280 AI hand load favorites.

I shot the 120g Nosler ballistic tips in the 7 Mag at 3500 and in the 7 STW at 3850, brother and I never had a failure as the jackets are thicker than the 140g Nosler ballistic tip. 7 Mags did not always shoot hole though the deer on quartering shots. We had a food plot set up 500 yards from our ladder stand, dubbed, "STW Stand". We killed a lot of deer out of that stand with 120g Nosler ballistic tips and a lead tip solid base.
 
VinceMule said:
I shot the 120g Nosler ballistic tips in the 7 Mag at 3500 and in the 7 STW at 3850, brother and I never had a failure as the jackets are thicker than the 140g Nosler ballistic tip. 7 Mags did not always shoot hole though the deer on quartering shots. We had a food plot set up 500 yards from our ladder stand, dubbed, "STW Stand". We killed a lot of deer out of that stand with 120g Nosler ballistic tips and a lead tip solid base.
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3850đź‘€I guess at 500 it had slowed a little. I can't imagine shooting one at pbr.
 
Cajun, way back, Metallic shooters were shooting pistols at metallic targets out to 300 meters. A bullet was needed that would hold together longer, to put "more time on Target" giving more energy. Nosler answered the call by making a thicker jacket 120g Ballistic tip.

My family has shot PLENTY of deer from 15 yards to 45 yards to fill freezers with the 120g Nosler ballistic tip. I like to shoot them on the back end of the diaphragm, away from the shoulder, and some would run 35 yards or so...no big deal. No one has ever had one blow up when shot on the shoulder.

My favorite load with a 7 Mag is 72-73g of R#22, CCI 250, 120g Nosler just barely touching the lands, and this load shoots a bug hole.

I had a Barnes TTSX pencil through a deer and not expand at STW velocities around 450 yards on a 100 lb doe.
 
VinceMule said:
Cajun, way back, Metallic shooters were shooting pistols at metallic targets out to 300 meters. A bullet was needed that would hold together longer, to put "more time on Target" giving more energy. Nosler answered the call by making a thicker jacket 120g Ballistic tip.

My family has shot PLENTY of deer from 15 yards to 45 yards to fill freezers with the 120g Nosler ballistic tip. I like to shoot them on the back end of the diaphragm, away from the shoulder, and some would run 35 yards or so...no big deal. No one has ever had one blow up when shot on the shoulder.

My favorite load with a 7 Mag is 72-73g of R#22, CCI 250, 120g Nosler just barely touching the lands, and this load shoots a bug hole.

I had a Barnes TTSX pencil through a deer and not expand at STW velocities around 450 yards on a 100 lb doe.
Click to expand...
Yea I'm familiar with the 120 story. I've also seen sectioned bullets that show the jacket. We've run them in 7/08's mostly 3000 ish. They work fine. I've been running the 140's in my AI because they were more available. They work great at 3150-3200 ish out the AI. In the 7 mag I have used the 150's at 3200 as well. The 140's can be explosive up close but put it in the chest a little back and they are done. The 150 is a tougher bullet. Wouldn't hesitate to shoot an elk with it at reasonable distance.
 
Also as vince said not a ttsx fan. Had some 140's do very minimal damage, small wound channel. Looked like a bow shot deer. They did open I saw the x on lung tissue but very minimal damage. Not the jello you see with a lead core bullet like a BT.
 
The 120 NBT is a stout little bullet. I don't use it for actual hunting because I just like the 120gr TTSX better, but 60.8gr of H100v gets me 3440 with the NBT with stellar accuracy. 1:8.4tw, 24" barrel
 
cajun said:
I'm a big 7 guy. Loving the 280AI. Tempted to build a short saum for can use if I could find some brass.
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Mark37082 said:
I was going down the SAUM route and actually bought brass and dies. I like the idea of a shorter barrel for much of hunting purposes. I put on the brakes when I considered the ballistic performance compared to the 280AI. They are basically ballistic twins. Nothing wrong with having both. I'm getting longer in the tooth and running out of room in the safe.
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I had same thoughts prior to me purchasing the 7SAUM, but now I'm thinking of another. I like having 2 rifles each with same cartridge for my 3 favorites, .280AI, 7-08, and 7SAUM. Ballistics are very close to the .280AI, but then again you can load them very different. ADG makes great brass for the SAUM and Norma also. I say go for it! You will not regret.
 
cabelasken said:
145 Barnes LRX 60 grains reloader 19 Nosler brass Win LRP 3150-3175 FPS well under 1 MOA. Very much a max charge in my 4 280 AI's. In fact, I'm reducing the charge with the rel 19 down to 59 Gr. for this next season and maybe going to H4350 or Sta bil 6.5 as I'm down to about 1 lb of the r19.
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I'm at 57.4gr RL-19 with the 145gr LRX in Hornady brass and a CCI 250, I used a Foster-Manson reamer to cut my chamber. I too am going to try SB6.5 and H4350 - keep us posted on your results please.

SB6.5 is amazing in my 257 AI - replacing RL-17, shooting the 101gr LRX, 110 ELD-X and the 115gr Berger over it. Apologies for shifting off topic a bit.
 
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Two current favorites in my Kimber classic select, both with Peterson brass

145 lrx, 60.3 h4831sc, fed 210, 3080fps

150 eldx, 60.5 h4831sc, fed 210, 3000fps
 
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..fill her up with H-4350, a Remington 9 1/2 mag primer pushing a 150 or 160 grain Nosler Partition...your ready to take on anything in North America...a true if you could only have one cartridge...
 
cajun said:
Yea I'm familiar with the 120 story. I've also seen sectioned bullets that show the jacket. We've run them in 7/08's mostly 3000 ish. They work fine. I've been running the 140's in my AI because they were more available. They work great at 3150-3200 ish out the AI. In the 7 mag I have used the 150's at 3200 as well. The 140's can be explosive up close but put it in the chest a little back and they are done. The 150 is a tougher bullet. Wouldn't hesitate to shoot an elk with it at reasonable distance.
Click to expand...

Cajun, are you in Louisiana?

I too use the 150 BT in 284 WIN hunting rifles as well as 150 ABLR.
I found the 150 BT actually causes a bit less entry damage than the ABLR at <150 yards but similar damage beyond that.
Both exit very well with silver dollar holes.
 

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