.280 Rem Handi question?

[Masterblaster1]

I psted this on the Medium bore forum, but i thought you guys could give a more specific response. I shoot a .280. It is a handi rifle with a 26 inch bbl, and bushnell elite 3200 3-9x40. Very sweet shooting and low recoil. This November will be my first chance to use it for deer here in Michigan. My question is, is a 175 grain Hornady interlock spire point to much bullet for deer? I have these handloaded up with 50 grains of IMR 4831 and they are SUPER accurate. My other choice is a handload with 139 grain Hornagy sst's with the same IMR powder, but it is 55 grains. BUT, they are not as accurate as the 175's? Lastly i could use 150 grain REM factory coer-lokts or Fed HE 140grn Trophy Bonded Bear Claws.. ugh the choices
any help would be appreciated as i am used to using slow heavy bullets for deer(had been using a Marlin 336 c in .35 Rem.)

[Mac11700]

The 139-140 grain bullets are about perfect in this caliber for whitetail.Expansion is good...usually penatrates good..trajectory is good....the heavier weight bullets are usually reserved for a bit larger critters...even though I'm sure they will work ok..

Mac

[Fred M]

Master blaster.

Like you I found the SST's inaccurate and very destructive.

The 139gr SP Horn. Interlock is the one I use for deer and they do a fine job. My rifle is a 7mm-08AI they do 3005ft/sec MV about the same as a 280 Rem. Though this is not a Handi I use in that caliber.

[Couger]

I've never killed anything with a .280, but have taken more than a dozen mule deer, elk and proghorns with the .270.  Eventually I hope to have .280 barrels in the Handi-Rifle and T/C Encore, and when I do I will shoot 150 grain bullets for medium BG and 160 grain Partitions or Accupoints for elk.

The .270 kills biggame VERY WELL and quickly, but it destroys huge amounts of flesh because of bloodshot.  For this reason I've learned to like and depend on heavier bullets propelled at more conservative velocities rather than to try to eek out every measly foot-per-second of speed.  If i still shot the .270 I would shoot 150 grain bullets OFTEN, but 140 grain Ballistic Tips for long range shots (250+ yards) at pronghorns or LR mulies.  I'll never shot 130's in a .270 again - because of the many BG I lost whole shoulders on.  Even the 140 grain bullet destroys lots of muscle.

If you stick with the 175 grain pill, you'll kill your deer as dead as ever, with complete pass-throughs 99+ percent of the time.  But if it was me (and I hope it will be soon), I'd choose a 160-162 grain bullet for my all-around bullet weight.  FWIW.

[Couger]

By the way, IMR4831 and IMR4350 ar great powders for the .270, but H4831 was a favorite of a friend and me - along with H4350 being our second favorite.  Those two Hodgdon powders will work just as well in the .280!  I've never tried the Alliant powders nor the V-V scandinavian powders, but those are well thought of too.

I hope you don't mind me comparing the .270 and .280, as the two cartridges are EXTREMELY similar.  Jack O'Connor called them 'sisters,' which is a GOOD ANALOGY.

[mitchell]

Master blaster.

Like you I found the SST's inaccurate and very destructive.

i guess i just got lucky i've never had anything bad happen with the sst and its my sware by bullet of hunting .  one thing you got  is it is destructive most of the time but so long as you put it behind the shoulder you don't loose any meat and the deer is always where it was when you shot.