Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 280 AI handloads

Just bought a 280 AI and I am looking for any good reloading recipes that anyone may have that are constantly shooting under 1 inch at 100 yards

My load that I used for a very long time on deer.
Was 64g of H4831 with a 140g Nosler Ballistic tip and a CCI br primer.
I used Rem cases,bought quite a few and sorted by weight.
Rifle was built by Nelson Berger..Walts brother, and had a Douglas no.4 barrel.
It would typically shoot sub MOA at 400 yards.I shot 3 to 3.5 inch groups at 400 yards.
At 500 it would do MOA if you took your time and watched what you were doing.
Hope this helps.
dave

My two main loads have been:

54g RL 17 Barnes 145 LRX CCI LR primer

62g RL 22 Barnes 150 TTSX Fed. LR primer

Try Re 23 under a 160. Re 26 was pretty good, had more velocity, but Re 23 had better groups.

Currently shooting 55gr of R17 and a 168 Berger hunting but plan to swap it to 162 ELd’s and R26 this spring

Kimber Montana, Reloader 26, new Nosler brass, Federal 210 match primers and the 160 Accubond.

Velocity measured by LabRadar.

60.0 gr averaged 2935fps, .6 MOA
60.5 gr averaged 2982fps, .74 MOA
61.0 gr averaged 2997fps, .68 MOA
61.5 gr averaged 3046 fps, .3 MOA

Temperature was 12 degrees, all groups were three shots.

I settled on the 61.5 load, which was repeatable. I've shot around 20 groups with that load, all have been sub MOA.

Currently working on another Kimber (Select Grade) which is showing promise with the 150 Ballistic Tip and 62.0-63.0 gr 7828SSC. This one needs more range time to dial in. Velocity is a shade under 3100 FPS.

H4831sc and 150 BT has been my go to.

Heavier and I like r22

H4350 was great with 120’s.

My Kimber shoots the 150 ballistic tip well using Nosler brass, Fed 210s, and 62 grains R-26. Around 3,050 mv.

Also the 160 Accubond with R-26.

My little brother is just starting to work with his Kimber and shot one round with 60 grains of H4831 and a 150 Swift and got 2957, hopefully he has some test targets soon, but I'd be happy as heck to have that load shoot well for him. Nothing much better in my opinion than that sorta speed with a great bullet in a rifle that goes 7.5lbs all up..

If it doesn't perk with 4831, I am pushing him to try 26. You guys seem to be hammering with it and about any bullet.

beretz - 150 Aframe or Scirroccoo II?

I’m running 162 eld at 2940 with 58 grains of imr7828 cci 250 and Norma brass. Shoots in the .3” if I do my part.

Scirocco..

I like them alot for hunting. I know they aren't the sleekest but man do they expand widely and penetrate real well.

Thanks! Been chewing on that bullet for my 280 AI.

If you can get it shooting, I like it alot for it's terminal performance. I wished Swift made a 175-180 Scirocco for my Mashburn. Probably could sell of the stockpile of Bitterroots I have.

168 Berger VLD, 57.0 H4831, Nosler cases. 2,820 from a 22" 9 twist. Stacks them out there...

My main killing rifle...

Do a search there are some lengthy threads on 280AI loads. I am using R26, R22. VV165 and MRP currently. Will try R23 and 16 eventually but no need to now.

Thanks for all the info guys I will probably try all these loads to get a good idea of what this rifle likes. Some really interesting loads were given that I hadn't even thought of. Never even thought of the Swift bullets.

Thanks Greg. Passing that onto my buddy using the 168 ABLR in his Kimber.

Never really shot the 280AI much but I got a good deal on a Savage rifle in this caliber I just hope I get my money's worth out of it.

Donnie
I actually have two.
My second rifle likes 120g Nosler Ballistic tip over 58.5g of Norma N204.
Norma case.
CCI-BR primer.
At 500 yards you need a outright bench gun to better it.
just sayen...

dave