I am stuck with a personal delima. I have a win mod 70 .280 that I want to get improved and pack around the mountains. I also have a heavier .300 win mag. Shooting 165ish grain bullets in both guns, the 280 is about the same in drop and ft lbs of energy at 500 yards. That doesn't sound right to me, but I would surly rather pack the 280 around. Tell me what I am missing or not seeing here. I will be elk hunting this year.

The .300 will launch a 165-grain bullet about 300 fps faster than the .280 Rem will. With bullets of similar ballistic coefficient the .300 will shoot flatter and hit harder at 500 yards. You must have chosen a .308" bullet with a low BC compared to the .280.

But the 165 is not the best .300 bullet for 500 yard shooting. A 180 Interbond at 3100 out of the .300 will hit with 1881 fpe. The .280 launching a 162 Interlock at 2800 fps hits with 1409 fpe.

You can play this game all day, but bottom line - with similar bullet SD/BC the .300 wins hands-down.

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If you really are planning on taking elk at 500 yards I'd probably go with the .300 and 180gr Accubonds, 190gr Sierra, or similar.

Improving the .280 and choosing good bullets, it would be up to it if you are but 500 is a long ways and the less energy it has the smaller the wound channel.

Maybe get an AI stock and lighten the 300 to make it a bit more pleasant. I had a .280 breifly. It was nice enough but offered nothing over several others. In the Mountains lighter is nice, & if shooting accross canyons You'll see much benefit from a heavier High BC bullet at max safe velocity. Wind can be tricky accross a canyon.

quote:

Wind can be tricky accross a canyon.

No doubt...


Cal30

Not sure of your numbers a 165 300 and 160 284 with the 300 starting 300fps faster the 300 drops 26% less and has 17% more energy.

Using closer BC 180s starting a touch slower then the 300 drops 15% less than the 160 in 284 but hits about 22% harder.

All above at 500 Yds.

I shoot a 7mag velocity 280 wildcat with 160s. Used it in Africa and for elk. That said if I was planning a lot of shooting at 500yds the 300 with 180s would make more sense.

Plus a lot of shooting at the 500yd range and take a good range finder with you.

quote:

Originally posted by Kanga69:
I am stuck with a personal delima. I have a win mod 70 .280 that I want to get improved and pack around the mountains. I also have a heavier .300 win mag. Shooting 165ish grain bullets in both guns, the 280 is about the same in drop and ft lbs of energy at 500 yards. That doesn't sound right to me, but I would surly rather pack the 280 around. Tell me what I am missing or not seeing here. I will be elk hunting this year.

Use whatever rifle you prefer.

I have shot and killed eland at over 500 yards with a 270.

Use whatever rifle you prefer and shoot the best with. Indeed
Your 280 improved with Nosler AB 160 .531 BC at 2850 FPS MV will far outshoot most folks ability. The same weight Partition at .475 BC pretty much the same answer.

quote:

Originally posted by Kanga69:
I am stuck with a personal delima. I have a win mod 70 .280 that I want to get improved and pack around the mountains. I also have a heavier .300 win mag. Shooting 165ish grain bullets in both guns, the 280 is about the same in drop and ft lbs of energy at 500 yards. That doesn't sound right to me, but I would surly rather pack the 280 around. Tell me what I am missing or not seeing here. I will be elk hunting this year.

There is no guarantee cutting new chamber to existing barrel for the 280AI will gain much vs using new barrel. I have 280AI also 30-338mag both are good for an elk tag. My 280AI was factory 280 and I chronograph few loads and wasn't something I'd use for elk.

I shoot 160gr AB in the 280AI and 165gr AB in the 30-338mag. I also know I have better option on heavier bullets for the 30 cal mag if I want.

I like to shoot the yardage I'm going to hunt here in Co and only time weight bother me if rifle over 10 lbs. I like to keep my pack up 20lbs lot depends on how I'm layer.

You might what to try putting some heavy cloths Jacket etc and pack you may use your heavier rifle may balance out.

quote:

Originally posted by Kanga69:
I am stuck with a personal delima. I have a win mod 70 .280 that I want to get improved and pack around the mountains. I also have a heavier .300 win mag. Shooting 165ish grain bullets in both guns, the 280 is about the same in drop and ft lbs of energy at 500 yards. That doesn't sound right to me, but I would surly rather pack the 280 around. Tell me what I am missing or not seeing here. I will be elk hunting this year.

I didn't read into your question that you were intended to shoot elk at 500 yards, only that you were comparing the performance of two potential elk cartridges at 500 yards.

As others have pointed out, your assumption that the two cartridges will have the same trajectory and energy at 500 yards is inaccurate. However, EITHER cartridge is adequate for elk hunting at any range at which you should reasonably be shooting. A .30 magnum with a 180 grain bullet will give you a bit of edge in energy and trajectory over a .280 Rem with a 160 grain bullet. It will do sot at the cost of some extra weight and recoil. Far more important is that you select the right bullet for whichever gun and that the gun is accurate, you can shoot it accurately, and you have confidence in it.

If you are limited to using factory loads then you have a better chance finding the right combination of bullet and accuracy with the .30 magnum than with the .280 since .280s were limited many years ago to lower standard pressures under the SAAMI standards due to the cartridge being chambered in autoloaders and pumps. That's not to say that there are not factory loads for the .280 adequate for elk, but you'll need to get closer and will have less margin of power.

I'd suggest that you shoot both at 500 yards and compare. By all means become proficient at 500 yard target shooting before shooting at a fine game animal at that distance. I've killed a few elk at over 300 yards, and shot targets and prairie dogs out to 600 yards. I wouldn't consider shooting at an elk over about 350 yards under field conditions.