280ai load development (continues)

[wilkup]

Monos are next!

I can attest to Hammers being simple to load up too.
The only downside I've found is the lower BC when compared to the Berger and Hornady ELD line of bullets.
The Hammers not sensitive to seating depth and the harder I push them, the tighter my groups become in every caliber I've loaded them for.
Good luck in your quest

 

[Mark37082]

JD - I wish you would try the 155HH. I've got a box, but the rifle isn't finished yet. I am really curious how the will shoot with a 280ai. The 143HH has been great in a 7RM.

 

[Raudy707]

I burned up a whole box of Bergers doing this in my 280 AI and almost threw the other box in the nearby river. The velocity was so good I kept beating a dead horse until finally I just gave up and switched powders. Rldr 23 was a little slower, like 40 fps but shot one hole groups. Every Berger I've shot have been .001 to .002 off the lands for best accuracy. They are not fun until you find the sweet spot. A guy can waste a ton of powder chasing his tail. I would almost jam em, switch primers from magnum to standard or vice versa and try again. If that doesn't work. Switch powders. If that doesn't work try the 162 eld-m. They are much easier. And as mentioned Hammers usually group in the first thing a guy tries. They are ridiculously easy to load for. Good luck.

 

[bomberodevil]

58.5 grain was the charge weight. I did 4 groups starting at 20 thou off. Those were 40 and 50 respectively. I split that down the middle for the OCW

I did a ladder test at 200 yards at 20 thou off before the seating depth test. I landed on 58.5 because the vertical dispersion I interpreted from the target between 58 and 59


See above: I did a ladder test first. The way I interpreted the test 58.5 seemed a middle point between two loads showing the least vertical dispersion. I'll admit tho the test was only at 200 and I was trying my best to move forward vs starting at a greater distance to show the results in dispersion at the various charges. That's how I landed on doing the OCW… I don't have a distance range I can drive to without a larger commitment to the day

One thing I've found is splitting the difference between two decent accuracy charges doesn't always mean a better accuracy charge. In your example above, you had decent accuracy loads at 58.0 and at 59.0, so you went with 58.5, in the middle. I've found that before changing other variables like seating depth, I need to confirm that the 58.5 charge is equal to or better than the 58.0 and the 59.0 loads. The 58.0 and the 59.0 loads may be two separate accuracy nodes, and the 58.5 charge may not actually be better.

 

[California hog hunter]

Every mono I have dealt with likes speed.
Barnes and makers tend to like 30 off the lands. The PVA bullets I shoot in my 7 Max like 70.

 

[just_jon]

The 143 Hammer Hunter is where I would start. Lots of data available below. I had given up on monos until I tried hammers. I now shoot hammers exclusively, These things are rocket ships and like to be pushed. Plus they have not shown any sensitivity to seating depth.

Hammer Hunter Load Data, (See page 1, Post 8)

OK, folks. Steve at Hammer Bullets has been getting requests for load data on Hammer Hunter bullets. There is an extensive spreadsheet for Absolute Hammer Load Data developed and shared by members on this Forum. Data for Hammer Hunters is on the Hammertime Forum, but it has not been placed...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[dogz]

Rifle- FFT/280 AI/7.2#
Brass- Petersons 1x
Bullet- Berger 168
Powder- RL26
Primer- BR2

Last week I did a rough seating depth test in 10 thou increments working back from 20 thou off jam. At 40 thou off I got:
View attachment 388423

At 50 thou off I got:
View attachment 388424

Today I did a 6 shot string. I just about split the diff on seating depth, loaded up charges 57.9-59.4 in .3grain increments.
Results:
View attachment 388425

These groups suck and there was an element of rushing and some called fliers.

Based on the targets, what direction would you recommend I go?

Play with seating depth?
Change my bullet?
Change my powder?
Other opinions?

The string 3 communicated to me that my perception of feeling rushed and a flier I called as soon as the trigger broke… was spot on since a near identical load (seating depth change) was half that group size just last week.

I feel like the target also indicates at least the vertical between say 58.2-58.8 is close?

Taking opinions!

do I have it right that the gun weighs 7.2 pounds?

How long did it take you to shoot these groups?

 

[JD Jones]

do I have it right that the gun weighs 7.2 pounds?

How long did it take you to shoot these groups?

You have that right. Is a very lightweight setup

I was done in less than an hour yesterday. I had limited time and was trying to cram it in the day

This gun will expose bad shooting pretty quick I've found. Lightest I've ever shot anyway

 

[JD Jones]

JD - I wish you would try the 155HH. I've got a box, but the rifle isn't finished yet. I am really curious how the will shoot with a 280ai. The 143HH has been great in a 7RM.

I am think 155 might be to heavy for what I'm looking for. I am actually thinking of going the other way. My barrel is only 22" so I'm already a little handicap from the start. I've heard the monos like speed and I'm not sure going heavier makes sense on this particular gun. I bought the 150 Hornady out of impulse and haven't bought in to messing with them

 

[john k]

I was shooting the 168 Bergers since I could not find ant Nosler 160AB's and started to tweak between 58.5 and 59.5 of RL26 and about that time the Hammer Hunter 143's arrived. And it's been Hammer time since. Still using RL26, Petersen brass, CCI 250's,(I have Fed 215 and 215M) and like they said seating depth is not a big issue. I am going to take advice and test crimping. .280AI is a great and efficient cartridge.

 

[Raudy707]

I'd like to add if you're dead set on using a Berger try a classic hunter. They are easy in comparison to the VLD. Seating depth isn't nearly as finicky. I went to the 175 Elite Hunter and still get 2920 out of my 280 AI with 58.3 grains of Rldr 23. This is safe from my rifle but you should work up as it is pretty hot. It's nasty good one elk and mule deer. Little hard on Antelope. Lose a lot of meat. I'm using Nosler brass and standard 210 Match primers. No magnum primers. Shoots 5 in a .338" hole at 100 yds. My wife's 280 AI likes Rldr 17, CCI mag primers and 160 grain Accubonds.

 

[john k]

I'd like to add if you're dead set on using a Berger try a classic hunter. They are easy in comparison to the VLD. Seating depth isn't nearly as finicky. I went to the 175 Elite Hunter and still get 2920 out of my 280 AI with 58.3 grains of Rldr 23. This is safe from my rifle but you should work up as it is pretty hot. It's nasty good one elk and mule deer. Little hard on Antelope. Lose a lot of meat. I'm using Nosler brass and standard 210 Match primers. No magnum primers. Shoots 5 in a .338" hole at 100 yds. My wife's 280 AI likes Rldr 17, CCI mag primers and 160 grain Accubonds.

I concur with Classic Hunter vs VLD

 

[L.Sherm]

Your problem is why I switched from 26 to 23 in 280AI's. When a barrel doesn't like a powder you can throw all the bullets you want at it.
If you have some 215's try those if not change to RL23.

 

[JD Jones]

So after today, I'm feeling better about the load I've worked up. It's not finished by any means but I do plan to validate at distances in the next week or so.

I'm not dead set on any bullet. I have just had great results with Bergers on my PRC and my 270. I'm still waiting for Santa to message me and offer up some 160 accubonds for sell….

As for the RL26 v RL23, I've been looking. For now I gotta roll with what I have which is plenty of 26, n565, Retumbo and H4831sc… got some imr4831 in there as well. 26 just seemed to be the logical first step since I'm trying to squeeze a little extra outta 22" barrel.

Thanks for all the comments and messages. This is still the best forum on the web far as I'm concerned