280 Rem Mono loading

sageadvice · Jan 4, 2014

My reloading guru friend who bought my .280 Rem Mountain rifle off me by piling more and more stuff on the deal,

, wants to get into shooting Mono bullets thru it. He wants the rifle to be his everyday deer only rifle out here on our smallish bodied Cail cross bucks and once he gets a load work up to shoot well, to stock up heavily for any possibility of future use.

He's looking at keeping bullet costs down. I recommended a lighter bullet for less recoil but still plenty to get the job done.

What is out there in lighter bullets in .284 non-lead bullets and do you think going lighter, bullet wise, would be a good idea?

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

280Mtnrfl · Jan 4, 2014

Thanks for posting my question Sage. Its been years since Ive posted anything,and couldn't remember my login info so created a new one. Its going to be interesting to see what advice there is for the 280. Gerry

sageadvice · Jan 4, 2014

No problem Gerry! Least i could do after all the hard work you put in trying to get my 270WSM and 150 Nosler LR's to shoot.

I think your old handle was "whiskycreek." Anyway, i expect to hear some good replies, we'll see...

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

REDDOG · Jan 4, 2014

Yes, i'd keep the mono's on the light side.

I havent really worked with the 380, but would be searching out two bullets..

120 TTSX and 145LRX. The 120 might sound light for 7mm, but its a performer. Mono's respond to speed.

sageadvice · Jan 4, 2014

Thanks Dog!! How bout the Hornady and Nosler lighter versions? Heard any good stuff about them in .284?

Anybody else?? Thanks!!

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

REDDOG · Jan 5, 2014

I really havent used the Etip at all on game..The .284 150gr Etip has a nice BC tho.

I've only seen the GMX used, 165's out of a 300win and 120's out of a 6.5 creedmoor. I would say they they seem to be on par with barnes performance wise. i just havent used them nearly as much as barnes to make a hearty recommendation to anyone.

mtmuley · Jan 6, 2014

No experience with .284s Joey, but 180 grain E-Tips pushed fast work really well. Bet the 7mm isn't any different. mtmuley

sjhgraysage · Jan 6, 2014

from what I've seen the Hornady GMX bullet is the least expensive non-lead bullet currently on the market.
I only have experience with Barnes Triple shock though.

sageadvice · Jan 6, 2014

Thanks Guys!! this up from the Hornady:

.284 139 gr GMX, the only GMX offered...
Ballistic Coefficient (G1) .486
Sectional Density .246
Quantity 50/BX
Price: $42.64

Fair- good #'s but must say that i think 42.64 Plus Tax is more than i expected to pay for 50. ct box but then haven't priced out the Barnes.

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

dang302 · Jan 6, 2014

I load the 120g TSX in my 284 win for somewhere in the 3000-3100 FPS range and its a great load. You don't need anything thing heavier until you move up to elk, and even then if you pick your shots it will work just fine and might even exit on a broadside lung shot.

I have also loaded 140 grain accubonds, partitions and Swift A-Frames and honestly I can't tell the difference on game.

I have pretty much only shot white-tails with this in Nebraska and one barbary sheep in NM.

lve2143 · Jan 7, 2014

Joey,

We shoot similar size deer with 120 grain
Sierra's, which are alot more fragile than
the mono's, and have had really good luck.

I think you're thinking is good on these size deer.

Lar

sageadvice · Jan 7, 2014

Thanks guys! guess i should have said that the reason for going mono was because we out in northern calif are being forced to use them. We have until 2019 to be completely lead free i think but the time is coming.

Also, my buddy is kinda in a situation where his checkbooks says to keep working but his body says it's past time. I still haven't checked the prices of barnes but so far, from what i have seen, these mono's are high.

Yes, might be a situation where he does go sierra, sst, or ballistic tip, something like that, for a few years anyway.

thanks again,

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

Califelkslayer · Jan 8, 2014

Joey, My wife has a one shot kill with a 140 gr Barnes TSX in 7mm/08 and my son has 3, one shot kills with the 150 grain Barnes TSX in .280 Rem BUT they were all on elk. We shoot more fragile bullets on deer/antelope so i don't know how those 95+% weight retention bullets will do on deer. Might get smallish holes, in and out, instead of massive tissue damage.

2019 huh, time to move. I hadn't read that yet.

