Hey Folks! I recently picked up a Winchester Model 70 FWT chambered in 280 Remington with a 22" barrel and I'm looking to develop some deer and elk loads. I am new to reloading so I'm picking up materials as I go along. So far I have Nosler Partitions, Nosler AccuBonds and 140gr Barnes TSX bullets. I can't remember off the top of my head the weight of the Nosler bullets but they are of the 140-160gr variety. I've also picked up 100 pieces of new Winchester nickle plated brass.

I am looking to pick up powder and primers this week and this is where I need help. Does one brand of primers perform better? The Nosler Reloading Guide uses Federal No. 210 primers, are these recommended for hunting? Will I be able to notice the difference between primers?

The Nosler Reloading Guide also lists 10 different powders. Ideally, I would like to begin using 3-4 different powders to work up a load. What are the top performing powders I should look into?

Additionally, if you have a load in 280 rem that performs well, I would like to hear about it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

IMR 4350 and the 4831's are popular. (I have a .280 Rem in BDL DM conformation. Had a Mountain Rifle similar to your FWT before. 56 grains 4350 with 140-grainers works for me.)

I would use H4831SC with the 160 gr Accubond with Fed 210M . I don't like the lighter bullets in the 7mm . Nothing beats the 160 gr in the 7mm for Big Game.

When I was using 280s, the good powders seemed to be RL19, IMR4350 and IMR4831 when using 139gr or 154gr Hornady SPs.

RH

I found that RL 22 gives me the best accuracy and velocity in 120 Nosler BT, 139 Hornady BTSP, 140 Nosler BT and Barnes TSX, and 160 Nosler Partiton. RL19 and IMR 4350 are not far behind.

H4350 worked for the 154 Hornady.

I mostly used RL 19 with 139/140s, and 7828 with the 175s.

I helped my brother load for his Remington 700 in .280 REM a couple of years ago. He got great results with both Reloder 19 and the then new Hybrid-100V (3/4 MOA Loads with the Re19 and 1/2 MOA loads with the H100V). Both loads use the 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet and R-P brass. He used FED 210 primers with the Re19 and REM 9 1/2 primers with the H100V.

I picked up the same model a couple of years ago. Last year I decided it would make a nice gun for carrying in thick timber.

The load I settled on was: 175g Partition; 52.0g R22; WLR primer; 3.32 OAL

I've had some 280's over the years and pretty much without exception they all purred on 140 gr bullets and RL22...after trying a few other powders R22 seemed to give the best combination of accuracy and velocity.It would be the first thing I tried.

I watched a buddy chrongraph a 280 Rem 700 KS yesterday,and he was running manual data loads with R19 and 140 gr bullets; velocities were in the mid-2900's.

140 grain Sierra bullets, CCI 200 primers, 51 grains of IMR 4350, and an OAL of 2.25" prints 3/4" 100 yard groups in my model 70 classic featherweight, and one ragged hole from my custom mauser. This isn't a real hot load, but it is the most accurate I've come up with.

160 Nosler AB and 53 of RL19 with a Fed 210 flat works in 3 280s here.

I shoot lots of 120 B-Tips with H4831 or R19.

Federal 210's are a pretty standard primer. I also use Winchester primers. Currently my .280 is liking 51.5grs of IMR4350. It also shoots very well with 56grs of RL22. I'll be running some 4831 next. With these loads I'm using 150gr Partitions.

RL-22 never don't work with anything >120 grains.

For <140 grains, RL-15 works very, very well.

MM

The .280 is a great cartridge. Just like it's brethren. I use most of the powders recommended by the guys here in my Encore. It is stainless and has a silver scope and really looks bada$$! It shoots just as good as it looks. It is not that picky and it would be hard to better IMR 4350 or 4831. I do like the Reloader powders, but you can get way bogged down loading up a jillion different powders and loads if you have a bunch of rifles like I do. I just find a load that shoots a group like I want and I log that in as my hunting load in a particular rifle. I mostly hunt deer so it's pretty easy as far a bullet weights. I don't see that primers make one bit of difference in hunting accuracy. I use Winchester primers mostly. Thanks guys!

Dye7barrel: I use the wonderful Nosler 140 gr. Partitions in my custom 280 Remington.
I have killed Black Bear, Elk, Mule Deer, Antelope, Whitetailed Deer, Mt. Goats and Coyotes with this great bullet.
I would not even consider changing bullets for my 280 Rifle.
I have used the Federal 210M in my 280.
There came a "primer shoratge" some years back and I am now using Remington 9 1/2 primers in my 280.
Best of luck to you and your new 280 Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy