280 Load Advice

[Ranger CS]

Recently purchased a Cooper in a .280 caliber. Anyone out there have any secrets they are willing to share in the way of load development?

[catnthehat]

The .280 has been very easy to load for with anything from 150 to 162 grain bullets . Any powder in the spectrum that is recommended in various load books works well, I never had any issues with it at all as far as loads go.
Cat

[Ranger CS]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

The .280 has been very easy to load for with anything from 150 to 162 grain bullets . Any powder in the spectrum that is recommended in various load books works well, I never had any issues with it at all as far as loads go.
Cat

Thanks Cat, I am planning to start off working with IMR and Hodgdon 4831 and Barns 150 TTSX . What is your experience using lighter bullets such as a 140 gr.

[catnthehat]

I have shot 140's and 145's with great success .
The Barnes Bullets I have experience with were lighter bullets, 140's and Manitoban uses the 140 in his 708 as well, and has a nice little collection of picture perfect , fully expanded bullets good enough to use in a Barnes advertising pic!
Last year I used 145 Speers .
When my younger brother was hunting he used 162's in the same rifle and killed everything from wolves to moose with it .
I'm sure the 140 Barnes will do quite well in your 280.
Seat them to the first cannelure and try that . It seems that everybody I have talked to in the last year has had great accuracy doing that , myself included with four different cartridges , the 280,260, and 6.5/384 as well as the 303 Brit . All the Barnes bullets were TSX IIRC and between 120 and 150 grains.
That is real short OAL but pay no never mind , it just plain works!
Cat

[waldedw]

I loaded the 140gr nosler accubonds almost exclusively, they were deadly over 55.5gr IMR 4831, right around 3000 fps and very accurate. Was in a remington model 700 mountain rifle.

[357Maximum]

My Ruger MKII shot really well with max loads of IMR 4831 or H4831 and Hornady 139gr.

[bat119]

I made up a Barns 120 TSX load with super perfornance powder 3245 FPS I've never taken any game with this load, accuracy was excellent.

[Dick284]

The kid has shot everything from 120’s through 160’s out of his .280 Rem.
120gr. Ballistic Tips, and Varget are one smoking deer load, thanks to Duceman for that piece of Intel way back(120gr. Bal Tips are very stoutly built)
139gr. Hornady BTSP’s and Varget or H4350 are very reliable too.
145gr. Grand Slam’s and H4350 knock the ever living daylights out of blackbear. (ask Partimehunter)
160gr. Accubond’s and RL19 work too. (Ask Rugersingle it used to be his rifle).

It’s not a difficult cartridge to get to shoot, just pay attention to case preparation, and have at her.

[manitou210]

Rem 700 express model 22" barrel

150 gr Nosler BT
53gr IMR 4831 very very accurate deer load

150gr Nosler Partitions
max load imr 4831 moose & Bears

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Ranger CS

Thanks Cat, I am planning to start off working with IMR and Hodgdon 4831 and Barns 150 TTSX . What is your experience using lighter bullets such as a 140 gr.

I ain't Cat, though I'd love to have his money

I dropped a couple of moose in their tracks with a 140 Accubond out of a 280. I almost think that is about as close to perfect and Alberta hunting round as one can get. Can't recall what powder I used.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by sns2

I ain't Cat, though I'd love to have his money.

Senior fixed income ain't what it's cracked up to be !!
Downsizing everything now , main range guns are .223 and 6MMBR, the big stuff like the 280 and 308 and even the 303 aren't getting shot much now .
Luckily I have a fair stash of shotgun stuff or my vintage guns would not get the workout they normally do either !
Cat

[waterhaulerhunter]

I have a Cooper Exacalibur in 280 rem. I shoot 140gr tsx over H4350 and 2925fps and it’s performed awesome in North American, South Africa, and New Zealand. Shots were from up close out to 450ish yards. By far my favourite gun and cartridge!

[Ranger CS]

Thank you to all of you who have shared your experience and expertise.
Much appreciated!

[Ranger CS]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I have shot 140's and 145's with great success .
The Barnes Bullets I have experience with were lighter bullets, 140's and Manitoban uses the 140 in his 708 as well, and has a nice little collection of picture perfect , fully expanded bullets good enough to use in a Barnes advertising pic!
Last year I used 145 Speers .
When my younger brother was hunting he used 162's in the same rifle and killed everything from wolves to moose with it .
I'm sure the 140 Barnes will do quite well in your 280.
Seat them to the first cannelure and try that . It seems that everybody I have talked to in the last year has had great accuracy doing that , myself included with four different cartridges , the 280,260, and 6.5/384 as well as the 303 Brit . All the Barnes bullets were TSX IIRC and between 120 and 150 grains.
That is real short OAL but pay no never mind , it just plain works!
Cat

For clarity Cat, are you are seating to the rear of the first cannelure, centre or towards the front of it?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Ranger CS

For clarity Cat, are you are seating to the rear of the first cannelure, centre or towards the front of it?

Top of the first band, or the bottom of the first groove
Cat

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Top of the first band, or the bottom of the first groove
Cat

This one is a 6.5/284
Cat

[Ranger CS]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

This one is a 6.5/284
Cat

Nothing explains it as well a picture.
Thanks Cat

[Fowl91]

After trying some different bullets I settled on the 120gr TTSX. Using IMR4350 and getting 3100fps and excellent accuracy. Have taken a few deer with this load and numerous coyotes.

[wayne]

Anybody have a load for a 150 grain Hornady ELDX bullet? I am just starting to reload for 280 in a Browning X-bolt and don't have the 10th edition Hornady Manual.

[huntingfamily]

Here you go...

[wayne]

Excellent, thank you huntingfamily.

[abhunter8]

The .280 remington has been my go to calibre for the last 27 yrs with 3 different rifles. The load that all 3 rifles preferred were 140 gr Accubonds, RL 19 at 3000+ fps.