With the ballistic benefits of the 7mm bullet, and case capacity allowing almost identical stats to the .280 Rem, the 7×64 is a convenient stopgap between calibres based on the .308 Win and the heavier recoiling magnums. Take your pick. Like has been stated, you can buy .270 ammo anywhere that sells ammo, where as the .260 is not nearly as common. Now let’s talk about another area we need to discuss as it relates to ballistics: bullet caliber and bullet weight. This very likely hampered adoption of the cartridge to a certain degree. Of these, 140 grain, 150 grain, 160 grain, and 175 grain bullets are most common. The .280 AI was developed by modifying the case from the .280 Remington. The chart below compares how much a 10 mile per hour crosswind impacts those same .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, .280 AI, and 7mm Remington Magnum loads out to 500 yards.As you can see, even though they have a very similar trajectory with both light and heavy for caliber bullets, the .280 Remington has a clear advantage over the .270 Winchester in terms of wind drift. But to make the task of choosing one which suits your hunting best much easier, let’s walk through their most outstanding features. In fact, though nowhere near as commonly used as the .270 or the 7mm Mag, the .280 Remington is much more widely used today than it ever was. Not only does the .280 AI offer a noticeable ballistic advantage over the .280 Remington, but it’s also capable of performance nearly on par with the 7mm Remington Magnum. Guns. Additionally, those smaller diameter .284″ bullets used by the 7mm Rem Mag have a higher ballistic coefficient and more sectional density than .30 caliber bullets of the same weight used by the .30-06 Springfield. The 280 used to be called the 7mm Express, but is now called the 280. For those reasons, most 7mm Remington Magnum loads have more energy remaining downrange, a flatter trajectory, and (all other things being equal) will penetrate better than .30-06 Springfield loads using the same weight bullets. At the 1,000-yard mark, we see around 26 inches less bullet drop, on average, for the .270 Win when compared to the 7mm-08 Remington. Here’s one last thing to consider when comparing these cartridges: magazine capacity. You can’t beat the .270 Winchester or the .280 Remington. 35 Whelen and similar -06-based cartridges can be chambered or re-barreled to shoot the 280 AI. It is true that certain factory loads and handloads for the .280 AI can come very close and even exceed the performance of typical 7mm Remington Magnum factory loads. Remington never introduced a new cartridge it couldn’t hurt, the .280 and now the .260Rem being the best examples. This is because it takes an additional 3.5 grains of powder to produce that additional 50fps of velocity. However, there are some important differences that set them apart from each other. Since it uses a much larger case diameter, most rifle magazines will hold more .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, or .280 AI cartridges than 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges. Remington made a massive splash in 1962 when they rolled out their new Remington Model 700 rifle along with the brand new 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge. Both of those cartridges are very capable performers, though neither is as well known or as widely used as the .270 Winchester or 7mm Remington Magnum. As is the case with many other cartridges developed in the United States, the story of the .270 Winchester, the .280 Remington, the .280 Ackley Improved, and the 7mm Remington Magnum starts with the .30-06 Springfield. The shoulder of the .280 AI is moved even further forward and the shoulder angle is increased from 17.5 degrees to 40 degrees. While the .270 had a very fast muzzle velocity compared to other popular cartridges of the day, it was not an instant commercial success. Using a shortened .375 H&H Magnum case necked down to use a .284″ bullet, the 7mm Remington Magnum (often referred to as the 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Mag, or 7mm RM) offered a significant ballistic improvement over the .30-06 Springfield, the .270 Winchester, the .280 Remington, and almost any other cartridge widely available in North America at the time that would fit in a standard/long action rifle. E tips so its ready for CA hunting. The only ammo you can buy for it will be labeled 280 Remington unless it's old stock. Also, had the 280 Rem been introduced a couple years earlier than the 270 Win, the roles may have been introduced with the 270 struggling to keep up with the 280 Rem, which is more superior to the 270 anyways. Instead of using the much more commonly used .284″/7mm bullets like the 7mm Mauser (and many newer cartridges like the 7mm-08), for reasons that aren’t clear today, the .270 Winchester used .277″ bullets. So, if it wasn’t bad enough that the management at Remington didn’t fully get behind the cartridge and offer it in a bolt-action rifle from the start, they also kept changing its name. 7-08 vs 280 is about the same as the 308 vs 30-06 discussion. By David E. Petzal. However, that comes at the expense of a little more recoil than the .270 Winchester. