• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

Browning x bolt 280 Ackley Improved bullet?

204_ruger

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 7, 2020
Messages
371
Location
Arkansas
Hi i have a browning x bolt 280 Ackley Improved ordered . Barrel is a 26 inch and a 1@8 twist. Having a hard time with bullet selection. I have 140gr vld and 168gr vld hunting bullets on hand. I can shoot 550 yds. This is the bullets i can get. Hunting in northern Arkansas.
Berger
150gr classic hunter
180gr vld and hybrid
195gr hybrid
Hornady
162gr eld m and x
175gr eld x
180gr eld m
 
Last edited:
Hi i have a browning x bolt 280 Ackley Improved ordered . Barrel is a 26 inch and a 1@8 twist. Having a hard time with bullet selection. I have 140gr vld and 168gr vld hunting bullets on hand. I can shoot 550 yds. This is the bullets i can get. Hunting in northern Arkansas.
Berger
150gr classic hunter
180gr vld and hybrid
195gr hybrid
Hornady
162gr eld m and x
175gr eld m and x
180gr eld m and x
Hammer bullets are available and are a top choice for hunting.
 
I would also start with the 168 Berger, but I wouldn't overlook the 140 either. I have had good accuracy at way longer than 550 with the 162 ELD-X and I think it would be a good choice for whitetail. I think anything heavier than the 168 is not going to be any advantage at all for small deer at a max of 550.
 
I forgot i can get the hornady 166gr A tip. And a 162gr sst bullet. In the 162 gr eld m would they work on our deer size? Or would i need the eld x bullet? In the berger i find some of the berger 150gr classic hunter? Only bergers i have shot has been 140gr and 168gr vld hunting bullets.
 
Finding the bullets is really not biggest hurdle on a 280ai. Finding good brass is much more difficult. I am hoping to have a 280ai in my hands soon. It will have 24" 8 twist. I have pulled together a fairly decent supply of pills to try. I won't know what the rifle likes until I start the testing.
E8D3612B-9FB3-45C3-85D6-2FE5FB1FD2AD.jpegFA13882F-7A8F-45B3-B2A5-1BF2BF083F90.jpeg
DCDAC6A6-A593-4CC4-8273-58E5A2219950.jpeg
E8D3612B-9FB3-45C3-85D6-2FE5FB1FD2AD.jpeg
FA13882F-7A8F-45B3-B2A5-1BF2BF083F90.jpeg
E8D3612B-9FB3-45C3-85D6-2FE5FB1FD2AD.jpeg
FA13882F-7A8F-45B3-B2A5-1BF2BF083F90.jpeg
E8D3612B-9FB3-45C3-85D6-2FE5FB1FD2AD.jpeg
FA13882F-7A8F-45B3-B2A5-1BF2BF083F90.jpeg
 
You have to break on your barrel, use what you have on hand. Make a load ladder looking for max charge on both. Then play with the seating depth all while keeping a detailed record and one bullet will outshine the other in accuracy. If both are accurate then I would go with the 140 for velocity because you mentioned 550 yds, past that I would go for the 168 for higher BC. Good luck
 
In a 280 Ackley I vote the 162 eld-m. That's a nasty whitetail bullet. Used to shoot it out of my 7mm rem mag until I switched to the 180 eld which is in my opinion a better bullet atleast in my 7mm rem mag. I was pushing the 162s at 3145 fps and the 180s I've shot deer with at 2945fps and also at 3056 fps.
 
Thank guys. I talk to a guy at berger.
The 175 gr are fixing to ship out.
I hope to get 2 boxes of them . And some eld bullets . I have new nosler brass too use. Along with Fed large match primers. Powders on hand RL19 RL22 h4831sc imr 4831 imr 4350 Magpro. I fount some RL23 retumbo and h1000 locally. Does some loads call for mag primers? I have several 1000's fed 215 lrp mag.
 
It looks like you are set to start the load testing. H4831SC seems to be a popular choice. I've always used 60 gr as the cutoff for LR primers. Not sure if this is really the right switch point to LRM primers, but if you have both you can play with this to see if you get lower ES with one vs. the other.
 
H4831 is going to be really hard to beat with 168's and 175's. RL-19 is great with the 140 class bullets, temp sensitive so keep that in mind if you are going to push the load hard. I don't think you will need magnum primers but you can test to see if they shoot better. If you do test the magnum primers back off and work back up.
 
Finding the bullets is really not biggest hurdle on a 280ai. Finding good brass is much more difficult. I am hoping to have a 280ai in my hands soon. It will have 24" 8 twist. I have pulled together a fairly decent supply of pills to try. I won't know what the rifle likes until I start the testing.
View attachment 387511View attachment 387512View attachment 387513View attachment 387511View attachment 387512View attachment 387511View attachment 387512View attachment 387511View attachment 387512
You aren't messing around!
 
Are these bullets A Tip? I think i mite try some of them. Use them to break the barrel in.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20220815-165657_Google~2.jpg
    Screenshot_20220815-165657_Google~2.jpg
    144.8 KB · Views: 86
Top