This story was initially printed within the April 1989 difficulty of Outside Life.
Jack O’Connor didn’t invent the .270 Winchester, however he would possibly as nicely have finished so, as a result of for greater than 30 years he carried on a one-man campaign that reworked the .270 into probably the most common sporting cartridges of the twentieth century.
Within the pages of Outside Life, O’Connor preached the virtues of the .270 so forcefully that his title turned so entwined with the .270 that even at this time, we will scarcely communicate of 1 with out the opposite.
It is not uncommon for many who write about capturing and hunting to espouse a favourite automobiletridge, a weak point that’s usually forgiven. O’Connor’s love affair with the .270, however, was not reasonable. In time, it led to criticism as a result of he appeared to be ignoring different worthy cartridges.
Many readers and critics failed to acknowledge that Jack O’Connor had launched into a much more vital program than merely establishing the supremacy of a single cartridge. That O’Connor was a gifted author can’t be disputed, however by inclination and coaching, he was additionally a instructor. Earlier than becoming the Taking pictures Editor of Outside Life, he had been a school professor. It was solely pure for him to comply with his educating instincts, and his objective appears to have been to teach all shooters and hunters. It was to be his grandest achievement.
The Nice Communicator
Had O’Connor arrived on the scene 50 years earlier or 50 years later, his mission would have been hopeless or levelmuch less. Because it was, he was completely timed between the outdated and the brand new. His stage was the shaky and considerably lonely bridge between the 2 nice eras of American cartridge design.
When O’Connor was a teenager, the traditional American searching rifle was lever-operated and lobbed portly projectiles at stately velocities. In line with each custom and logic, one used huge bullets for giant recreation, and it mattered little that the rifles kicked like thunder, have been heavy to hold and nearly nugatory at ranges beyond 200 yards. The massive, slow-transferring bullets with their dromedary trajectories made long-range capturing a guessing recreation at finest. In Europe, however, gunmakers had already acknowledged bolt-action rifles because the pressure of the long run and cartridges have been being compared on the idea of velocity somewhat than dimension.
A light-weight rifle, firing gentle, high-velocity bullets was a troublesome proposition for American hunters to comprehend, however O’Connor noticed the benefits and set about reeducating the general public. He was a son of the West and as such had just about limitless opportunities to hunt deer and antelope plus his beloved sheep. Whereas he was nonetheless a younger man and simply starting his writing profession, he had already accumulated what many others would contemplate a lifetime of searching expertise. Among the many classes he had realized have been that exact bullet placement is essentially the most environment friendly method to kill huge recreation. Something that interfered with a well-aimed shotextra recoil, an inaccurate rifle or a rainbow—formed bullet path-was counterproductive to good searching. He believed {that a} worthwhile searching rifle needed to be gentle sufficient to hold up a mountain with out getting a rupture—he coined the time period “mountain rifle,” flat-shooting sufficient to take many of the guesswork out of distant tarwill get, delicate of recoil in order to keep away from such acquired sins as flinching and set off jerking, and correct sufficient to make sure hitting a small goal at goodly distances.
His very first column as Taking pictures Editor of Outside Life appeared in November 1939, and from the start he left little question as to the place he stood. “My competition is that the .30/06 is just too a lot gun for the common hunter, who fires solely three or 4 bins of high-power ammunition a 12 months.”
He then went on to sing the praises of not the .270, however one other favourite, the 7×57 Mauser. It was through the years following World Warfare II that O’Connor zeroed in on his readership. Returning G.I.s needed to purchase weapons and go searching, and Jack was their guru. He was in full strut then and his assumeing about searching rifles scored a stable hit with hundreds of shooters.
4 Debuts
By 1957, the .270 had grow to be so entrenched within the minds and hearts of hunters that it appeared nearly un-American to introduce a brand new however related cartridge. That’s the 12 months —— 1957 —— that the .280 made the primary of its 4 debuts. And an inauspicious starting it was. If ever a cartridge may have died aborning, this was it. Even the gun writers, who usually stirred up a tidal wave in a tin cup when saying a brand new cartridge, had a tough time thrilling themselves in regards to the Remington .280.
