I'm having a custom built in a 280 Ackley Imp. Taking a quick invitory of powder on hand, I have four powders I could possibly start with to work up a load to get things started. R17, R26, H4831SC and possibly H4350.

I can get more R22 easily but with the temp instability issues people seem to have with this powder in the 280 Ackley IMP, I have decided to search elsewhere for an accuracy load.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these powders? If so, what kind of velocity and accuracy are you getting? What is your load recipe. I thought of trying the H4350, R17 in the 140gn Nosler BT. H4831sc or R26 with the 150 ABLR, or the 168 Bergers. Suggestions or helpful recommendation would be great.

H4350 is spectacular in my .280AI (23 inch barrel) with the 120 grain Nosler BT. 3325 fps velocity and sub one half MOA accuracy.

IMR 7828 shines with the 162 grain AMAX. 2850 ish on velocity and the same accuracy as the 120.

I use RL22, and always have, in the AI and the standard 280. Never once had temp issues that were significant enough to mean anything.

If I was starting from scratch, I might try RL23 for the added benefits. 26 might be a little bulky and slow for that cartridge.

Not sure that RL17 will have any less temp problems than 22 does, actually. I did run some H4350 with 120 grain loads, but stopped using that bullet. I just use one bullet and powder for everything now in the AI, and it works perfectly. 145 LRX.

I can get some 7828 as well, but would like to see what happens with the powders on hand before adding anymore to my invitory.

Like what Im hearing with the 120's but to be honest, 120gn is more on the light side of what I want to shoot. I hear they strike like lightning though.

Im really hoping I can get possitive results out of the Bergers. The Hunting VLDs have performed very well on whitetails for me. Almost like flipping a switch.

130 to 150 gr bullets in 270
140 to 175 gr bullets in the 280 (or AI version)
165 to 190 gr bullets in the 30-06

H4831 is the perfect burn rate for all. Lots of choices are nearly as good, none better.

If I can get the 150gn ABLR to fly like I want with good accuracy at 3000 fps I will be happy.

That shouldn't be a problem out of a 26 inch tube with H4831SC. I think nosler list that powder as their most accurate for the 150gn weight class bullets. Velocity looks to be right there where I want it, but to be honest I figured it would be a little higher. I will stop where I find the accuracy node. Hopefully accuracy and desired velocity will be there. If not I'll try something different.

H4831sc

RL22 in 2-280AI's using 140NP running at 3200 fps. very accurate but if I could get my hands on some 23 and 26 I would also try those powders as well.

I'm growing more interested in R26 the more I read about it. Hopefully someone with experience between this powder and caliber combo will chime in and tell us their results.

There is a thread on here about RL26 in the 280AI. Currently on page 6 of this forum

Looks promising. Would like to have seen a little more detail. If all else fails, I should be able to make something happen with H4831SC.

Running 7828 under 160 NP in my Kimber, right at 1/2 moa.

Mine loves H-4831sc from 140gr. to 162gr. bullets , although the Broughton barrel shoots great with Re-17 - H-1000 - I-7828ssc .
Day in day out consistently good groups = H-4831sc
, no chronograph -sorry .

Keep hearing good things about the H4831SC so i guess it's a good thing I have plenty of the stuff.

On a different note, what kind of velocity are you seeing out of a 26 inch barrel with the 168gn bergers. When I say bergers I mean the 168gn classic hunter. Those and the 150gn accubond LR Im most interested in.

mine shoots bugholes with 150 BT and 150 scirocco and H4831SC.

Ever clock any of those cecilb ?

I haven't had a chance except for 1. 59 grains went 2850. I'm sure i can use a couple more grains. I just wanted something to hunt with, so I chose a middle of the road load.

RL-22 pushes 175 gr partitions to a very accurate 2840 fps in my Montana.

I'm on my second AI. I've shot 140 grain BT's most the time the last 30 years, but switched last year to 150 grain LRAB's and Ballistic Tips. The LRAB's were real ticky about seating depth and I was able to get better groupings with the 150 grain BT's (.081" three shot group!). My rifle prefers RL-19 in both 140 and 150 grain loadings. In the past, I've used IMR-4831 as my go-to powder, as well as RL-22, with excellent results. I shot out three barrels in my first Jarrett AI culling does (legally). Each new barrel preferred 4831 or 22, with one barrel preferring RL-15...I'm not kidding. My new Jarrett is RL-19 all the way. Have not had a single AI rifle show a preference for either 4350, which I always thought was strange.

Good luck with your rifle!

I'd be sure and at least TRY the Re26. I'm playing with it in a plain .280 and have seen amazing velocity pushing 150 Partitions. Unfortunately my load development has been on hold for over a month, so I cannot declare that it will deliver the kind of accuracy I've seen with H4831, but I am optimistic. It's certainly worth a try, though, IMO.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re-15 ? you are the King of "finding the load" .

I'm pushing a 168 Berger at 2950 using RL26. Shooting sub .2's. before that, retumbo gave me very good accuracy but was about 100 fps slower. h4831sc is another good option.

4831SC here

I'm running a 168 VLD and H4831sc. 2,820 from a 22"...
Very accurate

2820 is a little slower than i want to be with that bullet. I would settle for 2900ish with thay bullet powder combo. If I can not find accuracy at the velocity I want with a particular powder, i move on to another powder.

I did find some 7828ssc today, so thats another powder to play with. Hopefully I will find what Im looking for.

So far I have R17, R26, H4831SC, and now 7828SSC. I know where some R19 is as well, so I may grab a pound of that.

I've had good luck with H4831 in three .280 AI's, but along with RL-26 am also going to try IMR7977 in my latest, since it also looks to be just enough slower than 4831 to possibly work very well. Like 26, 7977 is double-based so should provide a little more zip.

Im pretty comfortable with standard rifle primers with the H4831SC and R17, but am wondering if with R26 and the 7828 if I would be better off with Mag primers.

I have 5 thousand standard rifle primers but seems mag primers are getting hard to come by. For a month now I've not been able to nail down any mag primers of any kind.

Usually extruded powders work fine with standard primers in .30-06-sized cases.

I've only run federal 210M's and I have no complaints. That's been with H4831sc, Retumbo and RL26.

What has been your experience with R26? Accuracy and velocity wise?

I don't remember what it was with the 4831sc, Retumbo was 2840's groups were in the .2's. 60.5 grains of RL26 gave me 2950 and groups that were sub .2.

Hoping to have my custom back from Eddie around the first of the year or soon after. Im ready to dive into some load development. This waiting is killing me. Im ready to mount my scope and burn some powder.

okay - it's a 22" tube remember and I'm not going to have temperature issues with the Alliant crap...

At 2,820 it's a 900 yard load which is plenty far for me and hunting....

That wasn'nt a knock on your post, Im sorry if it cane off that way. I was simply stating with a 26 inch barrel, I have a velocity range I expect to be in. If I cant get there with a particular powder with any accuracy, I'll move on to the next powder of choice.

If I fail to get there with any of them, I normally fall back to the one that had the best accuracy/velocity and continue my search.

My question to you is if you have a very accurate load 75 fps below your "velocity range" and is more than capable past your maximum shooting range, what are you going to do?

Chase 75 fps, or actually hunt?

As stated above.

" If I fail to get there with any of them, I normally fall back to the one that had the best accuracy/velocity and continue my search."

Most reloders I know are never satisfied with good enough.

Like I said I know the velocity range I want to be in, and make no appologies for looking for it.