was really made from the 30-03, which was the predecessor to the 30-06 three years before the military realized they didn’t need a 220-grain round nose bullet. As you might already know or have guessed, the 280 Remington, like it’s 270 Winchester cousin, sprang from the loins of the old 30-06. Historically Speaking, the 280 Remington Has Had a Rough Rideīefore we dig too deeply into the ballistics of this over-achiever cartridge, a bit of history is in order.

(Preferably an expert dangerous game shot.)

And I’d hunt those with the 280 Remington if it were legal and someone with a big bore were backing me up. With good handloads and proper bullets, I’d use the 280 to tackle anything short of Cape buffalo. It’s ideal for whitetails, mule deer, mountain goats, pronghorns, and sheep, and a darn good choice for elk. This variety makes it adequate for everything from wood chucks and coyotes to moose and brown bears. It’s at its best with 140- to 175-grain projectiles. It can be loaded with everything from 100-grain Sierra Hollow Points to 195-grain Berger Elite Hunters. Not too hard, not too soft, not too fast, not too slow, but just right because it shoots mid-caliber. The 280 Remington could be the Goldilocks of standard-length action hunting rounds. At least not if you appreciate an efficient, balanced, middle-of-the-road, general-purpose big game hunting cartridge that won’t beat you up each time you pull the trigger. My ulterior motive in writing this is to expose the ballistic realities of this neglected, unpopular 280 Remington that really shouldn’t be unpopular. I’m not even championing one cartridge over another. I am not being paid big bucks (or any bucks) by Remington. YES.īefore you launch missiles and tirades, please realize that I am not selling 280 Remingtons. Did I just claim that the little known and less appreciated, sadly unpopular 280 Remington is a better big game hunting cartridge than the sacred 270 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor? Well… (give me a second to put on my crash helmet and bullet-proof vest.) Sorta kinda maybe. Is 280 Remington Really a Better Performer Than.? Effective for game from groundhogs to moose.Shoots bullets from 100-grains to 195-grains.

Matches or beats trajectory and energy of 270 Win.

The unpopular 280 Remington (ever seen or shot one?) can out-perform the highly respected 270 Winchester, the historic 7x57mm Mauser, the modern-Mauser-replacement 7mm-08 Remington, the 30-06 Springfield, the sparkling 25-06 Remington, and even that trendy of trendiness (dare I say it?), the 6.5 Creedmoor.

280 remington rifle