The Overlooked .280 Rem.

19 December 2025
J. Wayne Fears

Thinking about getting a different hunting rifle? How would you like to have a rifle in a caliber that can take North American game from woodchucks to musk oxen, has a recoil much lighter than the 7mm Magnum, when shooting handloads can out-perform most .270 Win, .30-06 and 7mm Magnum factory loads at 300 yards, can be found at gun shows reasonably priced in bolt, pump, autoloading and single shot actions, and has a wide selection of bullets available? Sound like a new caliber of the future? No, the .280 Remington is not new.
Even when this handloader’s dream caliber was introduced to the shooting world by Remington in 1957, the concept of the .280 wasn’t totally new. A similar cartridge, the 7X64mm Brenneke, was developed in 1917, and the 7mm-06 was around in the 1940s and ’50s. The .280 Rem is a 7mm with a bullet diameter of .284″ and is based on the .30-06 case necked down.


The .280 Rem case approximates the .270 Winchester except that the .280’s shoulder is moved slightly forward, and the neck diameter is larger. The advantage of the .280 over the .270 is a better pressure velocity ratio. According to Hatcher’s Notebook, it is difficult to load the .270 Win to a specified velocity and stay within pressure limits, whereas the .280’s slightly larger bullet base area and slightly greater case capacity yield lower pressure for the same velocity.


After its introduction, the .280 Rem got off to a slow start. Since it was first associated with the model 740 autoloader and a little later with the 760 slide-action rifle, the rumor circulated that the .280 Rem was loaded at low pressure levels for these guns. Right or wrong, it hurt the acceptance of the new cartridge.


Another problem the new cartridge faced was the popularity of the .270 and .30-06. There just didn’t seem to be room for another similar cartridge. The problem was worsened in 1962 when Remington introduced the immediately successful 7mm Magnum. Many would-be .280 fans went to the magnum. Perhaps the lowest blow was changing the name of the .280 Remington to the 7mm Express Remington in 1979. This simply confused shooters and did nothing for the cartridge’s popularity. Except for reloaders, who had learned of the .280’s versatility, there was little attention given to the caliber under its new name.


During the early 1980s, several ballistically knowledgeable gun writers produced articles proclaiming the .280 Remington “one of the best” long range, big game cartridges. The number of 7mm bullets available was growing, but the number of bolt action rifles in this caliber were limited. By 1985, increased interest in the .280 Rem shown by shooters prompted Remington to recommit to the .280 and drop the 7mm Express Remington name in favor of the original designation. The following year, the company introduced a new factory load featuring the 140-gr. pointed softpoint bullet, with clear down-range superiority in velocity, energy and trajectory over the .270 Win, .30-06 and other medium-caliber cartridges. Remington also returned the .280 Rem to their bolt actions in the Model 700 Mountain Rifle and custom KS Mountain Rifle.


Other rifle manufacturers, including Winchester and Browning, followed Remington’s lead. Ammo manufacturers such as Federal, Hornady, Norma, Winchester and Remington began to offer excellent factory loads ranging from 120-grain to 165-grain bullets. The renewed interest in the .280 Rem lasted about one decade but now its popularity is on the decline. Due to this surge of interest in the 1990’s several discontinued rifle models are now available at gun shows in .280, including bolt, pump, autoloading, and single shot actions.
Because of the decreased interest in the .280 Rem following the 90’s you can only find new guns being made by a few gun companies such as Remington and Thompson/Center. It is still a favorite among custom rifle makers.
While a selection of good factory loads now exists, handloading is what brings out the best qualities of this cartridge. At my last count, there are over 50 bullets, ranging in weight from 100 to 195 grains, available in 7mm. This allows the .280 handloading shooter to hunt small varmints to moose with the same rifle.


Based on hand loading research, the .280 reaches its peak performance with a 140-grain bullet propelled by medium-slow powders, such as IMR 4350 or IMR 4831. With a 140-grain bullet, it is possible to achieve velocities in the 3000 feet per second (fps) range from bolt action rifles. For lighter bullets, H414 or IMR 4064 works well, and in the heavier bullets, AA 3100 does a good job. Throughout the entire range of bullet weights, I have gotten pleasing results with IMR 4350, and if I could only have one powder for the .280, that would be my choice.


