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280 Rem loads

Hey
I was wondering if anyone had any pet loads for the 280 Rem. I am wanting to get as much velosity as I can and still be accurate. Will I be able to get 3000+ with 140 Accubonds because that is the bullet I am wanting to use
Thanks Ted
Yes. I shot this load for years and it kills like Thor's hammer.
IMR 4831. LR primers (Winchester for me) and Nosler brass because I had a bunch of it.
.3-.5" groups every time I shot this load out of two identical rifles. 3042 fps with 26" barrels.

A very good combo.


I stepped up to 160 NABs and IMR 7828 since my wife uses these rifles for elk and I can eak out a little more distance. Just as accurate and a tad more energy. 3041 fps.

I now went to the .280ai and RL23 for my go-to with heavier bullets and get the same velocities... but it wasn't necessary.

That 140g NAB .280 Rem load will take elk to 600 yards. The 160s will get you another 150 yards. The Ackley gets me to 1000 yds.
 
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I'd like to hear someone using R23 in the reg 280. Be interesting to see what can be done with that. I had picked up that since this thread last had action
 
I'd like to hear someone using R23 in the reg 280. Be interesting to see what can be done with that. I had picked up that since this thread last had action
I would think a mid fifties starting charge with a 160-175 g bullet.

R23 works well in the 280ai, I see no reason it wouldn't do so in a .280 Rem.
 
Glad to see that you guys have revived this thread. I'll chime in with where I ended up with my 280. ( It's a standard 280, not the 280 AI.) I'm using Norma brass, the 143-grain Hammer Hunter, and the load is 57.1 grains of H4831 ( the old stuff - not the short cut.) The primer is the Federal 215M, as Hammer recommends magnum primers with their bullets. Muzzle velocity is around 2950, and they shoot nice little groups where all three holes touch each other. This is with a Dakota Model 10 with a 24" barrel. I ended up pretty close to where everybody else did for velocity, but my powder charge is a little lighter than some. I may have a minimum sized chamber or a tight bore. I haven't done a chamber cast or slugged the bore, nor have I checked the powder capacity of the norma brass vs. other brands. That's probably the most likely reason for maxing out at the lower charge weight.
 
Glad to see that you guys have revived this thread. I'll chime in with where I ended up with my 280. ( It's a standard 280, not the 280 AI.) I'm using Norma brass, the 143-grain Hammer Hunter, and the load is 57.1 grains of H4831 ( the old stuff - not the short cut.) The primer is the Federal 215M, as Hammer recommends magnum primers with their bullets. Muzzle velocity is around 2950, and they shoot nice little groups where all three holes touch each other. This is with a Dakota Model 10 with a 24" barrel. I ended up pretty close to where everybody else did for velocity, but my powder charge is a little lighter than some. I may have a minimum sized chamber or a tight bore. I haven't done a chamber cast or slugged the bore, nor have I checked the powder capacity of the norma brass vs. other brands. That's probably the most likely reason for maxing out at the lower charge weight.
I have a full custom 280ai that is that way.
It has the "tightest" tolerences I have ever seen in a gun and was a bear to develop a load for.

It is very easy to get pressure signs early with that rifle.

I also have to reduce charge weights as compared to my other 280ai rifles.
 
I have a full custom 280ai that is that way.
It has the "tightest" tolerances I have ever seen in a gun and was a bear to develop a load for.

It is very easy to get pressure signs early with that rifle.

I also have to reduce charge weights as compared to my other 280ai rifles.
I have had other rifles that have done this, too. I have had more rifles, though, that went the other way - like a 22/250 that will digest amazing amounts of powder before showing any pressure signs. It also gives me velocities that are much lower than published loads. In addition to that, it prefers the slower burning powders for whatever bullet I am using, too.

