Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .280 Help

Picked up a forbes in .280 and not sure where to start. Since I live in comunist CA figured I would go with a 140 TTSX or the LRX. Have a few powders on hand. IMR 4831, Varget and RL-22 plus various primers, CCIBR, Fed210 and 215. Any assistance greatly appreciated finding less and less time to load trying to narrow it down. Thnx

Non-magnum primers, 4831 or 4350 works for many. RL-22 is close to 4831, so...

I am using H-4831 and Fed 210 primers with a load just under book max with 140gr TTSX. Shoots under 1 inch groups out of my 280 at 100yds and about 1 1/2-2 in group at 200yds. I will say the gun is probably more accurate than the shooter.

thanks from what it looks like quite a few powders may do it in that slower burn rate. guess I will just load and go. Are you loading to jump the ttsx's?

I have, & have had several 280's, & I use the TSX, not the TTSX version, FWIW, & as with all other rifles using the Barnes bullets, a light kiss to maybe .010", off has never not worked. I have never, ever needed a .050" jump.

My go-to powder for that combination in the 280 is RL-19, but '22 will work & likely give better velocity than 4831, though 4831 is still a very good powder for that cartridge.

Varget, though it (& preferably RL-15) is a bit fast, IMO, to be optimum for a 140 gr bullet; better with a 120 grainer.

MM

Relaoder 19 and 140 grain TTSX work well for me, MM's advice on the 120 and reloader 15 saved me a lot of anguish.

I like/use H4831SC. But more importantly try to leave that state.

Trust me as soon as the kids are done playing ball Im gone!!

I've been shooting a .280 off and on since 1987. Currently, with TSX's, 57 grs. of Ramshot Hunter shoots under MOA. However, I have found anything yet that works well with the LRX bullet. It has a much longer ogive, etc.
Re-19 or IMR 4831 should do quite well with the TTSX I suspect.
Haven't tried the TTSX, 140 gr. bullet yet. Looks very similar to the TSX, so I suspect it will shoot well w/o alot of work using the same powders.
I've shot alot of bullets out of the two .280's I've owned. For accurate loads, using 110-120 gr. bullets, either IMR or H4350 works great. For 140 gr. bullets, RE-19 or Ramshot Hunter. For 154-160 gr. bullets, even fussy ones like the Hornady Interbond 154 gr. or the 160 gr. Swift-A-Frame, either H4350 or H4831 have always worked. E

I ran a lot of IMR 4350 and 4831 through my 280s. Last loads I did for the 280 were with RL19 and 140accubond. When I switched to 160s RL22 worked better.

IMR 4350 works very well in my .280, behind a Barnes TSX 140 gr. Pushed at 3050 fps out of a 22" barrel, accuracy is superb.

I'm another poor soul from California. I'm also working on a TSX load. So far I am at 57gr of H-4831SC, in Rem brass with Rem primer. Speed is 2,850. What load gets me to 3,000? My chrono died yesterday, which is why I am asking.

Bighorn,
Care to share your load data? So far IMR-4350 hasn't been quite as accurate as H-4831, but I havn't given up on it as I have a good supply of it.

Finally,
While tinkering I tried a Nosler 150BT and 56gr H-4831. It clocked 2,800 and went in to about 1/2". I would use this load but I will be after elk, and the TSX is a proven performer for me.

H4350 works for this guy

BigBearguy,

My load with the Barnes 140 gr. TSX is 55.0 gr. of IMR4350.
Another load that is very accurate is 53.5 gr. of IMR4350 and the Nosler Ballistic Tip 140 gr. Velocity is pretty tame, around 2800 fps, but produces one-hole groups at 100 yds. with regularity. Brass is Winchester, primers are CCI 200.

My 3000 fps plus load for the ,280 with the Barnes TSX is 57 grs. of Ramshot Hunter. Re-19 should do much the same.
Work up carefully. Much different pressures when .050 off the lands than with .005 off. E

Reloader 19 and 140 Accubonds shoot cloverleafs in mine. Always have good luck with RL19 and 4831 in my .280's. I would start with those powders.

Bighorn,
Yep 55.0 gr of IMR-4350 is 3,000fps. Shot it today. Not quite as good as H-4831, but still about 1MOA.

Does anyone have a 3,000 fps RL-22 load for the 140TSX?

How about a RL-22 load for the 160gr Nosler Partition?

54.0 gr rl22, wlrp, 160gr accubond seated at 3.2760