One way to evaluate the hunting long-range performance of the .280 Rem. is to compare its ballistics with peak-performing bullet weights in better-known medium-sized game cartridges. For this example, the Federal Fusion SP was used. According to published Federal Fusion SP factory load data, the 140-grain .280 round generates a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2990 fps and at 300 yards has retained energy of 1831 foot/pounds (ft./lbs.). With a 100-yard zero, the 300-yard trajectory is -11.0 inches. By contrast, the 130-grain .270 has an MV of 3050, retained energy at 300 yards of 1618 ft./ lbs. with a trajectory of -11.0 in. The .30-06, with a 150-grain bullet, has an MV of 2900 fps, retained energy at 300 yards of 1693 ft./lbs., and a -12.5-inch trajectory. The 7mm Magnum, firing a 150-grain load, has an MV of 3050 fps, retained energy at 300 yards of 2091 ft./lbs., and a trajectory of -10.4 inches. The 6.5 Creedmoor firing a 140-grain bullet has a MV of 2725 fps, retained energy of 1426 ft./lbs at 300 yards with a trajectory of -14.0 inches.


The .280 factory load exceeds both the .270, 6.5 Creedmoor and .30-06 in 300 yard down-range retained energy and is only 260 ft./lbs. under the 7mm Magnum. The bullet drop at 300 yards is slightly superior to the .30-06, and 6.5 Creedmoor equal to the .270 Win. and less than one inch more than the 7mm Mag.


If the handloader wants to enhance the .280’s down-range capabilities, he can load a 140-gr. spitzer boat tail to get a MV of 3000 fps. He will increase 300-yard retained energy to over 1900 ft./lbs. and decrease trajectory to -3.0 inches, surpassing most factory loads. While the .280 holds its own with ballistics down-range, it does an equal or better job than the comparative calibers in some other areas. Its recoil is not excessive, about the same as the .270 and 6.5 Creedmoor, somewhat lighter than the .30-06, and much lighter than the 7mm Magnum. This point alone can give some .280 shooters an edge, as they can concentrate on marksmanship and not be preoccupied with the impending jolt. After all it’s all about bullet placement.


As I mentioned earlier, a big advantage to the .280 is the wide variety of 7mm bullets, both in weight and design, available to the handloader. Perhaps the major advantage of the .280 over the .270 is the choice of bullets, especially in heavy weights.


I had never shot a .280 until the summer of 1987. During the first 30 years of the .280’s life, like most shooters, I took a ho-hum attitude toward this little-known cartridge. It was in the last year or two of my guiding big game hunters that I became interested in this caliber. I saw hunters using hand loaded .280’s take mule deer, caribou, moose and whitetails at some very long ranges with well-placed, one-shot kills. I became impressed with this cartridge I had considered just another .270.


When several bolt action rifles became available in .280, I decided it was time for me to give the cartridge a good workout. During the summer of 1987, I spent a lot of time on the range working with both factory loads and handloads. The results were impressive enough that I decided to take three big game hunts – elk, pronghorn and whitetail deer – each using a different rifle and a different load in the .280.
For elk I chose the Ruger Model 77. The handload that I decided on was a 175-grain Nosler Partition pushed by 52.5 grains of Accurate 3100. That load gave me consistent 1.2-inch five-shot groups and had a 200-yard energy load of one ton. On the second day of my elk hunt, I got the opportunity to give the .280 its true test. After watching a 6×6 bull elk fighting a smaller bull at daybreak, I lost sight of both when the smaller one ran off and the 6×6 retired to the dark timber. Around noon, I spotted the big bull bedded down on a rocky slope of timber but could only see his head and antlers.


As I closed the distance with the wind and cover in my favor and attempted to get his body within view, the bull suddenly got up some 100 yards from where I lay in cover. My first shot hit a dead limb long before it got to the bull. The second, at 180 steps, caught the now-running animal in the shoulder, and he slid to a permanent stop in a little rocky opening. My first field test of the .280 was a smashing success.
Only a few days later I tested the .280 Remington on pronghorn. For this hunt, I had selected the Winchester Model 70 Winlite because of its 22-inch Featherweight barrel. The load I selected was the Remington factory 150-grain pointed soft point, with which the rifle shot consistent five-shot groups of 1.5 inch.

On the first morning of the hunt, I spotted a nice pronghorn buck lying in sagebrush about 600 yards away at the bottom of a slope. Trying to close the distance, Garry Dick, my hunting partner, and I slipped through the brush for some 200 yards. At about the 400-yard mark, we came to a fence, where we stopped to plan our next move, but the buck got up and started trotting away. Deciding to try the shot, I rested the Winchester on top of a fence post, held over the back of the buck, and touched off a round. “Just over him,” Garry told me. “Drop six inches.” At the second shot, the pronghorn went down. The .280 Remington had done its job.


