I need a load for mule deer. Last year my brother shot the 160 grn. Barnes. He had to through both front shoulders away. They were all bloodshot. The year before he shot a 140 grn. partition through the ribs just behind the shoulder. The deer looked like it was stuffed full of dead grass. Not gut shot. Some load ideas please.

My "go to" load for mule deer and white tail is Fed 210 primer and 59 g. WXR with a Hornady 139 g SP. It has never failed me. However, now that I am finally running low on WXR,I'm working on a couple of new loads. Fed 210, 56 g RL19 and 140 g AB gives me good ballistics and great groups. Another load that shows great promise is 59 g VN165, Fed 210M and Nosler 140 BT. Hope you have a good year. It looks like we will have a good hunt this Fall.

55gr of IMR4350 under 140 grain BTs has worked well from what I've seen.

My rifle likes the Federal Classic 140 grain Pro Hunter.

An arrow will create bloodshot if you hit the shoulder. The grass in the lungs was probably from the esphogus getting cut and the stomic contents pouring out. If a 160 grain barnes is to explosive for him out of a 280 he will never be happy.

160 Partition works for me.

140 Accubonds and RL-19 have produced 9 straight one shot kills on mulies and whitetails for my wife and I,7 with the .280Rem,and 2 with a .280AI(RL-22). I won't be trying a different load,accuracy is excellent.Monashee

140's with Accubombs and R19 here too. I've plunked a couple of large 300#ish Canadian whitetails with 140gr Speers too - deer weren't real fond of them either.

Thats what I was thinking too.


>scratches head
Maybe he needs a 175. (?)

I have had great success with 140 balistic tips,139 Hornady BTSPs,and 150 partitions out of my 280s. I can't remember any of them that failed to expand well or exit on deer,what more do you want?

If a bullets expands,it can cause blood shot meat,if it hits the GI tract it can spill gut contents. Just shoot em in the lungs and you don't make a mess of them in my experience.

Britt

For the record, "Bloodshot" is NOT the same as blood that leaks out between the shoulder and the ribs.
If your brother's bullet smashed the bones in both shoulders, it will certainly create bloodshot - blood leaking into all the ripped up muscles and bone chips surrounding the wound channel. That's not the bullet's fault, it's the shooters'. Don't shoot the shoulder bones!
However, any bullet placed just behind the shoulder will cause a significant amount of blood to leak out of the lungs and into the space between the shoulder and ribs. Completely unavoidable. And it is NOT "bloodshot" - after opening the shoulder cavity, nearly all that blood can be wiped or rinsed out, and does not ruin the shoulder meat as so many wastefully believe.
I'm not saying you were wasteful, but for others benefit I just thought I should set that straight, way too many people throw away any meat with blood on it ( but not "in" it) and call it "bloodshot".

+1

Britt

I've taken 2 red stags (around 450 lbs each) with the 160 Accubonds a few years back. One at 100 yards, the other at 300 yards, both with full penetration with the bullet lodging just under the hide on the offside shoulder. Both were perfect mushrooms, retained weight around 103 and 105 grains each, IIRC.

I would think the Accubond would be about perfect for mulies, either in 140gr or 160gr weights.

Bought my 280 in 1993 and the first load tried was so accurate, I never changed it. Used AA3100 near max charge and WW 150 grain bullet. It has busted several truck loads of deer and never failed to perform well.

I love the 139 hornady spire point on top of H4350.

I've had very good luck with 150 gr. Partitions. At first, I was a little concerned because the ballistic tables indicated that I'd be better off with 140 Gr.for deer. However, after five straight drop in their tracks deer; the 150 Grainers appear to be just right.

The gun is junk. Sell it back to me and have your brother pick up a .243 He will be happier and so will I.

Where in the world did that come from? He loves the rifle, I just wanted to know what loads people are using. What the heck?

I think it is called a joke.

I forgot to toss in the smiley face! Kidding, joking, pullin' your leg.....

My 280 is pre 64 fwt with Douglas XX 22" barrel in Mky stock w/Leo MX 6X42. Although I reload for twelve other rifles this particular rifle will put three shots into 1/2" all day long with the Hornady Lt. Mag. Factory fodder. I have stocked up on the BTSP and the SST's in this ammo. This is a go to deer/antelope rifle.