One of many issues was dangerous timing. The Fifties have been increase years for the gun indusstrive. The trade took benefit of revenuein a position instances by introducing a flock of recent weapons and calibers. Thus, the .280 bought misplaced amongst a dozen or so new rounds launched through the late Fifties. Among the many new automobiletridges have been such seductive numbers because the .243 Winchester and the .338 Winchester Magnum. By comparability, the .280 didn’t supply a lot. On paper, it appeared like a cross between a .270 and a .30/06, and it didn’t even dare to look completely different. In any case, it was nothing greater than a .30/06 case necked down to carry a .284-diameter bullet. Or was it only a .270 case necked as much as .284? Really, the .280 was so much like the .270, each in form and title, that it had been purposely designed with a barely longer shoulder in order that it couldn’t be by accident chambered and fired in .270 rifles.
Most damaging of all, maybe, was the pathetic undeniable fact that the .280 couldn’t compete on even phrases. The .270 had earned its stripes in correct bolt-action rifles, the .280’s preliminary companion piece was Remington’s Mannequin 742 Autoloader. From the advertising standpoint, this mixture might have made some sense, however predicting what hunters will purchase is at finest a guess, and Remington almost crapped out on the primary move. Later, the .280 was united with Remington’s Mannequin 760 pump-action rifle however, once more, the mix didn’t catch fireplace. Phrase bought round that the .280 was “loaded down” in order to be much less irritating to pumpmotion and autoloading rifles. Potential patrons saved a disdainful distance.
A Remington govt, who was involved with the .280 challenge, later instructed me that chamber pressures have been within the 47,000 kilos per sq. inch (psi) vary. The .270 was loaded to the 51,000 psi degree, thus making the .280’s efficiency all of the extra spectacular. Despite comparatively low stress, the brand new spherical carried out nicely.
He additionally instructed me that the .280 was one of many least temperamental cartridges to professionalduce that he had ever labored with. Insiders at Remington have been quickly to appreciate that the .280 was a perfectly balanced cartridge, however such high quality factors of inside ballistics are typically unappreciated by the capturing public.
Those that bothered to take a peek on the ballistic tables found that even when not boiling up a full head of steam, the .280 launched a 150-grain bullet at 2,900 fps, which was a full 100 fps quicker than the rate listed for the .270 with a bullet of the identical weight.
Early on, the .280 was provided with a selection of 4 bullet weights: a 165-grain quantity at 2,820 fps, 150 grains going 2,900 fps, one other weighing 125 grains touring at 3,190 fps, and a stubby slug of 100 grains that left the muzzle at a really fast 3,570 fps. I’m instructed by an old-time Remington insider {that a} gun author of that period persuaded the powers that have been that the .280 may need a future as a varmint cartridge. Therefore the light-weight bullet. However varmint hunters don’t prefer to be seen in public with autoloading rifles, so the sunshine bullet was doomed from the beginning and was discontinued after just a few years.
Ultimately, a dim gentle got here on for Remington’s decision-making crew, and somebody reckoned that perhaps it wouldn’t be such a foul concept to supply the corporate’s boltmotion rifle, which was then the Mannequin 721, in .280 chambering. Really, it was a receivedderful concept, however alas, as soon as once more, the timing was all unsuitable. By then the popularity of the .280 had sunk to such a sorry state that even when it was united with a bolt rifle, gun patrons yawned and appeared the opposite method. Really, I’m not being truthful by saying that the .280 had a foul popularity. It’s extra correct to say that the poor automobiletridge had no popularity in any respect. As was the case with Cinderella, nobody even bothered to take a re-examination.
Throughout the early Sixties, the Mannequin 721 was phased out and changed with Remington’s Mannequin 725 bolt rifle. Throughout its temporary tenure, which lasted from 1958-61 or thereabouts, the Mannequin 725 was cataloged as obtainable in .280, however so few have been bought on this caliber that the rifles at the moment are collector’s objects. The Mannequin 725 gave method to the Mannequin 700, which was initially provided in .280 caliber, however after some time Remington gave up, and the .280 was seemingly as useless as final week’s fish. By 1978, the one selection from Remington in .280 rifle was as soon as once more the Mannequin 742 autoloader. Two years later even that choice was gone.
After almost 1 / 4 of a century of virtually complete failure, most arms makers would have given up on any cartridge. However the cartridge had followers throughout the firm who knew that it was too good to be forgotten. They have been additionally getting some positive suggestions from hunters who inspired them to hold onto the .280, even when their grip was getting weaker.