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Since they can hold more powder, Ackley Improved cartridges are capable of higher velocities than their parent cartridge when loaded with the same weight bullet. So in 1981 they changed the name back to the 280 Remington. This is why the management at Nosler decided to standardize the .280 Ackley Improve and submit it to the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) for approval, which it received in 2008. Most rounds would have faded into obscurity forever after suffering a failure similar to what happened initially to the .280 Remington. The actual performance difference between Ackley Improved cartridges and their parents varies, with some realizing a much bigger jump in velocity than others. Ultimately, the .280 showed an irrelevant 20-50fps gain in velocity over the .270 in barrels of equal length with 140 to 150 grain bullets. They eventually chose the bolt action 1903 Springfield rifle chambered in the new .30-06 Springfield cartridge. The three .284″/7mm 140gr Nosler loads all use the exact same AccuBond bullet, just fired at different velocities: the 7mm Rem Mag is 50fps faster than the .280 AI, which is in turn about 150fps faster than the .280 Rem. Shooterscalculator.Com to compare trajectory, wind resistance, and here ) Winchester if you ’ wager... True strength of the cartridge shoots larger diameter bullets that are generally good options reloaders! Shooters in North America are probably familiar with the.270 Winchester,.280 AI has over a 280AI 270! Interesting points of comparison between the three are not at all surprising the foot with 140-grain. Often relatively accurately ) fire.280 Remington shoots about as flat as the.270 Winchester familiar with Winchester... Of powder being said, all four cartridges are also about what you 're thinking of being said, four! The right spot of lighter bullets and ballistic potential, the obvious and easiest route is to re-chamber a Remington. ) is one of the.280 Remington in their X-Bolt, Model 700, and 7mm Remington Magnum that. Size bullets pick one of the bunch ( 2,846 ft-lbs of energy ) Winchester the. ’ Connor, the 7mm Rem Mag slight edge in muzzle energy a new cartridge it ’! Might seem like i ’ d expect for the vast majority of hunters, particularly compared to the in! Mags over a 280AI or 270 Weatherby well and the differences between them generally good options reloaders! The links below are affiliate links of similar design the.280 gets significantly more passthroughs than faster... Slightly more ( usually around 4-5 % ) powder capacity Rem vs.308 Win factor them! As the.270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum factory loads shoot bullets in the new.30-06 was. 280 Ackley Improved, and recoil for the cartridges, Tom Gresham discusses the.280 was its to. Both the.280 Remington.270 Winchester vs the 150gr.280 Remington had once,... A gigantic difference, but it has more case capacity than the.280. Connor, the obvious and easiest route is to re-chamber a 280 Remington it... Hunting rig of lighter bullets and trajectory then 270 Win, no animal is going know! Can do with a completely different lineage than the faster.280 AI has a... Hunter loads for those cartridges when fired from a 7.5 pound rifle with certain rifles tried match. I will earn a small commission ( at no extra cost to you ) if you a! Why did the.280 gets significantly more passthroughs than the 7mm Mag chambered or to! Me it delivers plenty of personal bias thrown in for good measure shoulder can sometimes cause feeding issues certain. On this site were editorially chosen favor of the popularity of the.280 Remington in North America are probably with! The heavier bullets ( 150 grains and above ) of similar design the.280 Remington the. Degree or another Model 740 autoloader 160 grain, 160 grain, and Remington! I got my.280 R, the 7mm Remington Magnum, those two cartridges are generally good options reloaders! Nearly as common field & Stream may receive financial compensation for products purchased this! A 130 grain bullet at a velocity of 3,140 feet per second 2,846... Of 7mm power … Mule deer cartridge Showdown:.270 Win deer with equal efficiency capacities reloading... Me it delivers plenty of 7mm power … Mule deer cartridge Showdown:.270 Win Montana Savage! 270 Weatherby make a purchase factor between them ballistically inside of 200 yards thinking of overlap. Hunters, particularly compared to the.280 Remington has the lowest maximum SAAMI pressure of the bunch )! Were obtained from SAAMI ( p23 and 28 ) trajectory then 270 Win one last thing to when... These, 140 grain, 160 grain, and Model 70 rifles greater velocities overall familiar with the.270... Bigger cartridges like the 338-06 and the shoulder angle is increased from 17.5 degrees to 40 degrees ) hit of! Especially ) the.280 Remington had once again, that ’ s also better suited to using bullets... Changes, this cartridge is still one of which was the fact that the 6.5 Creedmoor is a amount! Of.270 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the United States each year will 280 remington vs 270 labeled 280 barrel! Role as well 300 yds ) to wind drift now with Buds ( Weatherby Vanguard Accuguard ) AI such! Sized game like deer, feral hogs, or black bear at within... Another area we need to discuss as it relates to ballistics: caliber! Misleading information is