Cooper 280ai reload issues

[Northriver]

Purchased Cooper 52 Excalibur in 280 ai and am struggling to find the right reload for it. Here's what I've done thus far:
4831sc with 162 Eldx, charges from 56.5 to 59.5. Adjusted seating depths and can get decent groups but not sub Moa as it is supposed to shoot. Accuracy just not there and ES minimum was 39. Also tried 168 vid's with pretty similar outcome.

H1000 w different bullets as well. 162 Eldx, 160 NP, 168 vid. Nothing to be excited about.
Keep reading how Rl 26 may be the ticket but I can't find any. Looking for advice and any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[L.Sherm]

Try some RL23 worked great for me.

 

[Barrelnut]

What primer are you using?

 

[Northriver]

CCI no. 250

 

[Sykes]

I bought a 52 Timberline 280AI and had a very hard time finding a load it would shoot sub moa, not even Coopers proof load would shoot very well, defiantly not 1/2 moa. Berger 168 vlds and 4831sc was right at moa and my best load so far. I tried several different bullets and several different powders with nothing else promising. Finally tried the 143 hammer hunter and got the 1/2" groups I was wanting. The rifle shoots great to 500 yards with that bullet and 4831sc. RL16 is supposed to give more velocity and was recommended to try with the 143 hammer hunter. I finally found some but haven't tried any yet. 4831sc is giving me 3120fps and that combo killed two elk last fall.

 

[Barrelnut]

I would try a F215 if you have them. IMO you need to get the ES down some. What is the case fill on your loads?

 

[Bimbo19]

I bought a 52 Timberline 280AI and had a very hard time finding a load it would shoot sub moa, not even Coopers proof load would shoot very well, defiantly not 1/2 moa. Berger 168 vlds and 4831sc was right at moa and my best load so far. I tried several different bullets and several different powders with nothing else promising. Finally tried the 143 hammer hunter and got the 1/2" groups I was wanting. The rifle shoots great to 500 yards with that bullet and 4831sc. RL16 is supposed to give more velocity and was recommended to try with the 143 hammer hunter. I finally found some but haven't tried any yet. 4831sc is giving me 3120fps and that combo killed two elk last fall.

+1

 

[Northriver]

Barrelnut- to be honest I'm not sure

 

[Dmagna]

Make sure all your brass is the same, if you bought loaded ammo from nosler the brass is different from the custom brass you buy

 

[Northriver]

Everything was loaded from new Nosler brass

 

[Kaptoe]

I have struggled with 168s in mine .Not what you want to hear but I would try 150s

 

[BEEMAN]

Just sold my cooper model 52 in 280AI. Shot great and load work up was simple. Maybe I got lucky. I only tried one bullet. Berger 168 Classic Hunter with H4831SC and a Federal 210. Wasn't the fastest load at 2880 fps but was accurate. My cooper was throated really dumb. No free bore. I couldn't even load to Mag length. If I'd kept it I would of had it throated.

 

[ramrod79]

I had a 52 Excalibur and struggled with Berger a bit the 168 CH were not bad using 4831sc Fed 210m. I went to Nosler accubonds they were a bit better but in the end it just wasn't preforming how I thought so I sold it . I figure for that much $$$$ it would shoot better I guess I could have tried harder.

 

[codym]

My load for my 280 ai is h4831 sc at 57.6 and 168 vlds 20 thou off with GMM 210's at 2915. Spent quite a bit of time on load workup. Eld's didnt shoot very well and the VLD's took some fine tuning 175 LRAB's shot aweful. Mine shot 140 TSX really well. I would suggest trying the 140 or 150 class bullet. My accuracy ES,SD and ES improved a bunch after first fireing and then neck sizing only my brass. This was the case in both the nosler 280 ai brass and the remington 280 rem fireformed brass.