Picked up a real nice 1979 model 700 in 7mm Express.

Looking for an all around good load for deer and elk. Seasons here overlap, although the area I hunt bulls don’t live past 3 years usually.

I have on hand 160 gr Sierra GK, and Partitions
Also, a few 150 gr Accubonds
140 Ballistic Tips and 140 and 150 gr Solid Base.

Powders I have are IMR and H4350, RL 15,19, and 22.
And H4831sc.

What would be your choice to try out. Shots can be bayonet range out to 450 yds.

IMR 4350 and 140 and 150 grain bullets do good in mine.

Nice rifle. I’m a bit envious. I’ve often thought that a 7mm 160 grain Partition at around 2800fps might be a perfect all around load. Not much that one couldn’t do.

H4350 is ideal for most bullets, H4831 work with heavier bullets.

For an all around a 150-160 Accubond be perfect. Should hit 2900 with the 150, 2800 with the 160.

Thanks for the info fellas. Look forward to loading for and hunting this rifle. Forgot to add I have some Norma brass I picked up in the classifieds.

WMR , I was beyond excited to find this lying on a table at a gun show. Doesn’t look too have been shot much.

What a great score. I’ve used H4831, 26, H4350, and RL23. All of them worked excellent in my old M725 280.

Beautiful rifle.

Thanks, I was very pleased to find it. I would like to try RL26, but hard to find from what I’ve seen.

Very nice rifle. Congrats.

Thank you. It’s in really nice condition for being a 1979.

Yes it is. I'm not a mag guy, don't own any but that's neither here nor there, that's on me. Still a very nice rifle.

What do you mean Mag ST? It’s a 280 Rem in its 2nd name Remington gave it.

Kind of a neat novelty having one marked 7mm Express. From what I’ve read, the 150 Ballistic Tip would also do about everything in this round. SPS has some of those now.

Oh yeah sorry missed that! Reading over it too quickly. Well heck, that makes it even better in my opinion. Great score.

Yeah, to score one that clean marked 7 Express is a good danged grab.

Very nice find.

I seldom stray from the 4831 powders be it H or the IMR flavor for 140 to 160 grain bullets. Have dabbled with other powders but those two I just keep going back to in my .280 rem.

I ran 160 gr partition and the 160 gr Speer Spitzer for a lot of years, lots of game ground squirrels to mud covered rank bull elk. Found 56 grains of imr 4831 in the tang safety Ruger with 160 grainers worked best. Warm load, work up to it, 2850 fps and north, YMMV.

Last few years, I have been running a load I stole from ol' mule deer consisting of 58.5 grains of H4831, 150 grain btip bullet. The load shoots bug hole groups, cleaved darn near 3 foot of elk on its way to the off side shoulder angled in from behind the last rib on the opposite side, bore threw that scapula to stop against the hide. Yet to find one in a deer. I suspect a 150 gr. Accubond will do equally as well or better.

The 280 rem/ 7mm express in the tang safety Ruger and Leopold glass has been an absolute perfect combo for the deer/elk same day season. Even worked for the unplanned bears and one cougar over the years. It does not have the roar as the 7 rem mag but works just as good 99% of the time.

Yep. Wont run across the combination of those 2 things very often. I never have. Great rifle.

Thanks for all the great load info. Looking forward to getting some time at my load bench.

According to the information I could find, they only made around 4000 with only the “7mm Express “ stamping. From late 1978-1981 or so.

Boomwack,
Have you ever used the old Solid Base Ballistic Tips?

I seem to recall Mule Deer saying they were good ones.

280 Rem used to be my favorite round, until I met a lightweight Rem 700 Ti in 7-08, LOL.

My favorite powders is the 280 are RL-19 & RL-22/23, but all of those a pretty much unobtainium, & unless you have a pretty deep supply of either or both, you might want to go to something else.

H4350 is never a bad choice, but not always the best either.

IMR-7828 SCC is good & you might get the best velocity of the bunch out of StaBall 6.5 & it's pretty available.

I use 59 gr of RL-19 with 140 gr bullets & 59 gr of RL-22 with 150's, 58 gr RL-22 with 160's.

Unless you are into needing the ultimate BC for those Ho-Hum 1500 yard shots, 140 Partitions or AB's are hard to beat...........if you feel the need, step up to the 150 or 160's for elk, but the 140 will easily do the job.

MM

Some 140 loads & powders, & a single 120 gr load in one of my 280's during load workup.