Fire_Hawk · Jan 10, 2014

Joey,

I have some 150 grain etips that I am looking to move. I bought 150 of them and decided to go the 175 grain Accubonds in my 7 mm remmag. If you are interested, I will sell you mine. I have 138 of them as I used 12 before I found the load for my 7mmrem. Shoot me a PM if you are interested. I will kill that price for the GMX boxes of 50 you mention. They should do what you are looking for in a mono.

FH

Pre64 · Jan 10, 2014

He could move. I'm only half kidding.

sageadvice · Jan 11, 2014

Fire_Hawk, PM returned, Thanks!!

Pre64, not sure what kind of $hit hole you live in, just half kidding, but we got it pretty good here. A might Chilly at times, like now, but i paid way more than good money to live in the outdoor Paradise we do.

Guys, talked to Gerry this AM. He has decided to go with the light weight Barnes bullets if he can get them to shoot thru his/was my 280 Mtn rifle. Lots of guys shoot Barnes that don't even have to and they love em! Thanks all who responded!!

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

Pre64 · Jan 11, 2014

No reason to get nasty Joey. My comment was in the context of living with all the inane laws provided by your omniscient legislature (if I'm not mistaken you are from the golden state, as was I). A little levity to cope with the rules you must live with. Don't know where you got $hit hole.

sageadvice · Jan 11, 2014

Pre64, Yeah Right! It was a Joke

Little touchy, eh?

Nothing the matter where i live. If and when i get nasty, most know it, in the mean time, get your panties out of a bunch and be glad you were able to move from wherever you did if you didn't like it. Life is too short to not be where you want to be but some get stuck a can't make it happen. I could have here just a couple years ago, could have gone anywhere i wanted but i do love it here so here i'll stay.

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

Pre64 · Jan 11, 2014

Kinda funny. I was going to offer the same advice regarding panties but decided against it on the chance you were joking The sit hole reference to home must have clouded the joking inflection. Of course I take you at your word and hope your friend finds the right load. It's not my problem but I'm still frustrated that your choice of bullets will be so limited. Enough digression. Sorry the thread went astray.

sageadvice · Jan 11, 2014

lol, it's all good!

At some point, i'm thinking of running those Barnes 120gr TTSX thru my 280AI for deer. As mentioned above, lots of guys use Barnes because they really like them, not because they have to.

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

Califelkslayer · Feb 28, 2014

Joey, I think the "he could move, just half kidding" comment was based on my post. Thanks for having my back since I haven't been on for a while.

I too love where i live. People are great, an hour to great chukar hunting which I can do 4 months a year, Eagle lake has good fishing, Antelope just as good if you know what you're doing, Almanor pretty good at times also.

65 minutes to down town Reno that has all of the shopping (Scheels,Cableas, Sportman's) a guy could want plus a annual sheep show, sportsmans show and the RMEF convention 3 out of 5 years.

If LA and SF didn't dictate taxes, regulations and laws to us it would be paradise.

I like the "6" state split idea.

REDDOG · Mar 11, 2014

>lol, it's all good!
>
>At some point, i'm thinking of
>running those Barnes 120gr TTSX
>thru my 280AI for deer.
>As mentioned above, lots of
>guys use Barnes because they
>really like them, not because
>they have to.
>
>Joey
>
>
>"It's all about knowing what your
>firearms practical limitations are and
>combining that with your own
>personal limitations!"

you'd be correct..when paire dwith the correct speed and twist i feel barnes has NO peer in the killing department..As you know i'm a long range shooter and that aint the barnes forte, yet i still use them..Dont know if i can give a better endorsement than that.They are just wicked bastids when paired correctly

Califelkslayer · Apr 17, 2014

REDDOG, I'm curious. In your experience do the Barnes shoot better hot? Seems in my .280, the hotter the better. Could be the gun though.

sageadvice · Aug 14, 2014

A little update.

The now former friend and good hunting pard

called awhile ago to report that he has found his loading for the 280 Rem 700 Mtn Rifle that he traded me out of.

I seen some of the groups he has been getting and was impressed but he now claims to be using H-Superformance powder, recommended Max Loading, 120 gr, Barnes TTSX. He says, if you can believe him, minus 3/4" groups @ 3260 FPS

Sounds like a darn good loading!

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"