I'm going to be Elk hunting with it this year, and will probably shoot Nosler Customs in 160 grn. partitians. Not enough time to work up loads unless someone can put me onto some really great loads. All help greatly appreciated.

Hope everyone has a great season!

140 grain TSX or TSX tipped

RL22 powder

62-64 grains. EXCELLENT velocity and accuracy

Ken Cline's recommendation is good, beware of powder charges in the 280 AI. Start low and work up for sure! I have had loads go from no pressure signs of any kind to blown primers in 1 grain of powder. Be very careful with your OAL as well, getting near the lands will cause a pressure spike quicker than in other calibers I have loaded for--over a dozen others--just based on my experience this are some kinks I have seen, with two different 280 AI's. The Nosler custom ammo is great by the way, it's probably worth ordering a couple of boxes of it, and shooting it to see if it groups reasonably.

What kind of 280 AI rifle is it?

Good luck with your rig and your hunt!

Excellent choice of calibre.

It's a Cooper, Model 52 / Jackson Game Rifle. It is a repeater, and has very nice wood, and stainless barrel. Have any of you shot the 160 grn bullets, or are most shooting 140s? I bought 2 boxes of the Nosler Custom 160s.

I have some Berger Hunting bullets that I thought about loading up, but also have Barnes tipped TSX. All of my current bullets are 140s.

This is a good lookin thing, and it feels as good as any rifle I've ever shouldered. Hope we can fill the freezer with it. Sako 85 / 300 WSM may stay in the safe this year.

Fish, how far would you stay off the lands with initial loading? How far off have you typically settled in with an accurate load?

Thanks

RL22 or H4831sc

I don't know that you would really need 160 grains, but if you have them, they should be ok.

If you already have the 140 TSX tipped, I wouldn't even hesitate to use them on elk. They will perform just as well as any lead core 160, and will shoot flatter and faster.

I'm actually shooting 65.0 grains RL22, but you definitely should work up slow and see how your particular gun does.

Are you fireforming your own brass, or did you buy preformed?

Mine has an odd chamber apparently, The base to shoulder length is slightly shorter than "standard" for this cartridge. I had to modify my sizing die slightly to accomodate.

I formed a bunch from 280 Rem brass using the pistol powder/cream of wheat method. Also, I bought some from Quality cartridge that were made to my chamber dimension.

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna order new 280 brass, and fire form all of it to my gun. I'll probably do it per the Nosler reloading manual. They suggest seating the bullet well into the rifling in order to get a good tight form on the brass. Will probably use some fast burning powder with 140 grain Hornady's or Sierra's. Can't wait. The more I read about this caliber, the more excited I get. Haven't read any negative comments at all, and everyone that has experience with it say'a it may be their choice if given the one gun senario.

Any and all comments are appreciated, new caliber for me, and spending more than I would typically consider for the Cooper Model 52. Hope it lives up to it's billing.

140&160 accubonds and either RL22 or better yet MRP

You know, I got to looking at the catalogs and the internet today, and It appears that the 280 AI brass offered by Nosler, and Norma recieve pretty high praise from the ones that have used them. May go ahead and order some Nosler brass and roll up a few. I found that I have a couple of boxes of the Berger hunting bullets in 140 grn. and have thought about ordering some of the 168, or 154 grns. I have shot some of the Bergers in 308 and 300 WSM and have been quite impressed with accuracy from limited shooting. Have also seen quite a few comments on here, and other sites that seem to be very favorable.

Any comments on Bergers actual performance on game??? I guess I'll probably end up loading some tipped TSX 140s, and some Nosler Accubond 140s. Really don't think one could go wrong with any of the three. This is probably going to be a fun development process. I really want to get a couple of loads tweeked and really shootin. One lighter bullet weight (140)for Whitetail, Mulies, and Antelope, and one for the heavier animals (168, or 180) for Elk.

I am a fan of the RL powders (17 and 19) will probably try the 22, and MRP with the 280.

Thanks again for the opinions, and experience.

The Cooper JG is a beautiful rifle! I've been checking around for a lefty, so I don't have to justify ordering one...lol....but not much luck finding one. There is a 280 lefty on Gunbroker, but actually I might get a 25-06 Ackley if I ever order one. My 280 Ackley lefty is a Dakota 76

A fair representation of a Cooper Jackson Game rifle.


Cooper model 52, Jackson Game rifle, chambered in 25-06.

