I use a 280AI for everything and that causes a little problem in that we have been using Bergers. Guess I'll try some Barnes and see if I can get them to fly straight. One of my sons said something to the effect that they will probable not allow us to shoot very long range so i may not get as anal as I usually do on the reloading/accuracy.
I used a 280 in Africa 2 years ago. With the 140gr Barnes Ttsx bullets and 55 grs of 4350 (I forget which brand), I got 2900 fps, and under an inch at a 100 yds..killed 12 of the 18 animals I got, with that load, 3 more with the 140gr Ballistic tip, which I won't use again, and 3 with my 338/06 and the 225gr TSX bullets. because they are formed from one piece of material, they are excellent weight wise, essentially NO variation, and very accurate. All the groups would be under an inch, and closer to a nickle at a 100 yds.. I took my 308 to Africa this year and shot the 150gr Ttsx bullets in front of 45.5grs A4064 powder... didn't have time to run it through the chrono and killed 3 of 4 animals with it.. ranging from a small warthog to a Kudu (at 275yds). I ran it through the chrono when I got home, and it's only clocking 2650, but shot 3 in 3/4" at a 100 yds, after I turned the scope up to 7 power, from 3...I usually shoot 5 shot groups , but had shot 3 with the scope on 3 power and said, wfh is wrong, can't see the bull very well, then turned it up, so I could aim at the cross hair in the center of the bull..
Hornady make a GMX or something, that's all "gidling medal", and Nosler makes their e-tip, which I bought for this years hunting, to see how they work.. One thing sure, the X bullets and the other copper ones WILL penetrate.. I hit the kudu at 275 yds, in right shoulder, almost center of it, but he was slightly below me and facing from L-R some..bullet went in the right shoulder and came ou behind the paunch on the left side.. the next shot (he walked into some brush then walked back out) was right up against the back of the shoulder on the left side, and came out a bit lower, on the right side. he still kept walking and dropped dead about 30 feet away... the PH I had actually wasn't too crazy about them, said "too much" penetration. But if I'd ignored him and shot this waterbuck, 2nd day, up the butt, like I was going to , at 25 yds, I'm sure the bullet would have come out it's throat or front of the chest. At least gotten the heart and lungs.. if you go to 24hourcampfire, there's a discussion going on there about the Tsx bullets vs regular ones (quality regular ones, like Swift and Nosler partition), and JJHack says, none of them can touch the all copper..
I will say that I think the cup and cores, seem to induce more shock. But when hit right, everything I shot with the 280, went right down, and that included Oryx, at 4-500 lbs..
send me a note at
[email protected], and I'll send you some pictures of stuff I got in Africa. I shot one deer year before last, with the 280 and that BT bullet, and do NOT like it, blew big assed holes out of everything..and on bigger stuff ,like the Oryx, didn't go out the other side, and "blew up" inside..I have some pictures of the only X bullet I recovered, and a BT side by side to show you the difference..
NPS guy told me today, the reason for the non-lead bullets, is that they give the meat to needy, nd don't need some nitwit running in there wanting to sue them, because they found a fragment of lead in the meat..