Whats your 280's favorite load?

I'd like to see some of you more experianced hands with the 280 Rem share your great loads, I know you guy's will come up with some great loads and data.. I plan on useing 150-160grn at stepped up speeds in my new to me Winchester FWT.. I did search, but there just doesn't seem to be a "one stop tells all" thread... Besides... Discusion is much more fun..

Mike, I loaded some 160gr. N Partitions with 54.5 gr. RL-19 for elk. This is .5gr. over Nosler book max and .5gr. under Speer book max. A good accurate load in my Ruger Mk. II.
Never got to shoot an elk though.

Loading the 150gr. Nosler BT's with 55 gr. of AA-3100 is not speedy but allows great pass through shots and bloody trails on whitetails that don't drop in their tracks.

Recently, I loaded some of the on sale 140gr. Nosler Solid Bases with 55.5gr. AA-3100. When I took it out with a stone cold barrel several consecutive mornings and fired just one shot, the holes all touch. That's what I want to know for hunting; where that first cold barrel shot is going. Three shot groups are about 1.5 inches; about as well as I ever do with that gun. My main goal is knowing where that first shot is going - good cold barrel accuracy and this is a great load for that. I think I will use it next year but I still like the 150 gr. BT performance on deer when loaded down to moderate velocities. Merg

It's a factory load: Federal HE 140gr. TBBC. The rifle is Beretta Mato synthetic.

Landrum

My .280 lives on 160gr bullets. I use the 160grNP for a combo elk/deer load & the 160gr Speer shoots to the same POI. I've tried probably 6 powders so far & hands down, IMR7828 gives the best accuracy & vel. H4831sc is very close, accuracy is just as good but runs almost 100fps slower, same for IMR4831. I didn't have any luck w/ H4350, RL19 or RL22.
Work up to this load:
RP brass, Fed210M, 160grNP, 57.0gr IMR7828 @ 3.30". The Speer gives about 30fps less vel. but POI is pretty close. From my lt.wt. 23"bbl, it will do 2850fps on warm days, 2825fps on cold days. I've shot many submoa 100yd groups w/ it & one very good day shot a sub 3/4moa 300yd group w/ that load.
My antelope load is 59gr under a 140grNAB, NP or 145grGS. It will do right at 3000fps.

160 Nosler Partitions, IMR7828, Rem brass and Fed 210M -- S40

I have a couple bolt action 280s that I hunt with. One is a Ruger 77 MKI and the other is a Tikka M 65 with a custom barrel. While both shoot the 150-160 gr bullets very well I have found the 139 gr Hornady Interbond or the 140 gr TSX bullets perform great. With good handloads the Hornady bullet gives up nothing to factory 7mm mag ammo. the 140 TSX will outpennetrate most 160 gr std bullets.In both of my rifles a max charge of IMR 4831 gives the best groups and top velocity. I use Rem cases. CCI 250 primers and my max in both rifles is approx 2 grs more than several manuals list as max. Work up carefully. Hope that helps

I built myself a "light" left hand 7 Express Remington many years ago for a sheep hunt. What "it" likes isn't really what "I" like...

It likes 145 Speer BT's... It will drive tacks with them!! I have taken bear, caribou, deer ect. (includeing the bear in the pict.) with that load, but i have to be "very" carefull to use rib shots and i don't like that!!

I would prefer to use 150NP's for my "all around load" but i haven't taken the time to work up a load with this bullet...... yet!

DM

With the 145-160 I had the best luck with a heavy load Usually at or just past book max H4831. For lighter bullets IMR4350. The 115sprHP and a heavy load of 4350 turns a jack rabbit to a red haze.

I have some 160AB and 7828 loads to try just having had time.

I have removed any load data.

Can we see some chronograph numbers with your loading data?.. Seem's IMR7828 & IMR4831 might be the hot ticket..

Reread my post Mike.

I use H4831HC. Results are the same as posted with 140-160s. I am going to try 7828 on Fred reccomendation

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:
Reread my post Mike.

Sorry Fred,

I should have been more specific..

Fred's the only guy who shared his chronograph data..

Can we see more loads with chronograph data..??

Thanks all..

You too Fred!!

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Load data I have handy on the 280 is from a 24"
160gr Part H4831 2825fps
145speer H4831 and 2955.

Paul, is that old H4831 or current H4831sc?

my .280 mountain rifle likes 56.5 RE-19 W/ 140 Accubonds=2900' not real fast but extremely accurate and an excellant killer.


b h

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
[QUOTE]That would be old. I have not used any of the 4831sc. This is a back up rifle and this ammo and datails is from several years ago.

That's what I thought. I can only get to 55gr w/ H4831sc before pressures start to show up. Important to note that when sharing data.

Paul, your loads are obviously safe in your rifle, but todays H4831 (or H4831sc) is not the same as powder even 10yrs ago. It's one reason to buy new handloading manuals ever few years. If I used loads from my old Hornady manual w/ todays powders, I'ld probably mess up a few good firearms.

quote:

Paul, your loads are obviously safe in your rifle, but todays H4831 (or H4831sc) is not the same as powder even 10yrs ago.

Fredj338

I have removed any reference to load data. Please remove it from your quote. Thanks

I have 4 & they all like different things"

1. Lewis m70..154 hornady flat base & rl19

2. Jackson Mauser..160speer flat bases & rl19

3. Mountain Eagle..139 Hornady Flat bases & rl19

4.M700ks..150 partations & rl 19.

I'd try the hornady 154's, they work on deer & elk.All mine like RL19 better than h4350 or h4831.

145 Speer Hot Core (NOT the Boat-tail) and 58gr of R-22...accurate and deadly.

MopaneMike, I am copying a response I just posted to another thread since it answers your query.


Westernmassman, I got my 280 M700 in the early 1990s when the stainless M700 was first introduced. It has a composite stock, the mountain rifle bbl contour, and a blind magazine. I have no idea if my loads will benefit you because, (1) all rifles are a rule unto themselves, (2) I am uninterested in maxing out any of the cartridges I reload for, and (3) I only hunt whitetails so standard bullets do it quite well for me. As a matter of fact, the first load I ever tried in this rifle was the only load it ever fired until this past Fall when I finally ran out of the original stash of bullets.

The primary load is 150 gr. R-P Corelocks over 56 gr. of AA3100 powder. This load is a couple of grains or so below max in the Accurate manual. It has slain a few truckloads of whitetails quite well since the first one taken on Jan. 8, 1993. I never recovered a single bullet from this rifle/load on any deer I shot. However, a buddy borrowed it once and shot a running deer and got an instant kill. When we butchered the deer, we found that the bullet had centered the hip joint, penetrated about 1.5 – 2.0 inches, hit the ball joint and stopped. The ball joint was cracked and the bullet was perfectly mushroomed. According to the friend (I wasn’t there) the little buck went straight down and never kicked once it hit the ground. If anyone can explain that bullet performance and hit reaction, I’d love to hear it.

Finding myself short of loads and not enough of the R-P bullets remaining this past Fall, I used the same powder charge under some 160 grain Sierras or Speers (can’t remember at the moment). I didn’t take a deer with this load/rifle this year but it shot just as well as with the previous load.

If you hunt medium game only, these loads or something similar will do it well. If you’re after elk or similar sized critters, you might want to look at premium bullets. Good luck with your new rifle.