Winchester's Model 70 Featherweight 280 Rem Part II

The 280 Remington data that follows is based on performance in concert with the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. No, they are not appearing with James Taylor or The Reverend Horton Heat, I just mean that handload performance can best be assessed with the intended firearm and not optimized to a 24″ test barrel. Additionally, handloading manuals from the 1969 Pacific handloading manual to the 2018 #15 Speer differ greatly in resulting performance, even with common powder selection, charge and barrel length. That’s why they are reference manuals and not predictive manuals.

There are 104 generally available 0.284″ bullets in weights from 100 grains to 197 grains. Hunting bullet weights top out at 180 grains, with heavier bullets slated for competitive match events. Five bullets were selected for this project in weights from 120 grain to 175 grain. By application L-R:

The Sierra Pro-Hunter soft point, flat based 120 grain is listed for large varmint to medium game, best matched to deer and antelope hunting.

Berger VLD Hunting hollow point, boat tail 140 grain is rated for medium, thin skinned game.

Nosler’s Combined Technologies Ballistic Silvertip is poly tip, Lubalox coated 150 grain bullet. It is primarily a deer worthy bullet.

Speer Hot-Core 160 grain soft point suitable for deer, elk, moose and similar… although I am not sure what else is similar. The Hot-Cor is actually a jacketed, soft cast lead bullet as it is made from a jacket filled with molten lead rather than jacketed and swaged lead wire. The process is supposed to make a more perfect bond between jacket and core. Is that important? I honestly don’t know. I have hunted with both and have not observed a difference as both types use a bonding process that minimizes jacket shedding.

Sierra Game-King soft point boat tail 175 grain is suitable for all North American big game including big bear. The bullet has a heavy double tapered jacket and lead alloy core made for deep penetration and controlled expansion on large body game. The bullet has a match bullet profile and is very accurate. Sierra rates the bullet for all North American big game and all African plains game. I have used this bullet frequently in 7mm Remington Magnum loads and it has been a solid performer.

The two identical chronograph reading of 2756 fps are, indeed, two different cartridges and readings and the two entries were not shot back to back. I did not use highest velocity as criteria as final handload selection. I went with accuracy in listing powder type and charge, although several are also maximum recorded velocity for a given bullet weight.

There is approximately a 150 fps to 175 fps swing in velocity, 22″ barrel compared to 24″ barrel. If this is important… and I am not sure it is, other varieties of Winchester Model 70s have 24″. Recoil was moderate… I know, “What does that mean?”. Moderate just means that it kicked like a deer rifle, but it was not of any consequence and the Decelerator pad did a good job of absorbing a lot of what was generated.