These rifles each have their own personality. With everything I shoot these days, I no longer start selecting powders from the middle of the page, like I once did. I have found that starting with the slowest powder listed in the loading manuals for the desired bullet weight has saved me a lot of monkeying around, as that is where I have usually ended up. I still start in the middle of the charge weight range, but most of the time I end up very near the listed maximum loads before I find good accuracy, and consistent velocities. I think it all comes down to loading density, and the slower powders more nearly fill the case. I think this contributes to more uniform ignition.
 
..one of the great almost dead cartridges of all time...I've owned a few and load for 3 other guys who still use them. I sold BigGreens two mistakes, one marked 7mm/06 and the other 7mm Express, boy was I stupid on those moves..the 3 I still load for are 700 rems, two stainless and one chrome moly I believe..all of them were extremely accurate and absolutely deadly deer/bear killers ..like ever cartridge based off the ole' /06 casing H-4350 is always my go to powder along with rem 9 1/2 primers no matter what weight Partition was sitting on top...the three I load for still use that combo and all shoot the 140 gr Partition.. great cartridge too bad these young whipersnappers don't give it much attention these days..
 
I have had other rifles that have done this, too. I have had more rifles, though, that went the other way - like a 22/250 that will digest amazing amounts of powder before showing any pressure signs. It also gives me velocities that are much lower than published loads. In addition to that, it prefers the slower burning powders for whatever bullet I am using, too.

These rifles each have their own personality. With everything I shoot these days, I no longer start selecting powders from the middle of the page, like I once did. I have found that starting with the slowest powder listed in the loading manuals for the desired bullet weight has saved me a lot of monkeying around, as that is where I have usually ended up. I still start in the middle of the charge weight range, but most of the time I end up very near the listed maximum loads before I find good accuracy, and consistent velocities. I think it all comes down to loading density, and the slower powders more nearly fill the case. I think this contributes to more uniform ignition.
Ditto. My experience mirrors this.
 
..one of the great almost dead cartridges of all time...I've owned a few and load for 3 other guys who still use them. I sold BigGreens two mistakes, one marked 7mm/06 and the other 7mm Express, boy was I stupid on those moves..the 3 I still load for are 700 rems, two stainless and one chrome moly I believe..all of them were extremely accurate and absolutely deadly deer/bear killers ..like ever cartridge based off the ole' /06 casing H-4350 is always my go to powder along with rem 9 1/2 primers no matter what weight Partition was sitting on top...the three I load for still use that combo and all shoot the 140 gr Partition.. great cartridge too bad these young whipersnappers don't give it much attention these days..
Yeah, the .280 Rem has been the easiest cartridge I have ever loaded for in my small selection of two. Both (and they are factory rifles) are the most accurate rifles I own, and with multiple load selections. They both outshoot my customs.
 
..one of the great almost dead cartridges of all time...I've owned a few and load for 3 other guys who still use them. I sold BigGreens two mistakes, one marked 7mm/06 and the other 7mm Express, boy was I stupid on those moves..the 3 I still load for are 700 rems, two stainless and one chrome moly I believe..all of them were extremely accurate and absolutely deadly deer/bear killers ..like ever cartridge based off the ole' /06 casing H-4350 is always my go to powder along with rem 9 1/2 primers no matter what weight Partition was sitting on top...the three I load for still use that combo and all shoot the 140 gr Partition.. great cartridge too bad these young whipersnappers don't give it much attention these days..


I have a home made 280 ADL Mountain Rifle! 😂

I had a LA 700 action laying around and picked up a takeoff 280 Mountain 22" barrel and spun it on and dropped it in a plastic ADL stock I had laying around and gave it a whirl!
Loaded 145 Hot Cor ( that were sitting on the shelf) @ 2875 with H4350 under 3/4 moa so I camo painted that ugly black stock and called it hunt ready and put it away! LOL
It's extremely light and handy with a Burris 3-9 scope that I also had laying around!
 

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I am not sure if I asked this before but I need to get some 139 loaded up and I'd like to use the N560 that I have or I can go reloader 23 as well if anybody could help with that.
 
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