I've been trying to find that "just right" load for my new .280. I like shooting the 160gr NP. Anyone have a good 160gr load they can share. So far I'm getting best performance w/ IMR4831. Thanks!
Come on Frank N. you are a heavy-for-caliber guy!

[ 06-08-2002, 23:38: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Give IMR7828 a try. I get best accuracy and velocity with this powder. My hunting load is 58.0 gr 7828, Remington brass, CCI 200 or Fed 210M primer. Rifle is a Weatherby LT with a 24" barrel.

I have had very good results with H4831SC when using the 160 Part. 54.0 grns with a CCI BR2 primer shoots in the .3's with my 700 Mtn Rifle

with the Horn 162 BTSP I use 54.5 grns of H4831SC for groups in the .5's

and with the 154 Horn interlock I use 57 grns of H4831SC for groups in the .4's

Thanks guys, what kind o vel. are you getting?

The IMR 7828 load mentioned above gives me 2870 fps. I've also found H4831SC to be accurate in my .280, but with lower velocities than 7828.

FredJ,

I have done pretty well using IMR7828 with both 160 and 175 NP's. I don't have any data as i'm not home.

BTW........we have been getting pretty decent moisture about weekly. Raining very nicely right now with a little snow up high. This years season is shaping up already!!

FN

Thanks guys. I had tried one load w/ 7828, but I'll tinker.
Frank, hopefully we'll have good hunting in Montana this season. I'll definetly set aside some time for a visit. I'm not sure when we'll be up, depends on whether or not I draw a RM goat tag.
regards

You guys are making me remember things that make me cry. I best load in a 280 Rem WAS 160 Nosler & 59.0 gr of Norma 205 @ 3000 fps. That was 30 years ago from the Speer # 8 manual & the velocity didn't quite reach the quoted 3042 fps. Norma no longer makes that great powder. Boy i wish they did! Please don't try to tell me that Norma MRP is the same. It Is not.

Norma 205. Gee, you're showing your age now!

Will

I think that Re19 is closer to Norma 205. PS:I will show my age,how about Sierra seconds from the little green house at 50cents a pound?

I've used R22 and 7828 and had good results with the 160.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Fred,

Looking back over some notes, I found the following on 160 grain bullets in my .280, which is a Rem 700 Mt. Rifle with a 22" barrel. All loads with Rem brass & Fed 215 primers and are averages for 5 shots

160 Gr Sierra BTSP

56.5 RL 22 Vel Avg: 2814 (high 2785 Low 2871)
57.5 RL 22 Vel Avg: 2909 (high 2888 Low 2926)

160 Gr Nosler PT

57.5 RL 22 Vel Avg: 2781 (high 2801 Low 2755)
55.5 IMR-4831 Vel Avg: 2757 (high 2774 Low 2741)
58 H4831 Vel Avg: 2815 (high 2787 Low 2715)

These are max loads, mostly listed above book maxes for the .280, so proceed with caution. It seems .280 data is usually pretty mild in print because the round was originally targeted for autoloaders, but I have much more experience with the .270 and these charges are in line with loads listed for the .270. I didn't do much more loading with 160s because I couldn't seem to get the accuracy I wanted with this bullet weight and heard .280s tend to be finicky as to what they prefer in terms of bullet weight. My limited experience with the cartridge agrees with this (1 Rem 700 Mt. Rifle & 1 A-bolt I loaded for a friend), and I happily settled on a max load of IMR-4831 that launches the 150 NP at just over 2900 fps with MOA at 100 yards. My .280 definitely prefers 145-150 gr. bullets (vs 140s & 160s) and for some reason, I also get better velocity (close to 100 fps) with boat-tails (sierra / speer) than with flat base (nosler / hornady) given similar loads.

Good Luck,

Lou

I have good success with 160gr Nosler Partition and 56.5 gr of H4831sc. Try this web page for more information, it recommends IMR-7828, I have never tried it myself.

http://stevespages.com/284_1_160.html

Thanks for all of the replys. So far IMR7828 is showing the most promise. I'm getting sub 1" groups w/ vel. in the high 2800fps. I'll keep playing!

I would sure give H414 a try and work up my own load, not the book load...It sure will make a lot of rounds cook and seems to love 06 size cases...

I used to use the NP 160 gr. at about 2750 fps. Does a great job on elk class stuff all the way to 400 yds.
I've switched to the 120 gr. Barnes XBT at 3200 fps. Do the math. The NP is a 66% retained weight bullet. That means it will weigh about 106 grs. if recovered. The X will weigh at least 108 grs. (90%). E

Erim,
I pretty much us the NP in all of my hunting calibers & have only recovered (1) bullet. That was a 210gr NP from my .338-06 @ 2750fps. Impact was @ about 120yds. The recovered bullet weighs about 162gr, that's about 78%. Good enough for me. The 'X' bullets just seem to be too hard to get good accuracy w/ in the rifles I own. The exception was a Ruger #1H in .375h&h, w/ 270gr 'X' it would usually break the 1" mark.
I do have some 150gr FBX that I couldn't get to shoot out of my 7mm Dakota. Maybe I'll give them a try. I would think it would be a good longer range elk bullet.