280 handloads
- Thread starter Tlewis81
- Start date
Bullet weights, me personally I would stick to the mid range weights, but a lot of folks like to use the lighter ones for more velocity. Thing is a 140 - 160'ish grain bullet out of this caliber is a great choice. It has plenty of SD to penetrate in just about anything, and will hold it's velocity well for longer range shots. Light might be faster to start with but will drift and slow down quicker.
Powders, I would pick something in the medium to slower burn rate. Ones like RL-19, any of the 4350's, or 4831's or similar types. If you browse around several loading manuals and look to see which powders are listed for say a .270 or 30-06 you will usually find that the .280 has these in there somewhere as well. They all have about the same case capacity and bullet weights, so a lot of powders you see listed should have data for them all.
Hope that helps.
Powders, I would pick something in the medium to slower burn rate. Ones like RL-19, any of the 4350's, or 4831's or similar types. If you browse around several loading manuals and look to see which powders are listed for say a .270 or 30-06 you will usually find that the .280 has these in there somewhere as well. They all have about the same case capacity and bullet weights, so a lot of powders you see listed should have data for them all.
Hope that helps.
William T. Watts
New member
.280 Remington load I use
I use 150gr Nosler Partition with H4831 using R-P brass, the max load is 55grs, start with 52.5 grs and work up in .3gr increments. My load for my rifle is 54.3grs, at my age with my eyes this usually shoots an inch or less. If you will take the time to separate your cases + or - .3 of a grain to insure the case volume is near identical as possible this will help shrink your groups!! Good luck!! William
I use 150gr Nosler Partition with H4831 using R-P brass, the max load is 55grs, start with 52.5 grs and work up in .3gr increments. My load for my rifle is 54.3grs, at my age with my eyes this usually shoots an inch or less. If you will take the time to separate your cases + or - .3 of a grain to insure the case volume is near identical as possible this will help shrink your groups!! Good luck!! William
You might start out with a couple of boxes of Remington factory ammo. This will 1) give you a baseline from which to work, and 2) give you some once fired cases that came from your rifle to work with.
It wouldn't be a bad thing if you found Hornady, Fed, or Win, factory stuff. Any of it will be decent enough to work up loads with.
It wouldn't be a bad thing if you found Hornady, Fed, or Win, factory stuff. Any of it will be decent enough to work up loads with.
William T. Watts
New member
You might be able to find brass on www.Gunbroker.com, there is such a demand on all ammunition and components at this time it may be difficult to find what you want. Additionally, I would suggest staying with a single head stamp only and not mix them together because the different head stamps will not all have the same internal capacity.. William
For deer, I'd suggest using a brand name 139-140 grain bullet and something similar to 4350.
For bigger game, I'd go with a 150 grain controlled expansion type bullet and 4350-4831 burn rate.
Over the past 3-4 years, I've bought 400-500 once fired 280 brass on GunBroker. It's not always(well, never) cheap and may take a while before you find the right auction but it's out there.
For bigger game, I'd go with a 150 grain controlled expansion type bullet and 4350-4831 burn rate.
Over the past 3-4 years, I've bought 400-500 once fired 280 brass on GunBroker. It's not always(well, never) cheap and may take a while before you find the right auction but it's out there.
Mike/TX is right, start with factory loads. I know it is more expensive but keep your eye open on some of the bulk sites like Ammoman.com and you can keep from being raped.
The baseline with your new gun is important. Take her out, get to know her. Make sure you want that relationship. It could end up like many ex-girlfiriends, they look good but once you spend sometime with them its time to trade it in for something better.
Back to a serious note, with factory ammo you know what you are getting. With online brass, who knows. Someone could have soaked them in an acid base mixture for too long. You could end up with one and done brass.
The baseline with your new gun is important. Take her out, get to know her. Make sure you want that relationship. It could end up like many ex-girlfiriends, they look good but once you spend sometime with them its time to trade it in for something better.
Back to a serious note, with factory ammo you know what you are getting. With online brass, who knows. Someone could have soaked them in an acid base mixture for too long. You could end up with one and done brass.
Roadkill2228
New member
correct me if I'm wrong (that invitation is for all), but couldn't you run .270 win brass through the sizing die to get the correct neck diameter and then just fireform for the .280's sharper shoulder?