December of ’87 was the date of my next test of the .280. Whitetail deer hunting guide David O’Keeffe, who specializes in big whitetail bucks, had invited me to hunt two of his ranches in Texas. He was especially glad to have me continue my .280 tests while hunting with him, as David is a .280 fan and did all his North American big game hunting with a Ruger 77 in that caliber.


For this hunt I opted for the new Remington 700 Mountain Rifle. The load I settled on for this hunt was 55.0 grains of IMR 4350 under a 145-grain Nosler ballistic tip bullet. It registered a MV of 2888 fps and shot one-inch groups.


The first whitetail buck to fall to my .280 was a 10- point buck which scored 142-5/8 Boone & Crockett points. I took it at 209 yards. Later in the week David put me on 12- point buck that I took at 125 yards with the .280. Both bucks went down in their tracks.


After my range and hunting tests I was most impressed with the .280 cartridge and the three bolt-action rifles I had tested it in.
Since those early tests I have come to be a .280 Rem fan and have taken most of the North American and New Zealand big game with a variety of .280 Rem rifles shooting a combination of factory and handloads.


However, this cartridge does have its limitations. I don’t consider the .280 adequate for large salmon-fed coastal grizzlies or enraged grizzlies. Along the same lines, the large 195-grain bullet, which one would think would put the .280 in the grizzly class, is handicapped in that the large bullet takes up a lot of case capacity when properly seated, thereby losing velocity.


Another drawback to the .280 Remington is that I have had difficulty finding .280 factory loads in many stores which had plenty of .270 or .30-06. You’d better take enough ammo with you if you are going to remote locations to hunt.


The .280 Remington excels when handloaded, and if you want to stick to factory loads you may not consider it better than the .270 or .30-06 to make the change. Being a .30-06 fan, I don’t think I would trade my pet .30-06 for a .280 if I didn’t handload.

With that said, any other remarks I could make would be pro .280. I entered my test of the .280 with no pre-conceived notions. I didn’t particularly care if it performed well; my tests were to satisfy my curiosity. However, after living with the .280 almost full-time for that entire hunting season, and the years since taking most North American big game with it, it is now one of my favorite calibers.

DIY – Water Filter: Generate Clean, Potable Water for Survival

1 October 2025
J. Wayne Fears

 


Clean water is necessary for daily survival. Water makes up about 60 percent of our body weight; every tissue, cell and organ needs it to perform normally. Lack of clean water leads to dehydration, and within about three days, lack of water can lead to death. Depending upon our health, physical activities, sweat, body size and the environment, our body needs to intake about 15 cups of clean water daily to function. Also, we need clean water daily for activities such as brushing our teeth, cooking, washing dishes and bodily hygiene. Clearly, learning how to craft a do-it-yourself (DIY) water filter is a good idea.


DIY Water Filter: Water Filtration Systems

In most homes, cities and populated areas, we depend upon public water-treatment systems to provide us with a dependable supply of safe, clean water. But what happens when natural or man-made disasters occur and suddenly the public water systems cease to function, or they function improperly? This happened in Jackson, Mississippi, in the fall of 2022—180,000 residents are without clean water. The public water system failed to deliver, and people were thirsty.
In the backcountry, away from a public safe-water system, we often depend upon the small water-filtration systems as found in individual survival kits or sold in backpack supply stores to obtain safe water from streams and lakes. These little filters work great for a short time to provide a few cups of clean water daily. But what about larger wilderness base camps, remote campgrounds or remote self-sufficient cabins where several people need clean water daily? They need a much larger, faster method of filtering water than the individual-sized filters can provide.

Many home-emergency programs and backcountry camps depend upon high-capacity (2 to 5 gallons) gravity-fed commercial water-filter systems or boiling water when using questionable water from lakes, streams or roof runoffs. The commercial filtration systems can cost from $200 to over $1,000, and boiling up to 20 gallons of water daily can take a lot of time and effort.


Inexpensive DIY Water Filter Methods
Thanks to the experience of developing-nations missionary groups and disaster-relief efforts, there exists a do-it-yourself water-filtration system that’s inexpensive—under $100—requires easy-to-find parts and takes about 20 minutes to assemble using only a drill and three bits. Called by many the “two-bucket water filtration system,” one bucket sits atop another bucket. The top bucket receives questionable water for filtration. In the bottom of that bucket, a ceramic filter installs, attaching to the lid of the second (bottom) bucket with a hollow stem, permitting clean, filtered water to flow into the bottom bucket. The questionable water flows from the top bucket through the filter, making water potable. It then flows into the bottom bucket, covered with a lid. Clean water then flows out for use via a spigot. It’s simple, using gravity to do the legwork, but it’s effective.

