Good enough?

[Jcub]

I'm a believer in a slow hit is better than a fast miss, yet I feel that this load may be on the slow side. Opinions please gentleman.


.280 Ackley Improved
168gr SMK
61.3g of Retumbo at 2745 with an ES of 7
Fed215M Primer
Nosler Brass

It groups just under 1/2 an MOA consistently.


Rifle is:
Trued 700
AICS 1.5
24" Shilen #5
Timney Trigger
Vortex Viper PST 6-24

Would most of you settle on this load for competition out to 1k? Or try to find something faster?
I'm really happy with the accuracy, just wondering if I should be trying to shoot faster...

 

[No1]

Is this the top end? In an over bore like that I'd have chosen Retumbo too.
I'd stick with the accuracy myself.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

Is this the top end? In an over bore like that I'd have chosen Retumbo too.
I'd stick with the accuracy myself.

280AI is overbore?

H4350, H4831 and RL22 (and others, too, of course) are excellent for 284Win and 280, so jumping all the way down the list to Retumbo because of a small increase in capacity seems questionable to me - though I don't load 280AI. I do know that H4831 and H1000 are excellent for the 7mm RSAUM, which is nearly the same capacity as 280AI.

The 24" barrel isn't helping the velocity with the extremely slow powder, either.

Anyway, if it shoots really well and those components are what you've got to work with - go with it.

If other components are available, I'd go with a better bullet and a faster powder. The 7mm 168smk is a lousy 7mm bullet and the 280AI has the horsepower to fling 180s... So why not use slicker bullets AND go faster with a more suitable powder??

 

[No1]

You know, I had 270AI on my brain when I wrote that. 'banging head on keyboard'

 

[Jcub]

I have plenty of H4831 and H4350, I have a little less than a pound of RL-22. H4831 didn't group well in my rifle. Hodgdon list 63g as max, so I'm fairly close to the top.

This load is right before I start seeing pressure signs.

I have yet to try 4350, The reason I tried Retumbo is according to Hodgdon, this bbl length and powder combo had the fastest velocity of all of their powders.

If I went to a 180g berger, I don't think I would shoot it faster than 2550, which compared to this load I have now, drops .2 mils more, so their is no advantage to it.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

Interesting.

I shoot a 284 Win, know several others that do, and still others that shoot 280 and 280ack.

2800 from a 180 hybrid should be NO trouble at all with H4831 from a 24" pipe. I personally run 175smk @ 2825-2850 with a moderate charge of 54gr H4831sc in my 284.

Something is wrong.

 

[Jcub]

I was a little dissapointed in the velocity as well. From what I've read for the last few months, 2900 should've been no problem for me.

It might've been the Chrono I shot over, it was a friends, an RCBS chrono from Sportsmans.

I'll be shooting over a different 1 this weekend. I'll let everyone know if my speed varies.
Although this could mean nothing more than both of the chrono's read differently, with neither of them being accurate. Probably the best way for me to figure out my velocity is to do a drop test correct?

 

[jim_k]

Shoot it at distance, and see how you do. I'd be inclined to go with Berger 180, if your twist is at least 1:9. If twist is 1:10, you can improve by using the Berger 168. Those bullets' BC will yield much less wind drift. Yeah, the bullet drop is greater for the 180, but the vertical error in MOA over a long distance is usually the same for any bullet drop or distance. Forinstance, if your vertical error on a 200 yard group is 1MOA, you'll still have (probably) 1MOA of vertical error at 1,000 yards. It's the windage error due to imperfect wind calls that will ruin your score.
Jim

 

[Jcub]

According to the same chart I did at JBM, this load will also drift less in the wind as well [MENTION=87391]jim_k[/MENTION].