As for powder, if it works in a .270 or a .300 win mag it should work in a .280, very similar case to bore ratios...although with the 160 plus grain bullets you'd want slow burners from that general spectrum... 7828, 4350 (for 140 grain) 4831, RL19, 22, and 25 (for the 175ers - H1000 too), perhaps win 760 for unusually lightweight <140 grain, if you have access to them you could give one of the new IMR Enduron powders a go (4451 or 7977, supposed to approximate the burn rates of 4350 and 7828 with the added benefits of temperature insensitivity and copper fouling eraser - I've got a pound of each and look forward to trying them in a few different cartridges)
the beauty of the 7mm bore is that there are so many useful bullet weights you can use. The 175s dont really do anything that the lighter bullets cant do...with 150s and under its just a slightly more powerful .270...if it were mine, with this case capacity I'd think the sweet spot would be in the 150-168 grain range for versatility and all-range ballistics.
Congrats on your purchase, keep us informed. Enjoy!
As for powder, if it works in a .270 or a .300 win mag it should work in a .280, very similar case to bore ratios...although with the 160 plus grain bullets you'd want slow burners from that general spectrum... 7828, 4350 (for 140 grain) 4831, RL19, 22, and 25 (for the 175ers - H1000 too), perhaps win 760 for unusually lightweight <140 grain, if you have access to them you could give one of the new IMR Enduron powders a go (4451 or 7977, supposed to approximate the burn rates of 4350 and 7828 with the added benefits of temperature insensitivity and copper fouling eraser - I've got a pound of each and look forward to trying them in a few different cartridges)
the beauty of the 7mm bore is that there are so many useful bullet weights you can use. The 175s dont really do anything that the lighter bullets cant do...with 150s and under its just a slightly more powerful .270...if it were mine, with this case capacity I'd think the sweet spot would be in the 150-168 grain range for versatility and all-range ballistics.
Congrats on your purchase, keep us informed. Enjoy!
“(that invitation is for all)”, yes; I have fallen for that one a few time but I just hang in there. It is not possible to help everyone.
The 280 and 270 along with the 30/06 etc., etc., have the same shoulder angle of 17¯30’. Then there is that other thing we have to be concerned with. That thing would be clearance; the clearance would be .051” between the shoulder and the chamber shoulder.
I have fired 8mm57 ammo in a 8mm06 chamber; what did I get? I got short cases because there is .127” difference in the length of the two cases. I know; reloaders are infatuated with head space. Head space this and head space that, and everything has head space. In the real world; not really.
So I would suggest necking the 270 cases up as far as the ability of the reloader will allow. And then? I suggest the reloader size the cases to 280 Remington. And then I would suggest the reloader become very familiar with the incline plane created by the threads.
Problem when necking cases up; the case gets shorter for those that measure before and again after.
F. Guffey
math teacher
New member
See the "Making your own brass" thread today for making 280 brass.
My friends and I have taken over two dozen moose with the 160 grain Nosler Accubond. It works well on elk and deer too, though it is more bullet than necessary for deer. We just don't like re-sighting every time we change the game we are pursuing.
My friends and I have taken over two dozen moose with the 160 grain Nosler Accubond. It works well on elk and deer too, though it is more bullet than necessary for deer. We just don't like re-sighting every time we change the game we are pursuing.
scatterbrain
New member
30-06 To 280
I've just finished making a new batch of 280 cases from 30-06 cases. There is the "new shoulder' on the neck of the case. If this doesn't give me support (headspace) I set the bullets to touching the grooves, back the powder down a little and fire form the true length shoulder. This has worked for me.
On another note, when did the military adopt the primer standard of today. I have some 1943 brass that has a slightly smaller diameter primer pocket. My pocket reamer will take care of it, but just wondering.
I've just finished making a new batch of 280 cases from 30-06 cases. There is the "new shoulder' on the neck of the case. If this doesn't give me support (headspace) I set the bullets to touching the grooves, back the powder down a little and fire form the true length shoulder. This has worked for me.
On another note, when did the military adopt the primer standard of today. I have some 1943 brass that has a slightly smaller diameter primer pocket. My pocket reamer will take care of it, but just wondering.
I have a few cases for the old 03 before the 06, the primers are the same size. I have FA cases that are 80 years old. And then I have cases from the early 40s. I have thousands of 30/06 military surplus cases that were loaded before 1945; all of my early military cases had crimped primers. Once the crimp is removed the primer pocket is ready for a standard primer.
F. Guffey