Montanaman,
I have a fair supply of RL19 and 22.
Have you ever used the solid base BT’s?

i've got a Win 70 Fthrwt in 280 Rem, 10 twist 22" brl.... 55 gns H4350 under a 150 NBT with a GM215 primer... that's a Hot load from my old Lyman #45 (max was 55.5 IMR)... no crono, but should be about 2900 fps give or take, and groups .600 or better in "my" rifle... that's prolly 2.5-3.5 gns higher than current books max... so, if interested?, work up "carefully"...

I can tell you that I’ve had good luck with 160 Accubonds, 150 Ballistic tips and 160 Sierra Game Kings.

The only one of these I’ve ever recovered was a 15O Ballistic Tip just under the hide in the off side shoulder of a 4x4 bull elk.

that ballistic tip went through the near shoulder and lungs before stopping in the off side. Actually the core exited but the heavy jacket stayed in the exit hole.

Here's one of my 7mm Express/.280 Remington elk loads: 140gr Barnes TTSX over 57.0 gr of RL 22 with CCI 200 primer in Rem brass. Out of my M77R tanger Ruger, I get about 2950 fps and average a little less than 3/8" three-shot groups.

Yes, I've used the 140's & the 120 NBT's on deer & antelope & both are plenty tough for any big deer. I think they're a little light for elk & have never used either for elk.

The 120 TTSX / TSX works on elk too, but I still prefer a 140 - 160.

MM

PS... i measure my groups outside to outside...

Lots of great loads. Keep em coming.

same rifle as above... 56 gns H4350 under a Sierra 140 gn Pro Hunter (flat base), cci 250 primer... again, no crono, should be @ 3000 fps or so, and the most accurate load this rifle has ever shot, as it measured .500 or a little less outside to outside (a 1 hole 3 shot group)... 56 gns IMR 4350 is book max in the Lyman #45... again, use CAUTION!... i've had pressure signs a few times before reaching max when using this old manual...

by the way... when i first got my 280, i found a set of NIB RCBS dies on GB that are labeled 7MM Express Rem... must'a been made same era as your rifle, love to find a rifle marked same....

I'm running the older two core version Speer grand Slam 160 gr. bullets in my .280 Rem. at 2910 FPS. Winchester brass and standard primer. Powder is the now long go Winchester WMR. (Winchester magnum Rifle) Primer pockets stay tight, cases extract nice and easy and have lasted through 8 or 9 reloads. Can't say how it will work on elk as I haven't drawn a tag for some time.
PJ

Probably work great on elk. I use to use the 140 gr Grand Slams in a 264 win mag. Hammer on elk.

Look at the backside of the bolt lugs....see if they engage evenly. If not, lap them in, the rifle will shoot better. The bolt face looks very good. Nice rifle.

140 grain Sierra Game King atop 51 grains of IMR 4350 shoots little bitty groups in both my 280s, and has killed a mountain of coyotes and white tails with nothing but excellent results.

I'm loading 54 gr. H4350, 160 gr. NPT, Remington brass, Federal primers, give me 2854 fps in my 24" barrel limited Edition CDL-SF 700.
Multiples of pronghorn, mule deer and elk. Haven't recovered on yet.

During the past 25-30 yrs that Ive owned my 280 A-Bolt I have used many combinations of powder and bullets with very good success and accuracy but the past several years it has has became partial to IMR-7828, WLRP, and 154 gr SST bullets. That picture read 57 grs, should read 58.5 grs. It's safe in my rifle.

Highoctane: any idea if 7828 SSC performs similar with that load?... 1 have several #'s of it, & several boxes of 154 SST's...

To be honest, I have no idea but I see no reason that it shouldn't work just as well. Manufacturer says it has the same burn rate and uses the same data. They also say with the Super Short Cut it will allow up to 4% more powder space in the case.

The only reason Im using the "regular" and not the SSC 7828 is that I found 12-15 lbs, (14 per lb, bought it all) several years ago at a shop that was getting out of the reloading business. I also have a couple thousand 139 and 154 gr SST bullets. Im set for the foreseeable future.

I picked up a Model Four a few years back in 7mm Express, but haven't tried loading for it (or a 700 Mountain Rifle stamped .280) yet. I did work up a few loads years ago using some old bulk pulldown powder in a NEF Handi Rifle 26" .280, best I can tell the powder was equivalent to H450. It shot very well in the Handi with 145gr Speers, but I picked up a bunch of Federal Premium HE 140gr TBBC's on clearance and haven't loaded for a .280 since.