a price north of $2100 plus $260 for tax plus shipping @ $100 (in a case I hope), I would look more closely at the initial cost than the worries about even buying dies and some brass.
That particular rifle (if I am right, and I hope I'm not) sold for much less at auction awhile ago but the now asking price shows a desire to recoup a poor investment, when adding auction fee (15%), plus tax (13%) plus shipping.
Caveat Emptor
OGC
Thanks. That will be helpful. - dan
longbranch*
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Victoria,BC.
Woodleigh bullets produce correct .287 bullets for the .280 Ross. I have owned several .280 Ross' over the years. Formed brass from .300h&h through FL die and trimmed, belt left on. Worked with mixed results. Finally sold rifle with the dies, bullets, brass etc.
My advice, enjoy it 'as it is'.
My advice, enjoy it 'as it is'.
303EppsFan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Almonte,Ontario
I have made brass for mine from Hornady .300 H&H. I didn't need to touch the belt at all. I resized it with expander/decapper out, trimmed to length, then ran again with the de-capper, then fireformed. I used 7mm bullets to fireform the loads. The cases are look a bit unusual but work fine. They cycle fine through the gun and extract well.
I bought .287" Woodleighs but my rifle would shoot better with 7 mm bullets. 2" groups vs 6" groups with Woodleighs.
You can form from .375 Ruger but it requires some extra steps. I also had to swage the base slightly to get reliable extraction. I was using my sizer die and you risk splitting the die doing this.
I was fortunate to receive a sizer die with my rifle but employ a 7mm Rem Mag die as a seater.
Please don't re-chamber that great old rifle.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Order direct, RCBS, and Lee I know will take direct orders. My insides are screaming please don't modify a beautiful piece of history.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I do not know if this would apply in this transformation, but read somewhere about using the bullet seating die as an intermediate sizing die - remove the seater stem - run the parent case into that bullet seating die body - it does some of the initial re-shaping of the case. Then finish by using the Full Length sizing die to get to final form. I had done just that in changing 7mm Rem Mag to 7x61 Sharpe and Hart. The very first "one step" attempt just using FL size that I tried, collapsed the shoulder. I annealed all the rest - salt bath method - then used the bullet seater body as intermediate step - never lost another in the 80 or so that I made. Was on a smaller RCBS press that did not have compound leverage, so was easier on the press and on me. This was versus $200 (?) or so for an RCBS resizing series of dies to get from 7mm Rem Mag to 7x61 S&H. There may be other FL or seating die bodies that would work to partially transform your parent brass to 280 Ross - does not have to be done in one sizing step. I was using previous fired 7mm Rem Mag brass bought on CGN, so maybe the annealing was what made the difference for me??
Also, lube may make a difference - had read that Imperial Sizing Wax is much preferred over any normal case re-sizing lube for case re-forming - did not have any so, "made do" with RCBS Case Lube-2. I have since bought a grease gun size tube of Extreme Pressure (EP) grease for using in that Larry Willis collet die for belted cases - 14 or 16 ounce EP grease at NAPA was 1/4 the cost, here, compared to getting Imperial sizing wax from Amazon.ca - that is for 14 ounces (?) of grease versus 2 ounce of Imperial wax. Cleaning up more painful I am sure, but likely significant reduces re-sizing forces?
Also, lube may make a difference - had read that Imperial Sizing Wax is much preferred over any normal case re-sizing lube for case re-forming - did not have any so, "made do" with RCBS Case Lube-2. I have since bought a grease gun size tube of Extreme Pressure (EP) grease for using in that Larry Willis collet die for belted cases - 14 or 16 ounce EP grease at NAPA was 1/4 the cost, here, compared to getting Imperial sizing wax from Amazon.ca - that is for 14 ounces (?) of grease versus 2 ounce of Imperial wax. Cleaning up more painful I am sure, but likely significant reduces re-sizing forces?
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