Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles The ultimate 280 rem load for deer?

Ok maybe not the ultimate but what load has worked for you in the past? Thanx in advance

The 145 Speer Hot Core was my go-to load for decades. Never let me down.

With my latest 280, think I will try some 120gr BTips, just because folks around here speak so highly of them.

I like 154 grain Hornady with IMR4350. You'll get full penetration even in poor shooting angles. Also like 139 grain Hornadys.

140 grain Barnes Gen 1 X bullets, to 140 XLCBT to now the 140 TTSX and 145 LRX. All have performed excellent. The 120 grain version also do just fine.

I'd start with 140gr NBT and H4831.

Works in the .270 Win, should work in the .280.

Of course, if I was going for the "ultimate" .280 load, it would involve a 280AI with a 26" barrel.

Any fast opening 140-150 gr. cup and core bullet pushed 2800 fps. plus or, even deadlier, the 120 gr. bullets from Barnes pushed 3200 fps. plus. E

Had very good luck with H4831 with 139 Hornady GMX's, 150 Nosler BT's and 150 Partitions.

Thanks fellas

Always smoked the hell out of them with the 140 NPT from the 280 but lots of choices today.

150 gr Core Lokt's & 140 Accubonds have worked best for me on WT's & Axis. Loads listed below shoot one-hole groups in my 280's.

280 Remington
55 gr H4831SC
140 Accubond
2.788 OAL
CCI 200

280 Remington
50 gr Imr 4350
140 Accubond
2.788 OAL
CCI 200


280 AI
63 gr N165
140 Accubond
CCI 200

140 grain accubond and 55 grains of reloader 19. I don't know that I would call it the ultimate load for deer, but it shoots bugholes from my rifle and has done the job without fail on every deer I have thrown one at.

When I was hunting with a .280 a lot in the 1990's, my general deer load was a 139 Hornady Interlock at 3100 fps, but killed my biggest mule deer buck ever (in both antler and body) with the 160-grain Nosler Partition at 2950. Was also hunting elk when I killed the mule deer, but the same load also worked very well on a black bear a couple days later. Oh, and it took one of my two biggest caribou as well, so my guess it would also kill about any deer, pretty neatly.

I bought a new Remington 725 in .280 Remington in 1962. Until I began reloading for it around 1965/'66, I used Remington 150 PSP Core-Lok factory ammo. It was very accurate and I killed several Calif. Mule deer with it and a Mule deer in Utah, with one shot kills.

When I began reloading, I found the 160 grains Nosler Partition, the Honaday 139 grains Interlock, and the 140 grains Nolsler Partition all to be accurate and worked flawlessly on Mule deer, Blacktail deer, one bull elk, one Black bear, and one antelope. (They did pretty well on ground squirrels and coyotes, too. )

I went to a .338 Win. Mag. for elk in the mid-'70s but sold it a few years ago although it worked fine on elk. Just got tired of the recoil. My .280 Rem. is my go-to now.

Although over the years I've experimented with other bullets and powders, my favorite powder was/is IMR 4350, and the three bullets listed above.

I use 54.0 grains of IMR 4350 behind the 160 grains Nosler Partition and 56.0 grains behind the 139/140 grains bullets. When I do my part, that Remington 725 still shoots 3/4" groups at 100 yards. I use a Nikon 3x9 Monarch scope.

I'm a big time fan of the .280 Remington.

L.W.

I started reloading many moons ago and the 280 Remington was my first rifle; needless to say it bore the brunt of many experiments. So here is the answer to your question.
139 gr. SST
57 gr. IMR 4831
WW silver brass
Fed 215 primer
COL- 3.345"
This load produces a 3/16 of an inch group from a stock Remington 700.has only been glass bedded and the trigger lightened up.
I have also used the 140 gr TSX with super results. It gives .25 inch loads and I use this one exclusively now. Terminal results are WOW!
Remember to use all the regular precautions with reloading, start light and work up to 57 grains.

John: Seems 160 7mm works good on everything..


..universal BG bullet much like the 180 gr 30 cal. Cuts a big swath.

139s, 140 and 150 NBT have always worked for me. I killed a couple with the 165 CL factory load and it hit like a sledge hammer. Bottom line is they all work.

Most dramatic deer kills such as dropped where they stood,dead with my .280 have always been head, spine or high shoulder/spine hits or destroyed hips.... Shot placement is the main thing.

I have used a 160 grain bullet @2800fps for all rocky mountain game for my .280. Partitions, accubonds for big boned stuffs elk, bears, moose and such wich have all been kilt with plane ol' cup/core also... like hot-cores, or the 165 gr. core-lokt my favorite factory load for the 280.

The 140 gr core-lokt factory load did good on lots of deer and one mountain lion for me. I recovered a few of the bullets, damage from them was wide on deer. Once and a while they would have several 'exit' holes instead of one. Had three exit holes in the cougar, only shot it once. Did not use the load on heavier game after seeing there tendency to erupt.

The 160 grain bullet was always the constant performer on everything. More often exit then stay in game, with good short blood trails with a dead critter on the other end.

BUT...last fall in typical rifle loon fashion, I flirted with the 150 grain Btip in the .280. Darn things shot wicked good, worked very good on deer and a going away shot on a short lived bull elk....

IMHO the .284 139 Horn SP is the perfect deer bullet in any caliber.

Pretty easy to drive 3K to 3.1K with 55/56 of H4350 or 55-57 of Ramshot Hunter depending on barrel length. Have seen it consistently 3050 with a 26" 1B over 58 of H4891, but only 2875 out of a 22" M77MII with the same load.

OTOH, I've witnessed full length penetration of a corn fed buck from the 22" @ 2875 at 75 yards.

Shame me for not always practicing what I preach as I've settled on 120 NBT's @ 3050 from my 7mm-08's for the simple fact they share POI with 120 VMax's and I'm a sick bastage that likes to Rorschach snow banks with critter parts to kill the winter blues.

GE

John,

Just how big was that deer?

I have the article from F&S(?) around somewhere. Jackson used to run his operation not too far from a few places I've hunted.

At least, I'm assuming that is the buck you're referring to, given your description of the bucks body and rifle used.

I've had a lot of experience with the .280,.280AI and the 7RM, but I still couldn't say what the ideal bullet might be. For 20 years or so I've hunted a ranch where in the same day I might see Deer, antelope, and elk so I settled on the 160gr. Nosler Partion. At first I thought it was too much bullet for antelope, but after killing several I'm convinced it's just fine. Deer? It just smokes them. Heck, I shot a coyote this year with the 160gr NP while looking for a deer and the bullet blew a porthole through him. Still, if only deer are on your menu then any name brand bullet in the 140-150 grain range will work fine.