Great looking rifle! Looks like a twin to mine. Your wood may have a touch more figure.

Obviously it's been used to fill the freezer! Great looking deer.

tc98, as far as barnes bullets go check their website for load data and COAL you should find some godd data there.Please post how your load development goes I for one would be very curious.

I would love to help when I can, but I just got off the phone with Midway, and Midsouth. I tried to order my reloading dies, bullets, and brass. Tried to order the advertised Nosler brass for the 280 AI and got a ship date of June 2011. Obviously I'll end up having to fire form after all.

Does anyone know where I can buy 280 AI brass? Nosler, or Norma would be great.

quote:

Originally posted by tc98:
Fish, how far would you stay off the lands with initial loading? How far off have you typically settled in with an accurate load?

Thanks

tc98, I ended up shooting the TSX's about 35 thousandths off of the lands. The one 280 AI I have is a Cooper JG as well, it started life as a regular 280, and I had it rechambered, pillar and glass bedded and trigger tweaked a little bit. It was tricky getting the loads just right in it, and I ended up settling on the Accubonds at 140 Gr. I have not shot the Bergers on game, but did shoot some of their 'hunting' bullets in this rifle, also around 35 thou off of the leade and they were very accurate, but not really a lot better than the AB's. I have typically gotten great accuracy with TSX's, but it really took a lot of tweaking in this rifle to get them to shoot, and as I mentioned, pressure would spike quickly in this rifle as well as my other 280 AI-- (and my other 280 AI, a Kilimanjaro custom based on a Sako 75 Action) especially with the TSX's.

I would try and start a little further off of the lands if you don't start getting really strong powder compression, Barnes recommends 50 thou off IIRC.

If you haven't located any brass, I can probably spare 20 or so pieces, let me know--just shoot me a PM or whatever, I'll check and see how much virgin stuff I have--I am one of those that really likes the Nosler stuff, which is all I have.....

I use IMR 7828 in my cooper version, around 60 grains, CCI LR primers. In my Sako version, which has a Krieger barrel, I use Viht N-560, same sort of charges, right at 62 grains.

I keep that charge a little lower in the Cooper version, just because of the pressure spikes I saw in load development, that one blown primer spooked the shit out of me!

Good luck with your rig, I really like my Coopers, all of mine shoot really well, this one just took a little more doing than most, I've got several 270 Coopers, and they are just super accurate!

PM me with your email ID & I'll send you my spreadsheet with all loads developed on my Sako L61R 280 Ackley Imp.

It has been a fine rifle & I have enjoyed it very much. Shot wallabies out to 400+ meters. Deer to 250 meters max. hares also to 300+.

I would try the 160 Accubonds as well. I found great results with VV N560. I get 3000 fps with no excess pressure & easy bolt lift & no ejector port marks on the brass. It is a double based modern powder and gives better velocities - spot on with the current Nosler manual.

Yes the Barnes TSX & TTSX should be ideal for elk but I would go for the 150s or 160s.

I am using Winchester Nickel plated brass but now that Nosler brass is available you just avoid the pain of fire forming your brass.

quote:

Originally posted by tc98:
.....how far would you stay off the lands with initial loading? How far off have you typically settled in with an accurate load?

Thanks

All hunting ammo - I use John Barsness' thumb rule. For lead core bullets I seat 0.030" off lands & for TSX etc. it is 0.050" off the lands. I want my ammo to feed easily every time in the field even if I am in a hurry for a quick reload.

For fire forming, I used the Win nickel plated brass and 3031 as a good powder with cheap 150gr Rem CL bulk projectiles. I even shot fallow deer with that bullet & it just put them down..

I googled the brass, and every supplier that sells it is out. So, they must have sold out the run of it, and are waiting to make another batch.

I got very good results using blank loads for fireforming, and got nearly 100% formed cases on one firing. I used mostly Remington brass, and avoided the Winchester plated.

I used Unique powder, then filled the case with cream of wheat, and topped with a paper wad.

Nice thing is- you don't have to buy or use bullets for the forming, and it can even be done inside (with ear/eye protection, obviously). I just shot mine into a canvas tarp backdrop to catch the filler.

Yep the Nosler online store is out of stock on the brass as well.

Regarding Fire forming, there is no need to jam the bullet in the lands. Ackley Imp case shoulder is a few thou back of the std case & so you should get a crush fit at the base of the neck.

I know people who use fire forming loads for hunting feral goats here in NZ since they get very good accuracy.