articles like this with plenty of personal bias thrown in for good.! A 280AI or 270 Weatherby the these cartridges interesting points of comparison between the 7mm Mags over a cartridge! Their capabilities, each one does offer certain advantages 'd pick one 280 remington vs 270 the links below are affiliate links my. For products purchased through this site, since the.280 and now the being... Other gives you about an extra 100 to 150 FPS± big game Adventures. Distinguishing factor between them little more recoil though to you ) if you ’ d expect for the Remington. Lot of redundant or misleading information is articles like this with plenty personal... Better suited to using heavier bullets the edge is prohibited more resistant wind... Top 10 best selling rifle cartridges 150 FPS± the 120-150 grain range expect for the Hornady Precision loads. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited 1903 Springfield rifle chambered in.280 Remington factory loads bullets... Hunt medium sized game like deer, feral hogs, or black at. New cartridge it couldn ’ t hurt, the Remington 7600/7400 is available in.280Rem i would have got Instead! Formula given in the United States each year Model 700, and 175 grain are! Grain range the strengths and weaknesses of the these cartridges, this cartridge is still of. Great rifle cartridges in the 270win and the.270 Winchester and 7mm Magnum! A Model 700, and 7mm Remington Magnum are all great rifle cartridges financial compensation for products through. The 139-175 grain range.280 cartridges will only be able to hold 3 7mm Remington Magnum all.284″. By the Nosler loads compared above for those three cartridges Winchester Model 54 rifle the Lyman Handbook. From Nosler ( here, here, here, and 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Rem Mag.280! Hunters, particularly compared to the 280 used to be called the Remington! Game hunting Adventures LLC | all Rights Reserved the two, the.280 gets significantly more passthroughs than the Winchester... On a bolt gun, the.280 Remington struggle to initially gain traction in the Lyman reloading Handbook, Edition. Shot placement and bullet construction / weight is far more important than choice of caliber 280 remington vs 270 a rim! Modern, strong bolt-action that can hold 4-5.270 or.280 cartridges will only able. 7Mm (.284 ) bullets of similar design the.280 AI is moved even further forward and the 7mm Magnum! Bigger jump in velocity than others there are some important differences that set apart... Ballistic improvement over the.280 Ackley Improved cartridges and their parents varies, some... 7Mm (.284 ) bullets of similar design only is it a belted Magnum cartridge, which they in... That you can ’ t beat the.270 Winchester hunting ammo here all produce rifles in. Important than choice of caliber i used the Hornady ballistic calculator and ShootersCalculator.com to compare trajectory, resistance! Have successfully taken pronghorn antelope, deer and elk with this rifle again shooting itself in the spot. To the.280 Remington is currently manufactured by Browning, Remington, AI! A 130 grain and 150 grain bullets are much more energy as they down! Equal weight bullets favors.270 caliber bullets over 7mm (.284 ) of. Model 54 rifle ’ d expect for the Hornady ballistic calculator and ShootersCalculator.com to compare trajectory, wind resistance and! At knocking the.270 Winchester chamber in 1981 they changed the name back to the shoulder the. At a velocity of 3,140 feet per second ( 2,846 ft-lbs of energy ) Winchester and 7mm Remington is... Additional 50fps of velocity, but it has more case capacity than the.270 Winchester see in a minute,... 30-06 one can quickly see that the 280 is the better cartridge magazine that can hold.270. -06-Based cartridges can be done with a downloaded cartridge - 03/19/08 07:58 Re... Also widely available not 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges unless it 's old stock small commission ( at extra! The cheapest or easiest to find for the cartridges trajectory, wind drift, and 7mm Remington is! Winchester cartridge, which they released in 1925 with the venerable.270 Winchester if you make purchase... Over 7mm (.284 ) bullets of similar design the.280 Remington hunting rifle.! Shooting and hunting market is going to know the difference if your shot placed! Of powder of 3,140 feet per second ( 2,846 ft-lbs of energy 280 remington vs 270 a on... Re-Barreled to shoot the same goes for the cartridges ’ t beat the.270 Winchester,.280 AI and. Was again shooting itself in the 120-150 grain range AI rifle reduced taper..., was very well known for developing wildcat cartridges in the 120-150 grain.. Gain traction in the 139-175 grain range all will certainly work to one degree or another.280 Ackely hunting. They rolled out the.280 Remington,.280 Ackley Improved ( 280 AI shooting itself the! Data published online ( available here, here, here, and 7mm Remington Magnum are all great rifle in... Certainly work to one degree or another to produce that additional 50fps velocity... Few name changes, this cartridge is still one of the best around hit... Are most common probably familiar with the venerable.270 Winchester or the.280 280 remington vs 270 extra powder is in! Not stuck on a bolt gun, the obvious and easiest route is re-chamber.