The 280 Remington is an Excellent cartridge that really should have outsold the 270 Winchester.
I just Bought A Project……Opinions
- Thread starter jackieschmidt
- Start date
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
Surprise! Look what showed up today.!
Riesel
Gold $$ Contributor
Exciting Times! ! !
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
Tonight, a good friend, a retired Harris County Deputy Sheriff who does gunsmith work, called and said he has a SAAMI Spec 280 Live Pilot Reamer with bushings and head space gage. He said he only used it once, he would come by the shop tomorrow with it.
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
Al, this Browning Stock already has steel inserts in the stock that act as pillars. The front one is actually part. Of the steel insert cross bolt that bolsters up the recoil lug. It’s a ptretty fancy setup.
As for bedding. I’m going kinda old school and use Brownell AcraGlass..
Something you might know. Years ago, the practice was to also bed the chamber portion of the barrel and free up float the rest on these Mauser builds. Is that still in vogue?
It might have something to do with the .270s 32 year head start and the endorsement of Jeff Cooper. Personally, I love my 1943 Erma Mauser 98 sporter in .270 WIN. It is my "do it all" rifle, even though I have dedicated rifles for hunting specific critters. It shoots 120-150 grain bullets with equal and excellent accuracy which accommodates most NA game.
Attachments
![IMG_0699[1].JPG](/data/attachments/542/542672-c1b54fa8ab0801c213b0d2f34e123cec.jpg?hash=wbVPqKsIAc)
It was actually Jack O'connor who put the 270 Winchester into it's slot in History. It's a good round. But the 280 is a better one in my book, Mainly because of the bullet selection for 7mm.
You‘re right about that. It’s interesting that Remington was chambering as many 280s as 270s up until the 7 mag came out. It seems in hind sight the 280 could have been marketed effectively as a better 270, rather than the 7 mags little brother, but I was a teenager in the 80s and my perception of what happened in the 70s is based on the writers of the day and what was being rewarded. I am probably way off of what marketing efforts actually were.
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
Remington brought out the 280 to originally be sold in that Auto Loader of the mid ‘50’s. They had to de tune it for obvious reasons. They then just about made it obsolete with their own 7mm Remington Magnum in the early ‘60’s.You‘re right about that. It’s interesting that Remington was chambering as many 280s as 270s up until the 7 mag came out. It seems in hind sight the 280 could have been marketed effectively as a better 270, rather than the 7 mags little brother, but I was a teenager in the 80s and my perception of what happened in the 70s is based on the writers of the day and what was being rewarded. I am probably way off of what marketing efforts actually were.
Then they changed the name, called it the 7mm Remington Express. Not too many noticed.
So they then just started calling it the 280 again. It had low to moderate popularity with new rifle sales.
I think it is the perfect 7mm for these old vintage actions. The 280 has the same .473 head diameter of the original Mauser chamberings. You can push a 140 grn bullet in the 2900 fps range while keeping the pressures just below 50,000 psi.
Or a 150 or 160 in the 2600 fps range and not hurt anything.
Sorry, had an old man brain fart!
I forgot all about the 280 and the auto loader and pump - that seemed like an odd pairing to a kid from Wyoming, but probably sold well on the left and right coasts and down south.
A great classic cartridge for a classic rifle.
long40shot
Gold $$ Contributor
I vote for: 35 Whelen or 270 Winchester (gasp)
P.S. I like the idea of a 257 Roberts!
P.S. I like the idea of a 257 Roberts!
I have never been too sold on the idea of bedding the shank of the barrel. There is enough surface ahead of the recoil lug to allow the barrel to be floated entirely. Bedding the barrel shank often produced a little vertical as the barrel warmed. Others may disagree, and I'm OK with that! WH
AlNyhus
Silver $$ Contributor
Will, it's been a long time since I've put anything under the barrel shank for bedding. It didnt seem to hurt those old Mausers...my thinking at that time was it might add a bit of stiffness to the action...spread the load out.
Doing one today with a proper pillar bedding job, I'd float the entire barrel. -Al
Last edited:
Jonnyofalltrades
Silver $$ Contributor
I have always felt that bedding much of the shank would cause vertical. Couldn't prove it, but the logic feels sound.
And then Melvin Forbes has to go and upset my logic. Apparently he bedded the entire barrel full length, and his rifles have always had a reputation for shooting way above their weight class, so to speak.
It was about 52 years ago that I first tried bedding a bolt action rifle full length. The rifle was a good shooting Brno ZKK 600 in 30/06. The Brno utilized a screw in the forearm which screwed into a lug under the barrel, which slid in a mortice cut into the barrel. The rifle shot well, for a hunting rifle, but I was, at the time, always looking for more. Anyway, I bedded the barrel, full length, and eliminated the fore arm screw. I removed the lump and mortise under the barrel. After it was bedded, I headed up the pipeline right of way, behind our house, to test. I used my usual load of 57.5 of 4350 and a 180 Sierra. The first five shots went into a respectable 1 1/8. Ok but no better than before. I walked up and tacked up another target. When I got back, the barrel was still slightly warm. The first shot hit 6 inches high. The next shot hit 2 inches beneath the first. Shot number three hit at the top of the original group, and the last two were around the original POI. I let the rifle cool right down while I shot another one. When I started with the Brno again, It once again produce a round group at the expected point. I waited a couple minutes and put a shot four inches high and it again walked down to the original point. I then fired twenty cast bullet loads which grouped nicely. By now the epoxy in the barrel channel was noticeably soft. as the barrel was pretty damn hot! If I let the rifle cool right down, it hit the expected POI. If I shot it hot, it hit the expected POI. If I let it cool halfway, it shot high, and would walk down as it heated up.
I ended up floating the barrel and bedding the action with a pillar under the tang. This rifle became one of the most accurate hunting rifles I ever had. Five shot groups under 3/4 MOA were common, and it would drive 180's at 2850 fps. 150's would do 3150 and shot just as well.
Anyway, I decided, while full length bedding could work well under typical hunting situations, I could imagine scenarios where it would not. I still used the system now and then, on rifles which seemed suited to it. A trapdoor Springfield, a 99 Savage, a Winchester High Wall, these worked just fine. WH
I ended up floating the barrel and bedding the action with a pillar under the tang. This rifle became one of the most accurate hunting rifles I ever had. Five shot groups under 3/4 MOA were common, and it would drive 180's at 2850 fps. 150's would do 3150 and shot just as well.
Anyway, I decided, while full length bedding could work well under typical hunting situations, I could imagine scenarios where it would not. I still used the system now and then, on rifles which seemed suited to it. A trapdoor Springfield, a 99 Savage, a Winchester High Wall, these worked just fine. WH
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
I got the action all fit into that Browning Stock this evening. I had to lengthen the bottom metal fits in the bottom of the stock to accept the military bottom metal. I put it in one of our small vertical mills and used a 5/8 end mill. There were a few other places that had to be clearances.
I put a factory Remington round in the magazine, and it fits and feeds.
I’m ready to chamber the barrel, install it and inlet the barrel channel. After that, I will bed the action with AcraGlass.
I’m keeping with my plan to finish it, shoot it, then send the metal off for bluing.
I put a factory Remington round in the magazine, and it fits and feeds.
I’m ready to chamber the barrel, install it and inlet the barrel channel. After that, I will bed the action with AcraGlass.
I’m keeping with my plan to finish it, shoot it, then send the metal off for bluing.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.