Made it out to the range today

[freebird63]

Took my 280AI out today with some 160gr accubonds and H4831SC powder with WLR primers. Was not impressed with the grouping at all. My gun shot the 162gr Amax bullets better behind H1000 powder. I even messed with bullet seating depth. The only bad thing on my part was forgetting part of my chrono, so I don't know how fast they were moving. Any ideas. I have heard mixed results from people using Amax bullets for hunting.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

Each rifle has its own taste and often that taste isn't easily found. It may be just a tweak of your seating depth, a differnt primer, more or less charge weight or nothing you can do to make a specific bullet/powder combo work. I have found ABs like to be seated kinda deep in three of my rifles. Almost gave up on one of them using the AB. Try the AB with the H1000. H4831 is usually a good powder in 30-06-based cartridges. Doesn't mean it'll work in yours. Try another bullet. There are a multitude of bullets available in .284. I would be hesitant to use the AMax as a hunting bullet only because I don't believe it will give you terminal consistency. It will certainly kill game with clean broadside rib shots and most other presentations. It is a competition bullet though best used on the range.

 

[freebird63]

I did try different seating depths and powder charges were increased by .3 increments. I was really surprised because in the past accubonds shot great no matter what. I still have some H1000, I will load some up with that. Also in the past I tried F210 & F215 primers, the 215 primers seemed too hot and the 210's were down on velocity compared to the WLR's. I have seen animals drop right now with bergers but have heard stories about all the meat damage. Been curious about the hornady SST's in the 154gr. Also like the partitions.

 

[Elkman]

Freebird

I can assure your that if the Partitions give you hunting accuracy , that most here will recommend them over most other bullets.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Partitions nearly always shoot extremely well, as Bill said.

My .280 was a standard, non AI, but with AccuBond 160's, 58.0 grains of IMR 7828 SSC and a Fed 215 MagMat primer I was shooting under MOA and chrono'ed 3010 fps at 15 feet (5-shot group). Every group was under MOA and most were about 3/4 inches.

Good luck with that and just my $.02 worth.

 

[SJB358]

I think JD338 used RL22 in his 280AI with excellent results with the 160 AB's. Pretty sure he is 2900+ and excellent accuracy.

 

[RiverRider]

My .280 (not AI) loves 150-grain Partitions with H4831SC, lit by Federal 210s. I am getting about 2925 fps and 5-shot MOA performance. They even shoot to the same POI whether the barrel's clean or fouled.

I tried 140-grain ABs in the same rifle several years ago and couldn't get them to shoot with several different powders. When I went back to Partitions the rifle sang to me.

I've never shot the AI version, but I'd think it would like H1000 or H4831. I have used Re22 and seen some very good results, but I never tried a load in both hot and cold weather. I went back to Hodgdon when I learned that the Reloader series can be quite inconsistent depending upon the temperatures (I have stuck with Re15 in the .35 Whelen though, it seems to be perfect for the cartridge and I've had no odd experiences with it).

Some of the data suggests Re17 should give very good velocities. Alliant claims it to be temperature tolerant, but I had an experience with it loading .220 Swift that I can only attribute to the high temperatures that day---it scared the bejeesus out of me. I know a custom loader who says that he has had Re17 get really squirrely in warmer weather also. As far as I am concerned, Re17 is a no-go for anything at all...these kinds of experiences can be difficult to ignore.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I always seem to be the odd man out on powders for higher expansion ratio cases and slower than RL17 on this forum which is no big deal, just puzzling?

Anyhow, I developed the first loads for the .280 in 1985 when I bought a Remington Mountain Rifle. Than in 1995, I traded for a Browning A-Bolt Composite .280 Rem and at that time, started testing 150 grain bullets at about 2900 fps. Prior, I had been happy with 140 go PT's at 2960 fps for ten years. Then in 2010, I wanted to try and switch that rifle to 160 PT's and started from scratch with reloading data for this combination.

The outcome of this 160 Partition workup, loading study was: W-W Nickel cases, 215 Fed Gold MM primers, 58.0 grs IMR 7828 SSC, neck sized, once fired cases, 3009 fps (avg 5-shots) at 15 feet instrumental velocity. Browning .280 Rem, 22 inch barrel with BOSS device.

Year in and out, IMR powders seem to really give me amazingly consistent data, pressures in all weather and very consistent velocities (over 10+ years in the case of the .280 Rem) FWIW.

 

[freebird63]

I loaded up some more accubonds and am going to try 2 different primers and only used H1000 this time, also loaded up some 168gr bergers. I also remember to throw in the piece that attatches my chrono arm to my tripod. My deer season starts next Wednesday and have classes all week in the mornings. Maybe Thursday or Friday, depending on the winds out there in the desert. Oh and heat waves, they were killing me the other day. I am really hoping to get accubonds to work, the last deer I shot with one dropped so fast.

 

[FOTIS]

I think JD338 used RL22 in his 280AI with excellent results with the 160 AB's. Pretty sure he is 2900+ and excellent accuracy.

Correct he goes use that powder with 160 Accubonds.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Hope that combination works for you. AccuBond loads can be elusive sometimes but also can be ver accurate.

 

[freebird63]

Went back out to the desert today with some more accubonds and bergers loaded up. The wind was smoking about 25mph from the East, I couldn't even keep my chrono sensor up. Tried both large rifle primers and magnum rifle primers. The accubonds still won't shoot. But was surprised at how well the 168gr bergers shot with the large rifle primers. But on a negative note I have been having some primer failures, am using WLR. But in the past they were just a tad faster then F210's.

 

[DrMike]

WLR primers have more brisance than F210s. Years ago, when magnum primers were perhaps not available, hand loaders often substituted WLR primers.

 

[freebird63]

Its kind of alarming to me as I have had at least 6 failures with the WLR primers lately.

 

[Oldtrader3]

That is a lot of primer failures, especially with WLR primers. I would start looking at your firing pin and springs. Something is not working as it shoulld?

 

[freebird63]

How difficult is it to replace that firing pin/spring setup??? I see the tubbs speedlock, or maybe its a holland???? The primers that failed have quite a crater in them. When I did a test between WLR and F210's, the WLR primers were generally 50fps faster then F210's

 

[Oldtrader3]

It reads as though the firng pin assembly is not working as designed or the spring has weakened from time, being under spring load, or maybe not being properly tempered. Changing to a speedlock or replacing the firing pin assembly and spring is not a big deal, if you know how. I would humbly suggest looking up instructions before doing so.

 

[nvbroncrider]

What model rifle do you have? I have a 280AI built on a Rem 700 and it drives tacks with the 160 AB. Mine is custom chambered but if I remember right I'm .045" off the lands on it over 60 grains of 7828 SSC. As for replacing the firing pin if it is a 700 takes about 10 minutes at best if you have the proper tools. You do not necesarily need them but it makes it way easy.

 

[freebird63]

I have come to the conclusion that its the primers, have not had any failures with federal primers. This 280AI is becoming a real head scratcher. I could not get 160gr accubonds to group and cannot seem to get 168gr bergers to group either. Been using H4831SC, H1000 and MagPro. Some say try RE22 or Vit N165 or Retumbo. The accubonds were off the lands, just above spec's and my bergers are in the lands.

 

[freebird63]

Well I finally found the combo that works, 160gr accubonds, retumbo powder and F215M.