I'll take it!

I know there are ballistic tip haters out there, but federal 150's have done the job for me. DRT every kill for the most part of the last three years(have used innerbonds on a couple different occasions). Little bloodshot meat but nothing too bad. Very accurate out of my 280.

I have never owned a 280 Rem, but lately I seem to be running
into more 280AIs in the gunshops and pawnshops.

Try it, you'll like it !!!

145gr Speer Hot Core has been perfect for me for several decades.

140 gr. Accubonds or 140 gr. TSX, H4350 or H4831sc. All have worked well in my .280's.

Loads that have worked for me in my Rem 700.

59grs R-19, 139 Hornady Interlock SP. 3150fps. (Nothing more is needed for deer out to as far as they can be hit...bang flop almost all the time, and probably the lowest pressure load I'll list here...this has taken lots of deer for me)

60.5grs R-22 or 61grs N165, 140 Accubond, 3070-3090fps

57grs N160, 140 Solid Base, 3120fps, Scary Accurate.

59-60grs H4831, 154 Hornady IL, 2970-3000fps, Sub MOA (Also a dang fine bang flop load on deer if you like a bit heavier bullet...for deer, this is as heave as you'll ever need IMO.

60grs R-22, 160 Partition, 2990fps, very accurate, but never used on deer as I like the lighter bullets, and have a 7mmRM for 160s.


As always, these loads work for me in my gun and I worked them up using a chrony and working from about 4-6 grains under as start loads. Do not use these loads in your rifle without working up properly. Those velocities cannot be safely attained using faster powders.

I shoot 139 Hornady on top of 51.0 grains of IMR 4350, nothing but Bang Flops from this load in my .280's. Used the same bullet in my 7mm-08 with 45.0 grains of H380, same results.

I also like the 154 Hornady SST or Interlock under 55 gr H4831. Well under max for power, but dead accurate in my .280 and easy to shoot as well.

Here is a load that Bob Milek really liked in a 280 Rem.

57.5 gr. H-4831 with 154gr. Hornady Interlock.

This load works good for me in my 280.
Good luck
HD

The guys that are saying if he isn't happy with the Barnes bullet, he isn't going to be happy with anything are spot on. He damned sure isn't going to like a ballistic tip or other cup and core bullet better, because they are much more explosive.
Something sounds a little off here, I have shot a lot of deer through one or both shoulders with 270 and 7 Magnum rifles, and can't ever recall throwing away even one entire shoulder.
The only way he is going to get substantially less meat damage, I think, would be to go to something 35 caliber or bigger and us the heaviest, slowest bullet he can get for it. The drawback then is that in heart lung shots, he won't get as quick a kill as he will with something like the 280.

I've used the 280 extensively for the last 15 years or so. I have used and prefer the 140 Partitions but the Accubonds seem to be as just good. I have also used the 139 Hornady BTSP for several big bodied mulie bucks with good results out of a 280 Rem. RL19 is my go to powder with RL22 a close 2nd. You will love a 280 Rem. 163bc

I've used 139gr Hornady SSTs and 57gr of IMR 4831 for 3K fps out of my 280 for five deer. Shots were from 40-220 yards. Worked just fine. I will be using 139gr Hornadyf SP Interlock (flatbase) and H-4350 in the near future as the bullets are cheaper, I can get them locally vs ordering them, they run 1/2" MOA in my gun. I don't see them not working well on deer.

High Brass, I can guarantee you they will work very, very well on both deer and antelope.

My load is 139 grains Hornady Interlock in front of 56.0 grains IMR 4350, CCI LR primers. It is a bomb on deer and antelope!

Good luck.

L.W.

I'll reiterate my affinity for the 139 SP Interlock. L.W. that load of yours looks like a very good load, should be 3000fps+, and I concur...that is a nasty pill for deer. I've lost count of the number I've killed with it from 20 to 300 yards. Off the top of my head I can't recall one that wasn't a bang flop.

Sounds like a winner to me, thanks for the info guys!