I have never been around a 280 but I was looking at ballistics of a 280 the other day and found it to be a very amazing round, you can almost get the the same performance with it as you can with a 7 mag and I doubt with the punishing kick of the 7 mag.
I think I would take the 280 over the 06 and the 270, in my opinion.

The 280 Remington does have distinct advantages over the other two rounds, the .284 calibers are extremely accurate and produce excellent ballistics. But in truth, a 280 Remington does not really approach the performance or power of a 7mm Remington Magnum, the Big 7 compares favorably to the 300 Winchester Magnum on big game. At long range, it hits a lot harder, but it does have more recoil than a 280, not a lot more, but more. Basically, it's like this, if you don't intend to take shots over 300 yards, forget about the magnum, go with the standard calibers, they cost less, their ammo costs less, and they generally aren't as heavy to carry in the field.

sorry for the false info on the performance, but I did see that the 280 could push a 139gr. bullet at almost the same speed as the 7 mag, unless there was a missprint on the page I was looking at, but anyways you got your info!!

It's not the speed, it's the punch. The bigger bullet weights are a clearer example, for instance, the 160 and 162 grain bullets. Proper handloads can drive these bullets at 3100 to 3150 fps in a 7mm Remington Magnum, giving the round tremendous long-range authority. The 280 generates about the same punch as a 270, but generally produces better efficiency with 150-165 grain bullets. If you were going to buy a rifle like the 700 Mountain Rifle, the 280 is probably the best choice among the available calibers, particulary because it provides a flatter, faster shooting alternative to the 30-06.

One thing to keep in mind is that differnce between a .270 and .280 is very minimal. You will find a much better selection of factory ammo available for the .270 vs. the .280. Most stores that carry ammo will always have .270 ammo. I have gone to several stores and have not been able to get .280. Both calibers ar excellent for the type of hunting you are talking about.
You can't go wrong with either except for ammo selection and availability.

O.K. SO WHAT WOULD YOU ALL GO WITH?LETS RULE OUT THE 30-06DO TO THE FACT THAT I ALREADY OWN ONE. THE BALLASTICS ON THE FEDERAL 150 GRAIN NOSLER PARTITION LOOK PRETTY GOOD ESPECIALLY AS A MULE DEER LOAD OR WOULD YOU STILL CHOOSE THE .270. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE RESPONSES.

I'd either go with a 270 Winchester (If I were buying a rifle specifically for mule deer), or a 30-06. For the 270, I would probably go with the 140 grain boat tail, or, for the 30-06, I would go with the 165 grain boat tail. Chances are I would rather take a 30-06 on an expensive mule deer hunt than a 270, since the 30-06 does deliver substantially more downrange energy, and with a heavier bullet.

I'd go with the 270 if you don't want to do the '06, for the reason that Lv2hunt posted. Unless you are a reloader...

If your son is younger you may want to start him on a 243.

[ This Message was edited by: bitmasher on 2003-11-03 22:24 ]

here is what i have to say. i have a .270 it is a great gun. the 06 is a good gun but not as flat shooting now i would go with the .280 it has the flat shooting of a .270 and the heavy bullet capacity like the 30/06 this is why i like the .280 I also shoot a ruger m77 .280

.270, definitely. More selection in guns, more selection in ammo.