Why NOT .280 Rem for Long Range Comp.
- Thread starter newhornet
- Start date
My cheap F-class gun. Remington 700 LA in .280 Remington, Douglas #8 1.200" tapered to 1.00" 28 inches long, Weaver 24t, Leupold 15moa base & rings, Remington BDL wood stock with aluminum, lead, fiberglass and some bondo. Did most of the work myself. Will do 1/3 MOA most of the time. Shot my first 1000yd f-class string in 20-30mph winds and got 170, hope to return in better conditions. Thanks Accurate shooter.com for the inspiration!
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2990828.0;attach=873535;image
Nobody uses it for long range shooting? Who sez so? Quite a few Brits have been shooting it at Bisley... I would say this is the best kept secret: a 7mm cartridge with more boiler room than the 7-08 Rem and less barrel wear and recoil than the 7mm Rem Mag.
Just ackleyize or RCBSize it (ask Kenny Jarrett about the .280 RCBS and be ready to get a lecture)and you'll never need a magnum rifle.
Just ackleyize or RCBSize it (ask Kenny Jarrett about the .280 RCBS and be ready to get a lecture)and you'll never need a magnum rifle.
Why? A large part is 'fashion' in the current mantra that a short fat case will always outperform an equal capacity longer thinner design. personally I think this is at best wildly overplayed, and is quite possibly complete bunk!
People will sensibly enough chose what match winners use too - so that's .284 Win, .284 Shehane, 7mm Rem SAUM and variants on the 7mmWSM, 7mm/300WSM etc theme at the moment.
Finally, Lapua makes brass that is easily reformed to the two .284 forms, and Norma makes SAUM and WSM brass, while the .280 is seen as inferior in this respect. This is a very valid argument for the .284 and short magnums, BUT ..... you can reform Lapua .30-06 brass into .280 Rem / .280AI.
Capacity wise, the standard .280 Rem and .284 Shehane are not much different and the .280AI is identical to that of the 7mm Rem SAUM, so they'll give the same performance MV wise.
The short magnums need a larger dia. faced bolt and while the .284 Win uses a standard bolt configuration, the 'straight .284' is a little underpowered in my view for getting 180s into the 2,900-2,950 MV node that 7mm shooters say is essential. The .284 Shehane would be my ideal 7mm F Class cartridge - it works, two years running GB F Class Champion, Scotsman Grant Taylor uses one and has seen off a large pack of 7mm short magnum users - but you cannot get off the shelf dies, not even as limited production 'Group D' type items, while all top die manufacturers list .280 and .280AI versions as standard. Unless Forster, Redding, or Wilson adopts the Shehane, methinks my first 7mm will be a slightly short-chambered .280AI to suit reformed Lapua .30-06.
Laurie,
York, England
People will sensibly enough chose what match winners use too - so that's .284 Win, .284 Shehane, 7mm Rem SAUM and variants on the 7mmWSM, 7mm/300WSM etc theme at the moment.
Finally, Lapua makes brass that is easily reformed to the two .284 forms, and Norma makes SAUM and WSM brass, while the .280 is seen as inferior in this respect. This is a very valid argument for the .284 and short magnums, BUT ..... you can reform Lapua .30-06 brass into .280 Rem / .280AI.
Capacity wise, the standard .280 Rem and .284 Shehane are not much different and the .280AI is identical to that of the 7mm Rem SAUM, so they'll give the same performance MV wise.
The short magnums need a larger dia. faced bolt and while the .284 Win uses a standard bolt configuration, the 'straight .284' is a little underpowered in my view for getting 180s into the 2,900-2,950 MV node that 7mm shooters say is essential. The .284 Shehane would be my ideal 7mm F Class cartridge - it works, two years running GB F Class Champion, Scotsman Grant Taylor uses one and has seen off a large pack of 7mm short magnum users - but you cannot get off the shelf dies, not even as limited production 'Group D' type items, while all top die manufacturers list .280 and .280AI versions as standard. Unless Forster, Redding, or Wilson adopts the Shehane, methinks my first 7mm will be a slightly short-chambered .280AI to suit reformed Lapua .30-06.
Laurie,
York, England
No reason not to do a 280 or 280AI instead of a 284 Win or Shehane. I have used up several Shehane barrels and have been pleased with the results; but I also have a barrel chambered in 7X64 Brenneke that has given me results at least as good as the Shehane. It is very much like the 280 Rem case. The barrel seems very fast and I get the same velocities I am getting with the Shehane using a grain less powder. I tried it as an experiment because I was able to get a large quantity of RWS brass in that cartridge and have been very pleased so far. It works fine in a Nesika K which is a short action except I have to remove the bolt to extract a loaded round but I have to do that with most of my Shehane rounds as well. I may have to improve the case like a 280 RCBS if my next barrel is slow but that will be fine.
I've shot a couple of straight 284s in 1000yd. any/any prone matches since 2007, and have been pretty well satisfied with both of them, shooting mainly Berger 180VLDs at a bit over 2800fps with H4831 or N165. Had to use RL17 to get 2900 with 180s, and though accuracy was OK, I felt results were more consistent at the lower velocities obtainable with 4831. Have considered investing in a Shehane reamer and punching one of these bbls. out, but no more opportunities than there are to shoot 1000yd any/any matches, the extra $$$ for a reamer & die set - plus the time, effort, & component cost to FF are simply not justified.
I do have several boxes of RWS 280 Rem brass, a 280AI reamer, die set, and another Krieger 7mm/1:9 hvy Palma blank. If I thought the 280 AI would be capable of pushing 180s to 2900 w/o using RL17, I might consider doing this bbl. for a BAT 3LL action.
I do have several boxes of RWS 280 Rem brass, a 280AI reamer, die set, and another Krieger 7mm/1:9 hvy Palma blank. If I thought the 280 AI would be capable of pushing 180s to 2900 w/o using RL17, I might consider doing this bbl. for a BAT 3LL action.
Dennis. I think that would be an outstanding combination. The runout on my RWS brass has been superb, even using standard dies, and the 280AI version should get you comfortably to 2900fps with the 180 class bullets with a barrel in the 30-31 inch range using any number of powders. With a fast barrel you might find a useable node at around 3000 fps. I have had the best results so far with IMR7828SSC in my 7X64 but I do want to try some H4350 with the 180 Hybrids. I don't think you would be wasting a barrel and chambering to give it a try.
jonbearman
I live in new york state,how unfortunate !
Expiper should chime in as he built a 280AI using the shorter necked reamer and lapua brass.He loves it.I want to build one too.I have always enjoyed the 280 in its stock form to begin with.
Joe,
I bought the last 11 boxes of it that Huntington Die Specialties had in stock a couple of years ago. They don't list it in the 2011 catalog, but they do show 7x64.
I bought the last 11 boxes of it that Huntington Die Specialties had in stock a couple of years ago. They don't list it in the 2011 catalog, but they do show 7x64.
Sure wish my 280AI's barrel was longer then 25 inches. Can't get the velocities you guys do.
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