To assemble your own two-bucket water-filtration system for home emergency preparedness supplies or use at your mountain cabin or afield, use the following guide:

Materials
• Two food-grade plastic 5-gallon buckets, available at building-supply stores
• Two food-grade 5-gallon screw-on lids, available at building-supply stores or leevalley.com (screw-on lids are easier to work with and cleaner when filtering water than snap-on lids)
• One plastic water spigot with watertight washers
• One 4-inch ceramic water filter, available at justwater.me



 

The Heart Of The System
The gravity-flow water-filtration system is only as good as its filter. For this reason, I chose a ceramic water filter that has a proven track record of use by missionaries and disaster-relief teams: the Just Water 4-inch-by-4-inch ceramic filter. It’s made in the U.S. and has a 0.2-micron ceramic case that contains activated charcoal impregnated with silver. Its filtration of bacteria, viruses and other harmful matter is confirmed by an FDA-registered laboratory. Each filter kit (approximately $50) comes with washers and a wing nut for attaching the filter to a bucket, a water spigot with washers and a hex nut, a siphon tube, cleaning pad and a microfiber filter sock to help keep the filter pores open during use.

Tools Needed
• An electric drill
• One 5/8-inch bit
• One 3/4-inch bit
• One 1/4-inch bit

Drilling The Holes

Precision is of utmost importance when drilling the holes in the buckets and lid, as they need to be located in the right place and as clean a cut as possible to assure that contaminated water stays in the top bucket and doesn’t leak into the clean water in the lower bucket.
1. Top bucket hole for filter: Turn the top bucket upside down on a firm support. Secure a 5/8-inch drill bit into an electric drill. Locate the exact center of the bottom of the bucket. Most buckets have a dibble at the center. Slowly drill a 5/8-inch hole through the bottom. Clean the edges of the hole.
2. Top bucket hole for vent: Turn the bucket on its side and drill a ¼-inch hole 1.5 inches below the top rim of the bucket. This is a vent hole. It will allow air to be pulled into the buckets as water is being drained out of the buckets. A vacuum would be formed if the holes were not there, which would stop the filtering action, and you would not be able to drain the bottom bucket.
3. Bottom bucket lid hole for filter: Place the bottom bucket lid on a solid surface. Using a 5/8-inch drill bit, drill a hole through the center of the lid. Clean the edges of the hole.
4. Bottom bucket hole for spigot: Take the bottom bucket and place it upside down on a solid surface. Measure 2 inches from the bottom rim towards the top and mark this spot. Using a ¾-inch bit, slowly drill a hole in the bucket. Two inches is high enough for the spigot not to be in the way of the bucket sitting level on a counter or table.
5. Bottom bucket vent hole: Turn the bottom bucket on its side and drill a ¼-inch hole 1.5 inches below the top rim of the bucket. This is another hole to let the bottom bucket breathe so that a vacuum seal will not develop.


Installing The Filter

Handle the ceramic filter with clean hands. When moving the filter, always hold it by the base, not the ceramic shell. You can stress the ceramic shell, and it can break or crack. If this happens, the filter is no longer filtering correctly. Bacteria can pass through the crack and into the lower bucket. Hold the filter by its base when tightening the wing nut.

Make sure the top bucket is clean and free of shavings from the two holes you drilled into it. Two washers come with the filter: place one on the filter stem. Insert the stem through the hole in the bottom of the top bucket and through the hole in the lid of the bottom bucket. Place the second washer on the exposed stem and attach the furnished wing nut. Turn the wing nut until finger-tight; be careful not to over tighten.
Fill the bucket with water and check for leaks around the filter. It’s important that there not be any leaks around the filter stem, as that would allow contaminated water to enter into the clean water in the bottom bucket.


Mounting The Spigot

A plastic spigot, two washers and a hex nut come with the Just Water 4-by-4 filter kit. Make sure the bottom bucket is clean, and no plastic shavings are inside. To install the spigot, place one of the washers on the spigot stem. Insert the stem into the ¾-inch hole you drilled into the bucket. Place the second washer onto the spigot stem on the inside of the bucket and screw on the hex nut until finger tight. Caution should be used to avoid over tightening the nut and crushing the washer, resulting in a leak. Place clean water into the bucket to check for leaks around the spigot.


