Thread: 280AI - Help sorting load data...

I've gone down a rabbit hole here and likely over thinking it but could use a bit of advice on load development and where to go for data. I'm loading for a 280AI 22" barrel with 1:8.5 twist. Suppressed if it matters. Long throat chamber in a Rem 700 so plenty of mag space. Seating to a COAL of 3.490 puts me 0.020 off the lands. I was setting up last night for my first round of loads for this rifle and originally settled on AR2209. Main reason is because I can also use it in my 260 and my mates 7/08 so I'm only stocking one powder.

I've looked at ADI and they show 50.6g as a max load, relatively slow and well under max pressure. Their data is odd as the 162g projectile has less powder than the 168g. They are also saying that a 284W will get more speed, at less pressure, with more powder behind the same projectile so I'm sceptical. I've looked at some data from Quick Load, it's showing a max load of 60g but that's quite hot and just under max pressure. I'm also led to believe that AR2209 is the exact same as H4350 and when I look at load data for H4350 it's higher than ADI as well.

Ultimately I want to keep things safe but if I could get the 162eldx to hit 2900 from a 22" barrel I would be pretty happy. I'm limited on range time so try to make the most of it. I still need to finish zeroing my scope so I've loaded up 15 rounds at 50.5g AR2209 to get things dialled in. My plan after that is to start moving up in 0.5g increments until I see pressure. Issue here is that's potentially 20 lots of 3 rounds to get to the Quick Load max of 60g which is a lot of time and ammo and gets well outside of the ADI load data.

Anyone have any insight into the extreme differences in load data that I'm seeing available and how to safely mitigate that without burning through a significant amount of time and ammo?