.280 Ross
Encyclopedia
The .280 Ross, also known as the .280 Nitro, .280 Rimless Nitro Express Ross (CIP) and .280 Rimless cartridge, is an approximately 7mm bullet diameter
rifle round developed in Canada by F.W. Jones as a consultant to Sir Charles Ross, 9th Baronet
, and his Ross Rifle Company of Quebec
, Canada
for use as a Canadian military cartridge as a replacement for the .303 British
, and in a civilianised and sporterised version of his controversial Mark II and Mk III Ross rifle
, and first commercially produced by Eley Brothers of London, England, in late 1907.
Ross also tried to convince the British War Department to adopt the .280 Ross (and his rifle) as the new service cartridge, but World War I came along and broke his hope.
The .280 also paved the way for Sir Charles' newly designed bullets such "Full Metal Patch" and "Metal Covered Hollow Point". The Ross Mk III rifle was especially developed to handle the .280. The .280 (and the Ross Rifle) won the famous Bisley international matches in 1908, 1912 and 1913 (King's Prize) plus many other prizes in different competitions on both sides of the Atlantic.
of 2900 ft/s (883.9 m/s), the new cartridge qualified for the contemporary designation "magnum
". It was used as a military sniper
's cartridge, in addition to achieving some celebrity as an African plains game
cartridge in the years immediately following the First World War. However the large capacity case was capable of moving the bullets available at that time faster than would be desirable for reliable expansion, causing them to fragment rather than penetrate properly.
Ballistically, the .280 Ross cartridge's performance was broadly comparable to that of the more modern .280 Remington
/ 7mm Express Remington. It also works well on most North American game when used with an appropriate bullet.
As a commercially manufactured item this cartridge has been obsolete for some years, because of the inappropriate bullets often used in it originally, as well as problems associated with the Ross rifle
that it was normally chambered in. Handloaders
continue to load successfully for it, by removing the belt from 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Holland & Holland before resizing or by using swaged and necked-down .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
cases and bullets more suitable for its high velocity. The German round .280 Halger Magnum is based on the .280 Ross case.. Load references can be found in the September/October 1973 issue of the Handloader Magazine.
7 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....
rifle round developed in Canada by F.W. Jones as a consultant to Sir Charles Ross, 9th Baronet
Sir Charles Ross, 9th Baronet
Sir Charles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart Ross, 9th Baronet was a Scottish inventor and commercial entrepreneur who invented the innovative and often controversial straight-pull actioned Ross rifle....
, and his Ross Rifle Company of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for use as a Canadian military cartridge as a replacement for the .303 British
.303 British
.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
, and in a civilianised and sporterised version of his controversial Mark II and Mk III Ross rifle
Ross rifle
The Ross rifle was a straight-pull bolt-action 0.303 inch calibre rifle produced in Canada from 1903 until the middle of the First World War....
, and first commercially produced by Eley Brothers of London, England, in late 1907.
History
The .280 Ross was the first practical cartridge to reach the edge of 3,000 ft/s (910 m/s). Sir Charles Ross did many attempts while in the process of creating the "perfect cartridge", one of them leading to the creation of the .28-1906 in November 1906.Ross also tried to convince the British War Department to adopt the .280 Ross (and his rifle) as the new service cartridge, but World War I came along and broke his hope.
The .280 also paved the way for Sir Charles' newly designed bullets such "Full Metal Patch" and "Metal Covered Hollow Point". The Ross Mk III rifle was especially developed to handle the .280. The .280 (and the Ross Rifle) won the famous Bisley international matches in 1908, 1912 and 1913 (King's Prize) plus many other prizes in different competitions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Performance
Firing a 140 gr bullet at a muzzle velocityMuzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 2900 ft/s (883.9 m/s), the new cartridge qualified for the contemporary designation "magnum
Magnum
Magnum may refer to several things:* Moses Magnum, a Marvel Comics villain*Magnum, P.I., a television series** Thomas Magnum, the lead character...
". It was used as a military sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
's cartridge, in addition to achieving some celebrity as an African plains game
Plains game
Plains game is well established in literature and conversation as the sporting hunter's generic term for all those fair-game species of antelope and gazelle which are to be found - typically in rather open plains or savanna habitats - throughout sub-Saharan Africa...
cartridge in the years immediately following the First World War. However the large capacity case was capable of moving the bullets available at that time faster than would be desirable for reliable expansion, causing them to fragment rather than penetrate properly.
Ballistically, the .280 Ross cartridge's performance was broadly comparable to that of the more modern .280 Remington
.280 Remington
The .280 Remington, also known as the 7 mm Express Remington, was introduced in 1957 for the Remington model 740, 760, 721 and 725 rifles. The .280 is based on the .30-06 Springfield necked down to accept 7 mm bullets, with the neck moved forward .050in...
/ 7mm Express Remington. It also works well on most North American game when used with an appropriate bullet.
As a commercially manufactured item this cartridge has been obsolete for some years, because of the inappropriate bullets often used in it originally, as well as problems associated with the Ross rifle
Ross rifle
The Ross rifle was a straight-pull bolt-action 0.303 inch calibre rifle produced in Canada from 1903 until the middle of the First World War....
that it was normally chambered in. Handloaders
Handloading
Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...
continue to load successfully for it, by removing the belt from 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Holland & Holland before resizing or by using swaged and necked-down .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
.300 Remington Ultra Magnum
The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, also known as the .300 Ultra Mag or .300 RUM is a 7.62 mm caliber rifle cartridge , 7.62x72mm, or .30 caliber rifle cartridge introduced by Remington Arms in 1999. The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is one of the largest commercially available .30 caliber magnums...
cases and bullets more suitable for its high velocity. The German round .280 Halger Magnum is based on the .280 Ross case.. Load references can be found in the September/October 1973 issue of the Handloader Magazine.