Cleaning The Bucket

Before final assembly of the system, sanitize the bottom bucket—the bucket that will contain clean water—with a diluted, unscented bleach solution. Mix 1 teaspoon of bleach with 1 gallon of water and wipe down the inside and outside of the bucket. Let it stand for five minutes and then wipe it off with a dry paper towel. Run a little of the bleach solution through the spigot, then rinse with clean water.


Assembly & Use

To assemble the filter system, begin by slipping the siphon tube over the stem of the filter, located on the underside of the lid attached to the upper bucket, so that it will hang down into the bottom bucket. Next, simply screw on the top bucket, which has the bottom bucket lid attached, to the bottom bucket. Reach inside the top bucket and slip the filter sock over the ceramic filter and place a rubber band around it to hold it in place. The purpose of the sock is to filter out heavy particulates before they enter the filter, preserving the life of the filter between servicing.

Now the filter system is assembled and is ready to be used. Sit the two-bucket system on a sturdy table or counter and fill the top bucket with water from a questionable source. To prevent insects, leaves and so forth from entering the bucket, screw on the top lid. If the water to be filtered is not clear, it should be filtered through a large coffee filter or clean cotton cloth to keep the ceramic filter from getting clogged. For a constant safe-water supply, someone has to monitor the flow from the top bucket and add questionable water as needed.


Maintaining The Filter

To keep the system working properly, it’s necessary to keep the filter clean, and that is relatively easy. You will know when the filter needs cleaning as the amount of water being filtered will slow down and a brownish layer of sediment will appear on the ceramic filter. When cleaning the filter, the first rule is to never use soap. Use any type of slightly abrasive cloth (not metal) or a soft brush. Gently wipe the surface of the filter, then rinse with water. Ceramic elements may be cleaned 100 or more times. The microfiber sock can be cleaned at the same time just by rinsing with clean water, but do not use soap as it can damage the ceramic filter.

Once you begin to use the buckets, they should be cleaned at least once a month. Use filtered water when making the bleach cleaning solution. When used properly, a filter will last a year or more, and when unused, it has an unlimited shelf life.
When first put in use, the flow rate increases as the filter becomes saturated with water. It will take approximately two days for the flow rate of the filter to reach its maximum output of about 1 gallon per hour without a siphon tube. Using a siphon tube, the output can be up to 35 gallons per day.

David Wright: Historian With A Brush

7 August 2025
J. Wayne Fears

My longtime campfire buddy David Wright is universally recognized as one of America’s outstanding artists specializing in historic paintings depicting scenes from early woodland and Rocky Mountain exploration. His work has graced book covers, including two of my books, magazine articles and limited art prints. His originals hang in museums and are in demand for private collections. David is a recognized authority on historic authenticity, which is reflected in the period-correct accuracy of his paintings.
Those who enjoy David’s work now have an opportunity to have a coffee table book that tells the David Wright story with over two hundred of his paintings reproduced in color. Titled DAVID WRIGHT: Historian With A Brush, this hardcover, commemorative gift edition celebrating the life and art of David Wright, and published by Grandin Hood Publishers of Franklin, Tennessee has just been released. The large format book presents the artist’s biography, and an extensive portfolio of his work.
The book’s visually illustrated history text, authored by Western Writers Hall of Fame writer James A. Crutchfield, gives the reader an exciting journey through the life of the artist, culminating as one the nation’s foremost painters of American exploration, Indian nations, and early American history.
Combined with personal and archival photographs from Wright’s collection, Crutchfield’s text follows the artist from his early Kentucky roots, through his art education in Nashville and Europe, and combat endeavors of Vietnam. The colorful saga continues with tales of activities with long hunters and mountain men; as advisor to movie productions, and a lifelong passion for American history that is the subject of his art.
The greater balance of the book’s pages are devoted to full-page presentations of Wright’s paintings, arranged within portfolios, with each portfolio identified by the subject genre. Commentary from celebrity patrons and notables in the historic literary and art world introduce the galleries. Brief historical background text and anecdotes accompany each of the paintings.
A limited quantity of 300 books are offered as special “Artist’s Signature Edition” copies. Each is signed and numbered by the artist and presented in custom, “Grained Buffalino” slipcases, with gold foil stamping, and will include an enclosed 10”x14” signed print of an iconic David Wright painting. Price for these books is $300.
A standard edition of the 10”X14” book is available for $75.
To order your copy go to https://davidwrightart.com/.