Ruger Hawkeye 280 remington??

[rmarshall]

Does anyone have any experience with this caliber in this particular rifle? I had a 260 that was a real good shooter, but I let my brother take it from my hands. This caliber just keeps me intrigued, I'd love a 280 AI but I can't afford a custom and the others our there haven't gotten me to interested yet. Could I expect MOA type accuracy from one of these ruger hawkeye 280s? thanks

 

[DrMike]

Can't speak to the 280 in that particular rifle. However, the 280 is a favourite cartridge for me. And the three Hawkeye rifles that I own (35 Whelen, 358 Win and 6.5 Creedmoorl) are all shooters, leading me to believe that the rifle itself would not disappoint. To be certain, I did screw on a different barrel for the 35 Whelen, but it wasn't because the rifle didn't deliver reasonable accuracy. It was because I wanted more accuracy. Each of these rifles deliver sub-MOA accuracy (0.5 MOA or better) when I do my part. If I had a chance, I'd not hesitate to pick up a Ruger Hawkeye chambered in .280 Rem.

 

[gerry]

Like DrMike I don't own a Ruger 280 Rem either but have had 3 rifles in 6.5x55, 30-06 and 375 Ruger that all shot very well so I like your chances of getting a 280 Rem that shoots well. I remember seeing some testing that showed that when the 280 Rem is loaded to the same pressures as the 280 AI it comes within about 40 fps which would be negligible in the field.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

I've had 3 rifles that were Ruger M77's, a .25-06, .300 Win Mag, and .338 Win Mag.
All were wonderfully accurate, all 1 MOA or a little better.
I would think that the Hawkeye would be as accurate or even moreso.
Listen to DrMike, he knows his stuff. So does Gerry.
Now, for example, I wanted to get a .280 Remington myself. When handloaded, it shines! And it is correct, it can get within 40 fps of the 280 AI, or equal. If the .280 is loaded to .270 Win pressures, I doubt you'll see any difference between it and the AI.
I was thinking on buying a Hawkeye as well, and decided to go with a Thompson Center Venture .280 Remington. They guarantee their rifle will shoot 1 MOA. The other reason I went with the Venture is because of the A-Bolt design, and 70 degree bolt throw.
Anyway, you'll be happy with a regular .280!

Hawk

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[6mm Remington]

My son has a Ruger 77 MKII in 6mm Remington that except for the different shaping of the wood stock, it is essentially a Hawkeye. It is a shooter and I really like it. I would go for it. I had a 280 Remington and shot a lot of game with that rifle to include my largest bull elk. The 280 Remington is like the 30-06 in that you cannot go wrong with it.

 

[rmarshall]

thanks everyone for the replies, I truly appreciate it. I had a 280 for a short while, while it was a beautiful gun to look it, it didn't shoot as well as I would have liked. It shoot good, but I wanted more than looks, I'm a snob I guess. thanks again.

 

[JD338]

I would think that you should be able to find a load that will shoot well in that rifle. The 280 Remington is a great cartridge and is usually pretty accurate. Bullet weights of 140, 150 and 160 gr will cover everything from mice to moose. The 150 gr AB, PT and BT would cover most everything. As for powders, RL19, RL22, IMR4350, IMR4831 or H4831 should get you the speed and accuracy you are looking for.

JD338

 

[PJGunner]

thanks everyone for the replies, I truly appreciate it. I had a 280 for a short while, while it was a beautiful gun to look it, it didn't shoot as well as I would have liked. It shoot good, but I wanted more than looks, I'm a snob I guess. thanks again.

Just how accurate should a big game rifle be? We're not shooting prairie dogs way out yonder here but large animals like antelope, deer and elk. It's nice being able to shoot itty-bitty groups from the bench but in the 60 plus years I've been hunting I haven't seen a bench rest out in the boonies yet. There may be one somewhere but it's as sure as heck never saw it.
One of my most favored deer rifles is a Ruger tang safety RSI, the one with the Mannlicher style stock out to the muzzle. On a really good day it might do 1.25" from the bench but more often it runs closer to 1.50". Funny thing is every deer I shot at with it has never complained about the "poor" accuracy. They just died. Deer have been shot with that rifle from 6 feet to 250 yards with most within 100 to 150 yards.
Paul B.

 

[Blkram]

Have had two Hawkeyes, a 6.5 CM and a 338 Federal, which I still own.
Sorry have not had a 280 in aHawkeye.
Actually owned the Hawkeye in 6.5 that DrMike now has and it is very good shooting rifle. Sold it to him so I could build a left handed Creedmoor.
Still own the 338 Federal which shoots 1/2 to 3/4 MOA with different factory loads. It too is righthanded...just trying to find a lefty Hawkeye SA so I can do a barrel swap and still have an all original Ruger parts rifle in 338 Federal...
That is unless I break down and sell it to put the funds towards a left handed Cooper Classic in 338 Federal! LOL

Don't think you can go wrong with the Hawkeye!
It is a robust rifle that will provide you years (or generations) of great service and you will love the 280!

 

[beerbucksducks]

I own a Hawkeye in .243 Win that has been my go to deer rifle for the past 12 years. It’s a solid MOA gun with 95 Ballistic tips.
I also loaded for a Hawkeye in .280 that one of my buddies had awhile back. He didn’t keep it for long, but it had nothing to do with the rifle. It was an MOA shooter as well with the 150 Ballistic Tips. If I had the money at the time, I would have bought that one in heart beat.


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[remingtonman_25_06]

Cant speak for that cartridge in a Ruger, but I've been around and played with a few Rugers over the years and all were MOA shooters or less with handloads.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Just my 2 cents worth...

I've been a Ruger fan for over 30 years.
If I didn't have a .280 Remington, I'd snatch that Ruger Hawkeye in a New York minute.
I know it's sturdy enough to take anywhere, and the cartridge is more than capable of having excellent accuracy, and is able to take almost anything on this continent.

Hawk

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[PJGunner]

My .280 Rem. is based on an 1909 Argentine Mauser by DWM. It's a full blown custom with 24" barrel and seems to enjoy running 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams at 2900+ FPS into reasonably tiny groups.
Paul B.