One factor they determined was that the title is likely to be unsuitable. That they had good luck once they modified the title of the ill-fated .244 Remington to the 6mm Remington, and made just a few technical modifications. Maybe a change of title is likely to be all that was wanted to provide the .280 a brand new begin. Thus was born the 7mm Remington Categorical.
I assumed it was a fairly good title and instructed the oldsters at Remington that they could, finally, have a winner. They have been so overjoyed on the prospect that in 1981, once they launched their new Mannequin 4 autoloading rifle, they made it obtainable within the “new” chambering. Again in 1979, once they launched the 7mm Categorical, they sweetened the kitty by providing a 150-grain bullet loaded to 2,870 fps. Ultimately, the .280 (7mm Categorical) was being factory-loaded to its potential and simply outworking the .270 Winchester in similar bullet weights. By that point, I’d been searching and goal capturing with quite a lot of .280 rifles. Each time I bumped into somebody put oning a Remington badge, I lobbied for a bolt rifle.
By then, different gunmakers had recognized factor and have been providing good bolt rifles with .280 markings. I used to be instructed {that a} Remington-made bolt rifle was to be forthcoming, however on the eleventh hour, a minor catastrophe struck.
Evidently the 7mm Remington Express and the 7mm Remington Magnum tended to confuse some folks. A hunter would ask for a field of 7mm Categorical Ammo however he generally bought 7mm Magnums instead, or vice versa. Apparently, this occurred in huge retail chain shops, the place clerks are inclined to know little about weapons and care even much less. There’s no method to chamber a 7mm Magnum cartridge in a 7mm Categorical rifle, however you’ll be able to load the 7mm Categorical (.280) spherical in a 7mm Magnum rifle. If the entire fates are towards you it’d even fireplace, with very disagreeable outcomes. That is the form of factor that gunmakers don’t need to happen, so by 1983, the 7mm Categorical was historical past.
Learn Subsequent: The .270 Winchester: How Does this 100-12 months-Outdated Cartridge Maintain Up Immediately?
That meant that it was time for but andifferent title change. However may any cartridge survive three debuts? The oldsters at Remington had had good luck with the .22/250 and .25/06, which have been merely named after their wildcat ancestors, so why not strive one thing like 7mm/06? This made sense, as a result of, in spite of everything, the .280 Remington or 7mm Express was nothing apart from the .30/06 necked all the way down to 7mm. And so the 7mm/06 Remington got here into being, however not for lengthy.
I’m instructed that some handloaders, who tried making 7mm/06 ammo out of .30/06 brass bought themselves into headspace problems, so Remington deemed it prudent to take away among the temptation by dropping the title. Really, it’s straightforward to convert .30/06 brass to .280, supplied you recognize what you’re doing. At this level, the titlegivers at Remington ran out of concepts and reverted to .280 Remington, which has been used ever since. There’s justice on this betrigger the .280 was an awesome cartridge all alongside, however better than the .270?
Handloading the .280
I got here by my first .280 again about 1971. I used to be having a customized searching rifle constructed by Clayton Nelson. As a result of this was to be my first rifle by a big-name stockmaker, I needed every part to be the most effective. Particularly so, as a result of I deliberate to make use of the rifle for lots of searching. Again then, a minimum of half of all customized rifles have been chambered for the .270, however I wasn’t satisfied. Even at that tender age, I had owned quite a few rifles in .270 and had used them with nice success on quite a few big-game hunts. However I’d studied the .280 ballistics, and from each method I checked out it besides one, the . 280 made extra sense than the . 270. The lone exception was the paltry choice of bullet weights in factory-loaded ammo that was obtainable on the time. Again then, however, I handloaded each spherical of ammo I fired at recreation, and from the reloading standlevel, the .280 provided some distinct advertvantages. Not solely may or not it’s loaded to its full potential, however there was an awesome number of various 7mm bullets, ranging in weight from 100 grains to 175 grains, with a lot of selection in between. This provided extra flexibility than was potential with a .270. This additionally meant that the .280 may do eachfactor the .270 may do, plus some issues it couldn’t do.
