Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .280, or .280AI, or ?

I cant get enough 568 in my 30-28 to get to the 3085 with the 215 like H1000. Now in a 28 Nos with 195's 568 shoots awesome at 3050 with 26" barrel
570 won't even get me to the next node in my 30-28 I pressure out at 3185 need to get about 3220 thats 30NMI territory so I stuck with H1000 at 3085 it shoots really well there with the 215 Berger

568 sounds like it'll be good in the big 7's and maybe in my RUM. I'll have to keep an eye out for it. Like we were BSin earlier, its available and its the same or less than H powders and definitely less than Alliant.

568 is slower than 570, I can get enough 570.in my 30-28
If you can get enough in the case dont give up on it because of speed numbers, what I like about 568 it is very consistent E.S numbers evertime ive tried it seems to like Fed 215 primers not saying a CCI 250 won't work but 215's worked the best in 3 rifles I've tried it so far in.
I think there might be enough room in a 7 mag with 180 class bullet im gonna try it in my Nephews 7 mag I load for.

Did you mean to say 568 was a slower burning powder than 570?

In the 280 Remington 65.7 grains produced 3132 FPS with 140 TTSX

For the 280 I used 270 Winchester 130 load data for the 140 TTSX since the two have nearly the same SD. I wanted to load the 280 to the same pressure as the 270 Winchester

In my experience it is

In a plain Jane 280?

Gotcha, they must be fairly close in burn rate. Maybe a little lot difference between the two accounts for it? No clue, but I am sure it rips.


I do a pretty easy 3100 and change with RL26 and a 140 PT or Sierra Pro Hunter in my old 725. About the same as a 130 of similar bullets does in my 270's with the same length barrel.

Yes, just a plain Jane 280

Back in Oz, we used a lot of AR2209/H4350 in the .300 Win Mag with all bullet weights and it always was a great combination and generated full ballistics again, with all bullet weights. That powder has a huge scope of suitability. Had mates who bought it in 250 pound barrels.

It's working pretty well in my old 300 H&H as well. It took me awhile to come around to it, but I can't say I am disappointed a bit.

I’ve had a grand total of 1 280 - an ADL stainless Rem 700 Mtn Rifle I got 30 years ago. Today, I’d do the 280AI, and I don’t like AI anything. As has been pointed out, it’s probably surpassed the standard 280 in popularity and brass availability. I’d think it would make a dandy suppressed cartridge with an 18” bbl.

My cousin and I went to get a couple shotguns back around the early 2000's when I was home on leave. Well, they had a used 280 Mtn Rifle with the 3x9 Leupold Compact on it, for 550 bucks on the used rack. I looked it over and I told him, this is a good one.. He said should I get it? I said if you don't, I am. Well, he got it and a box of Green/Yellow box 140 Core Losers and when we got home, I set a piece of plywood up, paced off a 100 and we shot 3 rounds over a picnic table over a rolled up wool coat... That stupid thing made a 3 shot cluster... I was sorta mad, cause man, it was quite nice

I wouldn't let components scare you with the availability. 280 rem stuff is everywhere. Brass life, like said ten times before, will be better with the improved version. But your real world velocity increase will be 150 fps max, which is alot, but it's only about 2.5 inches at 500 yards. Depending on bullet selection, you may see no difference at all. I went 9 twist and don't regret it, but an 8 will only be better. A straight up 280 with any quality bullet will knock stuff over no problem. Your in a good predicament, cause whatever you choose will be the right thing!

If you load the standard 280 to the same pressure as the AI version there is only enoigh powder capacity increase for about 40 FPS more velocity.

For 140 grain bullets in the 280 use 270 Winchester 130 grain, since they are nearly identical SD

Just for comparison and I know things can be changed as far as throat lengths and one powder or another can change stuff, but when I run these both to 65000PSI they aren't super far apart.

