180's too Much For the 280 / 280AI?

[SporterII]

Berger and Sierra 7mm 180 gr. bullets with high BC's look seductive on paper. Worth the 'cost' or stick with the 162 / 168's?
Dedicated long range plus Target rig.

 

[SporterII]

I see over on Accurate Shooter it is popular in 284. It should work well in 280, though not many using it it seems.

 

[Heman]

I shoot the 280 and it can handle the 180's quite well, even have shot the 189 Cauterucio's in it and they shot well. I just stick with the 175's because I have a load that works and haven't noticed much of an improvement shooting the 180 hybrids. I believe I was pushing the 180's around 2880 with H1000 and could have pushed them harder.

 

[SporterII]

Good stuff Heman, thanks.
Straight 280?
I do suppose the 175's are the Sierra.
Others have posted satasfaction with price and Performance from those bullets.

 

[BobinNC]

Looking at the relative case capacities in grains of H2O:

7mm-08 54 grains
284 Win 66 grains
280 Rem 68 grains
280 AI 73 grains
7mm SAUM 73 grains
7mm WSM 83 grains


Yes, both the 280 and 280 AI have enough capacity to drive a 180 gr 7mm bullet to respectable (over 2750 FPS) velocities.

Just for example, a Berger 7mm 180 Match BT driven at only 2750 fps @ 1000 yds

1000yds. Drop

-8.6 MILS

-29.6 MOA Drift 1.9 MILS 6.6 MOA

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Compare that with a 30 cal 175 grain Berger Match BT at the same 2750 FPS speed and it looks like this:

1000yds. Drop

-9.6 MILS

-33.0 MOA

Drift 2.4 MILS

8.4 MOA

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[SporterII]

With the new Sierra advertising .65 and Berger .67 with their 180's, I am being called in.
Now to decide if I should settle with the 280. It is not as glamorous as something with more gas but looks to be a good chambering [thank you Bob].
H1000 in a 280? H4831 is mentioned far more often.

 

[hunter121]

Happy I found this thread, I am getting ready to do some load development with my 280ai w/ the 180smks. Does anyone here have a suggestion for a start load useing H4831sc?

24" Obermyer 1/9
Nosler brass
Fed 210M
H4831sc
180SMks

 

[BobinNC]

For the 280 AI I would start in the 54-55 grain range of H4831 and work up to maybe around 60-61 grains, pressure signs permitting. With any wildcat or near wildcat, chambers and throats vary more than with standard SAAMI (Nosler's version of the 280 AI is now a SAAMI standard, but not all reamers floating around are the same) chambers, so discretion is the better part of valor.

 

[hunter121]

BobinNC - Appreciate the info on a start load, my rifle was cut with the Saami reamer with a standard throat.

Sporter- Hope you dont mind me jumping in on your thread, was just thinking if I can get some 180s loaded up I can get some relevant info to you. Just need to try and find some time to do it.

 

[SporterII]

Hunter. Thanks for stopping by. 24" 9tw, relevant indeed.
I live at sea level and have built in radar that told me 8.5 may be a safer twist. 9 would be better if enough.

 

[ccoker]

I have a Nosler 280AI
I think you are going to need slower powder than H4831Sc

I hunt with 140 accubonds and tried a load last week with the new 150
Long range ABs (.611 BC)
Running 59.5-60.3 g of H4831sc I was only getting 2800 FPS at 500ft above sea level

I think I need to go to a slower powder

 

[BobinNC]

I have a Nosler 280AI
I think you are going to need slower powder than H4831Sc

I hunt with 140 accubonds and tried a load last week with the new 150
Long range ABs (.611 BC)
Running 59.5-60.3 g of H4831sc I was only getting 2800 FPS at 500ft above sea level

I think I need to go to a slower powder

That would be a faster burning powder indicated if your velocity is too low at full case capacity, not a slower one. And there is a big difference in velocity achievable between a 140-150 gr bullet loaded full with H4831 and a 180 gr one......

 

[nature_boy]

I load my 280 AI (27" 1:9 Lilja barrel, blueprinted Rem. 700) with Berger 180-grain VLDs in front of Reloder 26. Get 3,035 fps and 1/4 MOA. QuickLoad says VV N560 pushes this bullet in the 280 AI even faster.

 

[FuhQ]

I load my 280 AI (27" 1:9 Lilja barrel, blueprinted Rem. 700) with Berger 180-grain VLDs in front of Reloder 26. Get 3,035 fps and 1/4 MOA. QuickLoad says VV N560 pushes this bullet in the 280 AI even faster.

You might want to check your chronograph... There's no way you're getting 3,035 FPS from a 27" .280 Ackley...With 180gr bullets. You would be blowing primers way before then. Most 26" 7mm RemMags would barely push a 180 at 3,035 FPS MV.

I'm pushing my 24" pretty damn hard with IMR 7977 and and CCI 200's, and Berger 175's and I'm only at around 2,730-2,750 FPS MV.

 

[supercorndogs]

I have some 185rdf for my 280 I have never gotten around to trying. I have mostly shot 162s. 7977, 4000mr, 4831sc, and h4350 have worked well with the 162s. I have some 139s just plink with. They shoot well at about 2900 with 4166 46g if memory serves me.