280AI and Berger 168gr Classic Hunter.

[204_ruger]

Anyone used this combo on deer? I have never used the Classic Hunter yet. What powder do u use? I have used the VLD Hunting bullets only. Out of my 280 rem and 7mm mag.

 

[std7mag]

I only have the standard 280 Rem and don't shoot bullets that heavy in it.
I've been shooting the 168gr VLD in my 7mm Rem Mag for a few years now.
Last year I got a Weatherby Mark V in 7mm Weatherby Magnum.
The freebore is looong!
The ejection port short.
So the VLD doesn't work well for it.

During a clean up I found 2 boxes of the 168gr Classic Hunter. SCORE!!!
If the clouds would finally lift, and quit raining I have both rifles to shoot. Normally I use RL26, but I'm trying Ramshot LRT.
Will post back on my results.

 

[Raudy707]

I

Anyone used this combo on deer? I have never used the Classic Hunter yet. What powder do u use? I have used the VLD Hunting bullets only. Out of my 280 rem and 7mm mag.

Shoot 175 Elite Hunters out of my 280 AI. Reloader 23 is pure magic in that cartridge. Should work well in a straight 280. And the Classic Hunter is very easy to tune. Not like a VLD at all. You can pretty much seat them at magazine length and then go from there. The 168s should do 2750 and be excellent on deer. My 175s are 2938 avg and they pass right through elk. No issues with hitting shoulder scapula or anything.

 

[204_ruger]

I don't have any RL23. I do have RL22 IMR 7828ssc and H1000.

 

[BEEMAN]

I shot that combo in my Cooper 280AI with H4831SC. Sold the rifle, so no on game experience. Going off memory it was going 2880 FPS.

 

[slv hunter]

I use 168 berger classic hunters and h4831sc. My mv avg is 2915 fps and shoots well. I have harvested many elk and a couple of deer with this combo with good results. Longest is a muley at 700 yds, and average distance for elk is about 500 yds. The load for vld's and classic hunters is the same in my rifle

 

[204_ruger]

I have H4831sc and IMR 4831 too. I can find H4831sc locally too.

 

[Raudy707]

Go with the H. Better temp sensitivity.

 

[204_ruger]

I use it in my 280 rem also. I may go by and pick up few more pds of H4831sc. So I can use it in both guns.

 

[manitou]

I don't have any RL23. I do have RL22 IMR 7828ssc and H1000.

I get 2945fps with 7828 and 168 Berger VLDs from my 280ai with vety good accuracy.

 

[birddog 68]

I don't have any RL23. I do have RL22 IMR 7828ssc and H1000.

Another vote for IMR 7828.

I have H4831sc and IMR 4831 too. I can find H4831sc locally too.

I used IMR 4831 with the 168's in my 280 Remington and it shot great but velocity was slacking a bit so switched to the IMR 7828. IMR 7828 does well with mid to heavy bullets in the 280/280AI

 

[thatguyshm]

I created a load just this summer for the 168 hunters. I only had about 70 left from a friends project, so I looked in the powder cabinet and grabbed the last of a can of pp4000. I know this stuff is long gone, it's why I figured I'd throw it at a combo that I didn't plan on keeping around. It shoots very well and plan to try it out this fall. Im not pushing it very hard, right around 2800fps with new Peterson brass in a savage ultralight 22". Very easy to get an accurate load.

I tend to only use copper with that rifle so I wanted to try something much softer and a bit heavier. The guy I loaded for originally swore by the Bergers with his 7RM for white tail and had stacked many up.

Staball 6.5 works amazing in the 280AI across several bullet weights also.

 

[FEENIX]

Anyone used this combo on deer? I have never used the Classic Hunter yet. What powder do u use? I have used the VLD Hunting bullets only. Out of my 280 rem and 7mm mag.

Contact Berger's tech support, and they will e-mail you their recommendations, similar to the ones below.

 

[204_ruger]

I will have to email them. My Berger manual don't have any 280AI data. I looked back on some older data. Is the RL19 to fast burning for 168 gr bullets? I have 8 pds of it on hand.