Cartridge : .280 Rem.
Bullet : .284, 162, Hornady ELD-M 28403
Useable Case Capaci: 58.689 grain H2O = 3.811 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.330 inch = 84.58 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Hodgdon H4831 *T

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.869% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-08.7 100 52.50 2561 2359 46935 11132 92.9 1.257
-07.8 101 53.00 2587 2408 48370 11255 93.4 1.240
-07.0 102 53.50 2614 2457 49855 11376 93.9 1.222
-06.1 103 54.00 2640 2507 51390 11494 94.3 1.205
-05.2 104 54.50 2667 2558 52977 11609 94.7 1.189
-04.3 105 55.00 2693 2609 54617 11721 95.2 1.172
-03.5 106 55.50 2720 2661 56318 11830 95.6 1.155 ! Near Maximum !
-02.6 107 56.00 2746 2713 58071 11936 95.9 1.139 ! Near Maximum !
-01.7 107 56.50 2773 2766 59896 12039 96.3 1.123 ! Near Maximum !
-00.9 108 57.00 2800 2820 61781 12139 96.7 1.108 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 109 57.50 2827 2874 63733 12235 97.0 1.092 ! Near Maximum !
+00.9 110 58.00 2854 2929 65756 12327 97.3 1.077 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.7 111 58.50 2880 2984 67855 12416 97.6 1.062 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.6 112 59.00 2907 3040 70030 12501 97.9 1.047 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.5 113 59.50 2934 3097 72288 12582 98.2 1.033 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.3 114 60.00 2961 3154 74628 12658 98.4 1.018 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 109 57.50 2967 3166 76446 12169 99.9 1.012 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 109 57.50 2643 2513 51992 11690 90.1 1.196


Cartridge : .280 Ack Imp
Bullet : .284, 162, Hornady ELD-M 28403
Useable Case Capaci: 64.805 grain H2O = 4.208 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.330 inch = 84.58 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Hodgdon H4831 *T

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.813% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-08.1 97 56.50 2631 2490 48395 12092 94.6 1.251
-07.3 98 57.00 2656 2537 49749 12209 95.0 1.234
-06.5 99 57.50 2680 2584 51143 12324 95.3 1.219
-05.7 100 58.00 2705 2632 52580 12437 95.7 1.203
-04.9 101 58.50 2729 2680 54059 12546 96.1 1.188
-04.1 102 59.00 2754 2728 55586 12653 96.4 1.173 ! Near Maximum !
-03.3 102 59.50 2779 2777 57156 12757 96.7 1.158 ! Near Maximum !
-02.4 103 60.00 2803 2827 58768 12858 97.0 1.143 ! Near Maximum !
-01.6 104 60.50 2828 2877 60425 12956 97.3 1.128 ! Near Maximum !
-00.8 105 61.00 2853 2928 62129 13051 97.6 1.114 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 106 61.50 2878 2979 63885 13142 97.9 1.100 ! Near Maximum !
+00.8 107 62.00 2902 3030 65696 13230 98.1 1.086 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.6 108 62.50 2927 3082 67563 13314 98.4 1.072 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.4 109 63.00 2952 3134 69488 13395 98.6 1.059 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.3 109 63.50 2977 3187 71474 13472 98.8 1.045 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.1 110 64.00 3001 3240 73523 13546 99.0 1.032 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 106 61.50 3013 3265 76121 12968 100.0 1.020 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 106 61.50 2698 2618 52113 12655 91.6 1.203





It's about what I've seen as well, loading them both the same. I also haven't seen this massive growth of brass from a standard 280 if you Partial FL size them and don't set them back more than needed on resizing.

Yea. Standard case for the win.

They say the 280 Ackley is one of the most overloaded ones of the bunch. I think it's really a great one, but a 7 Rem it aint.

Yup. Can't beat or keep pace with the 7 rem. Cartridges are what they are and you can't make them something their not.

This depends on the particular sizing die being used.

I load a lot of 308 Winchester ammo and I've gathered a number of FL sizing dies. They do work the brass differently. One of them in particular will lengthen the brass noticeably more than my Forster, even when both are adjusted to provide the same amount of shoulder setback.