The Clayton Nelson rifle arrived two days earlier than I used to be to go away for my first African safari, so I loaded up a batch of ammo with 140-grain Nosier Partition bullets arid bought the rig sighted in. With 57 grains of IMR 4350, the chronograph readings averaged 3,065 fps and group sizes, as I recall, have been about 1 ½ inches for 5 photographs at 100 yards. I may have elevated the powder cost by a pair qf grains and nonetheless been inside secure stress limits, however I left a little bit of slack in case the African local weather heated my ammo and jumped pressures.
I took three rifles on that first journey to Africa. My plan was to make use of a .458 Magnum on the harmful stuff, a 7mm Remington Magnum on the medium recreation and the .280 solely on lighter antelope. I shot plenty of recreation on that month-long journey and shortly realized that there was no discernible distinction between the .280 with 140-grain bullets and my 7mm Magnum with 160-grain bullets. Someday, for example, I shot a zebra with the 7mm Magnum, and it went down almost in its tracks. This made me comfortable betrigger zebras are powerful critters and may carry plenty of lead. The subsequent day, I occurred throughout one other high quality zebra, however all I had at hand was my .280. It killed the large stallion simply as neatly because the 7mm Magnum. On andifferent day, I took an amazing sable bull with the .280, and a day or two later I used the identical rifle on a pleasant kudu with high quality results. These are muscular antelope in regards to the dimension of a North American elk, however each went down with one shot. The kudu was working after I shot and I feel that the .280 killed him in midbound. He was useless when he hit the bottom. On the finish of the safari, I gave the 7mm Magnum to my professionalfessional hunter together with a goodly supply of ammo that there’d been no use for. The .280 had finished all of it.
One other time, Fred Huntington and I hunted bongo within the Sudan. Bongo are thick-bodied antelope which can be in regards to the dimension of a yearling Angus steer. They’re powerful to hunt and dwell within the densest jungle. Our clothing store insisted that we convey nothing lower than .375 H&H Magnums, however Fred and I took our .280s. We killed three trophy bongo with 4 photographs, and the additional shot actually wasn’t wanted. Our bullets have been 160-grain Speer Grand Slams.
Throughout the mid-Nineteen Seventies, I did plenty of sheep searching, in Asia in addition to North America, and totaled some 15 head inside just a few years. All have been shot with the identical .280 and all however one with 140-grain bullets. The exception was a desert ram I took in Arizona with a 160-grain Nosier. The rationale for utilizing the heavier bullet was in order that I may evaluate its efficiency with the lighter bullets I’d used on different sheep. I couldn’t detect any distinction.
One other time, I used a 160-grain bullet when searching elk in New Mexico. A pleasant six-point bull stepped right into a clearing about 200 yards away and was useless earlier than he may flip round. Regardless of these successes, I’ve settled on 140-grain bullets as the most effective all-around selection for the .280. Simply because the .270 is at its finest with 130-grain bullets, the .280 is finest with the 140-grain bullet.
One of many the reason why the .280 performs so nicely with a 140-grain bullet is that the load is so shootable. Recoil is comparatively delicate, the trajectory is flat and affect energy stays excessive at lengthy vary. As a result of the cartridge is straightforward to shoot, bullet placement tends to be glorious and that, within the ultimate evaluation, is what kills huge recreation. Utilizing the 140-grain load lets you be a greater marksman.
One time when Fred Huntington and I have been searching sheep in Iran, a flock of crows settled in some bushes about 250 yards from our camp. Having nothing higher to do, I steadied my rifle over a boot and picked a crow off one of many high branches. The crows cawed some time after which settled down once more, so I shot one other. The Iranian guides and camp helpers had by no means seen such shooting and bought so excited that they forgot to say their prayers. The prepare dinner was so impressed that he rewarded me by fixing the primary eatable meal we’d had in two weeks.
It’s within the space of accuracy that the .280 shines a lot brighter than the .270. Don’t get me unsuitable, the .270 is actually accufee as a searching cartridge, however in head-to-head accuracy comparisons it comes off in final place. That’s why the .270 has by no means been critically thought of as a goal spherical for brief, medium or long-range competition. A number of years in the past, Winchester tried to introduce the .270 to focus on shooters and provided its Mannequin 70 heavy-barreled target rifle in .270 chambering. Nobody took the thought critically, and so few rifles have been bought that at this time they’re among the many rarest of all Mannequin 70s and far wanted by collectors.
