The load I'm running in the 280 last few seasons is
H4831 58.5 gr. Fed 210, rem case with a 150 gr. Btip on top. All shots touching @100 yards with 2850 fps chrono'd from the stock Ruger 22 inch barrel. Laid down a few deer and a rag horn bull elk asorted vermin with the load.
All the hype about the 'beefed up' ballistic tips got my curiosity loading. I confirmed they were 'beefed' after breaking the far side scapula of the elk after driving from behind opposite side last rear rib on the elk at 80-ish yards. Zero reservations of using this btip on elk... from my .280.
The 'do it all' for years load....
Imr 4831 56.5, fed 210, rem case 160 gr. Speer Spitz, nosler partition. 2900 chrono'd fps from the ruger again. Clusters one inch @100. Kilt many of elk and deer with a bear thrown in.
There have been some factory loads used also. The ones that I found to be stellar on game are the long discontinued winchester 140 gr. Power point, Remingtons 140 core-lokt and there 165 gr. Core-lokt rn.
The win power point load would flatten deer, 80 lbs or 300 lbs. Found two in deer, one in the neck of a big 5x5 rutted up whitetail and one under the rib hide of the 300lb mule
deer buck. Took big deer to stop'em, both bang flops also.
The lighter core-lokt was like the power point, bang flop. Only found one 140 core lokt in a deer. Looked like the remington picture ad. Found they work very well on mountain lions also. The 165 core-lokt don't care what's in the way, it's leaving a good exit hole. Deer and bear dispatched all had good sized exit, very good blood trail or flopped right there. Have yet to find one in game, maybe that will change when I get to run one into an elk.
Last edited by boomwack; 09/26/22.
