Hunting construction
Soft-point, bonded, partitioned, and monolithic expanding bullets are designed differently. Their intended impact-velocity ranges and use cases come from the bullet or ammunition manufacturer.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · SPORTING & MATCH RIFLE
.280 Remington
A long-action 7mm-class sporting cartridge. Its historical alternate name 7mm Express Remington can appear on older boxes or firearms.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 3.150–3.330 in
80.010–84.582 mm - Case length · max
- 2.540 in
64.516 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.2845 in
7.226 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.473 in
12.014 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Sporting & match rifle
- Bullet specification
- 0.2845 in / 7.226 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 4 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 140–150 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.280 Remington is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 280 Rem. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
7mm Express Remington is not 7mm Remington Magnum. .280 Ackley Improved also has its own specification.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
Remington introduced the .280 in 1957 in the Model 740 autoloading rifle. The underlying 7 mm-.30-06 idea was already familiar to wildcatters, but the factory introduction gave it a standard cartridge and ammunition supply. It later appeared in pump-action and bolt-action Remington rifles as well.
The cartridge’s commercial history became unusually complicated by naming. In 1979 Remington briefly tried the 7 mm-06 name, then used 7 mm Express Remington before returning to .280 Remington. The 7 mm Express wording created confusion with the separate 7 mm Remington Magnum, while the earlier .270 Winchester and the Magnum both competed for hunters’ attention. Those decisions help explain why a capable sporting cartridge did not achieve the visibility its supporters expected. The later .280 Ackley Improved belongs to the same broad lineage, but records another design rather than another of Remington’s historical marketing names.
Historical sources: Sierra: .280 Remington cartridge history ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Match construction
Open-tip match and tipped match bullets prioritize consistency and aerodynamics. A match designation does not by itself mean the projectile was designed for hunting expansion.
Specialty offerings
Lead-free, reduced-recoil, and premium long-range products are separate load designs when offered. Compare the exact SKU, bullet weight, test barrel, and intended role rather than relying on a cartridge-wide average.
In the cited .280 Remington examples, bullet weights are 140, 150 grains. These are the weights actually present in this source selection, not a claim that every possible loading is listed.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
From the factory catalog
140 grains
2,990 fps
FUSION
150 grains
2,890 fps
SP
Compare all 4 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FederalF280FS1 | 140 gr 9.07 g | FUSION | 2,990 fps 911 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
| FederalP280TT2 | 140 gr 9.07 g | TROPHY BONDED TIP | 2,950 fps 899 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 52–53 ↗ |
| Federal280B | 150 gr 9.72 g | SP | 2,890 fps 881 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗ |
| Hornady81587 | 150 gr 9.72 g | ELD-X® | 2,925 fps 892 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 185 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.280 Remington: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 140 gr Federal FUSION | Federal | 0: 2990; 100: 2794; 200: 2607; 300: 2427; 400: 2255; 500: 2089 |
| 150 gr Federal SP | Federal | 0: 2890; 100: 2667; 200: 2455; 300: 2253; 400: 2060; 500: 1877 |
| 140 gr Federal TROPHY BONDED TIP | Federal | 0: 2950; 100: 2732; 200: 2524; 300: 2326; 400: 2136; 500: 1956 |
| 150 gr Hornady ELD-X® | Hornady | 0: 2925; 100: 2763; 200: 2607; 300: 2455; 400: 2309; 500: 2167 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .280 Remington?
A long-action 7mm-class sporting cartridge. Its historical alternate name 7mm Express Remington can appear on older boxes or firearms.
What diameter does .280 Remington use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.2845 inches (7.226 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
7mm Express Remington is not 7mm Remington Magnum. .280 Ackley Improved also has its own specification.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
The downrange view uses the exact manufacturer catalog records shown in the source table. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values use linear interpolation between the displayed source points. Calculated energy uses the listed bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 106 ↗
- Sierra: .280 Remington cartridge background ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 52–53 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 185 ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.