Remington 7400

2

204Gunner

Active member
This is the first semi auto rifle I've owned. It's in 280 remington. Can I load up to book max or should I load low-mid range loads? Thanks for any input!
 
i am jelous that you found a 280 in a 7400. Is it marked 7MM Express or 280. either way- DONT load max- drop it about midway and start looking for your seet spot with bullet and load- stay with the 140s unless you are looking for an elk load. That rifle has a bad wrap for accuracy- so instead of finding velocity- just find accuracy. I have had 3, and one shoots 1.5 MOA easy while the other held 3 MOA. BUT mine are 30-06s not a 280- I am still jelous. Enjoy it stay center. JHG
 
I wouldn't load a Remington semi-auto with max loads. The bolt rails in the rear of the receiver will be battered soon enough anyway and max loads will only make that condition worse.
 
Thanks for the info fellas! I actually bought this gun for my left handed girlfriend to use for both deer and elk this year. I was leaning toward loading 140 Accubonds in it with both sized animals in mind. Do you recommend the 160 Accubond instead?

Gunny- It's marked 280 Rem but the magazine says 280 Rem/7mm Express. The engraving is spaded like the 11-87, not basket weave engraving like I have seen on others I think in 742.
 
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if you go w 160 go easy, keep pressures low. again look for that sweet spot verses velocity. Problem I had in 1988 with a muley and a Rem 700 280 was energy at 465 yards- not nearly enough. After that hunt I went to a 280 AI follwed by a 7mm STW. I got the deer but it took 5 hits across an alphalfa field. 700 Rem which meant i had to reload. I was shooting factory 140 corelocks. keep'em closer than that. I am not a big elk or muledeer hunter, but I would say 250 yards on elk and 350 yards on MD for energy with a 280. Maybe someone will add to this on your energy. Good luck. JHG
 
Thanks for the advice. I shot the gun yesterday with 160 Accubonds combined with mid-level test loads of IMR4350 but was not impressed with 3" or worse groups. Going to try the bullets again today with test loads of H4831SC. I'm also going to buy factory Federal Vital Shok 150 Partitions and maybe some 150 Core-Lokt factory loads and pick whichever it likes best. I bought the gun for my girlfriend to use this elk season, which starts on Saturday.
 
The factory loaded 150 Partitions shot 1.5" group at 100. Not too bad for a semi! My gf then commenced to shoot the rest of the core-lokt bullets as I wanted her to save the noslers for deer and elk. She did pretty good with them, around 2" groups and she is more than confident to go hunting with the gun Saturday morning. Glad it worked out! - not much time left to screw around
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