Makers of bullets for reloading don’t even hassle to make match-grade bullets for the .270. They make fantastic searching bulallows .270 caliber, to make sure, however for razorsharp accuracy, the cartridge has by no means made the grade. The .280, by comparability, is splendidly correct at ranges out to 1,000 yards and has a formidable listing of victories on the goal ranges to its credit score. One of many causes is that a number of bullet makers who’re tuned in to the accuracy potential of the .280 and different 7mm cartridges make glorious tournament-grade bullets on this caliber.
The Clayton Nelson .280 is now retired after having accounted for some 200 head of massive recreation. I missed some photographs, after all, however I don’t recall a single animal that bought away after being hit. I’ve used a halfdozen or so different rifles in .280 and all perkind in addition to the primary. Most likely essentially the most correct of the lot is a 5Y2-pound (with scope) rig made by the Extremely Mild Arms Firm. Really, I don’t but know simply how correct this rifle is, however the first three photographs I fired with it hit in a half-inch circle at 100 yards.
It’s wager that the blokes who know rifles finest are those that purchase costly custom rigs. Opposite to what you would possibly assume, most prospects for customized rifles aren’t wealthy guys tossing their bucks round, however exhaustingworking folks, who save their dimes and quarters in order that they’ll purchase the one rifle of their desires. Naturally, they need the once-in-a-lifetime rifle to chamber the most effectivepotential cartridge. For a number of years, the .270 was the caliber of selection. In 1987, however, the final survey I’ve seen, the tables have been turned and the .280 was the extra popular caliber. I count on this pattern to proceed.
Manufacturing facility Rifles And Ammo
Fortunately, you don’t should shell out your beer cash for a customized .280 as a result of it has earned such reputation that virtually everybody who makes rifles affords a selection or two on this caliber. Remington, for example, now affords a minimum of 4 rifles in .280 chambering. They’re the trim Mannequin 700 Mountain Rifle, one other bolt rifle with artificial inventory, plus the Mannequin 7400 autoloader and Mannequin 7600 pumpmotion. Remington’s Customized Store additionally offers, on particular order, fancy .280s with handmade shares, and the tack-driving 40-X goal mannequin.
Ruger has lengthy provided rifles in .280 and now affords the chambering within the Mannequin 77 bolt rifle and the trendy Quantity One Single Shot. This 12 months’s catalog from U. S. Repeating Arms lists no fewer than three completely different variations of the Mannequin 70 bolt gun in .280. Likewise, Kimber was fast to supply its handsome new Mannequin 84 Huge Recreation rifle in .280, and the very distinctive looking Dakota M-76 additionally is available in .280. The listing goes on, and anybody who can’t discover a rifle in a .280 that he likes is mighty exhausting to please.
The ammunition image is about the identical. For years, I begged Remington for a 140-grain bullet within the .280 and at last it has granted my want. Remington affords 4 completely different bullet weights-120, 140, 150 and 165, and Federal hundreds a 150-grain Nosler Partition bullet within the Premium line. Federal additionally imports Swedish-made Norma ammo, which features a .280 loaded with a 150-grain bullet. The blokes at Winchester don’t deny that they’re fascinated by loading the .280, in all probability of their new upscale Supreme line.
In final month’s column, “Beginning of the .270,” after we mentioned the mysterious circumstances that led to the event of the .270, we questioned why the oldsters at Winchester didn’t go for a 7mm bullet ( .284 caliber) somewhat than the oddball .277 dimension it did choose. Selecting a .284 bullet would have been a smart choice, and would have been totally as profitable because the .270, presumably much more so. Very presumably, they might have named the brand new cartridge the .284 Winchester, which is the bore diameter, and has a pleasant ring, or they could have rounded off the quantity and known as it the .280 Winchester. Both method, the brand new 7mm cartridge would have been championed by Jack O’Connor, as a result of it could have been his preferrred cartridge. He instructed me so himself.
Again after I was having the Clayton Nelson rifle constructed, I instructed Jack what I had in thoughts, and naturally, he needed to know what caliber it was to be. I fibbed a bit and instructed him it could be a .270, figuring he can be happy.
“Don’t do it,” he demanded. “Have it made a .280 Remington. It’s a greater caliber.”
The Finest Deer Searching Rifles
