280AI thoughts

[Dcrafton]

Thinking of getting into a 280AI, currently shoot a 25-06, 300wsm, and 6.5x284. I use these three for big game. Just thinking of buying or building something new. 280AI. I would like to hear any thoughts from owners and non-owners about the 280AI

thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bates]

I like mine

Nothing magical though. You can shoot 7mm pills. Hold 4 down and feeds amazing.

 

[goodgrouper]

Love mine, built on a savage 110 with a Mcgowwen barrel, 168 grain berger hunting vld into 1/2" groups

 

[AK Troutbum]

I picked one up earlier this summer and it's a shooter for sure. Took a billy goat with it last month (one shot), using factory 140gr Nosler AB.

 

[robtattoo]

I've never done anything practical with mine, built on a Savage action. It's taken me 7 months & I STILL can't find a load it likes.
Without a doubt THE pickiest rifle I've ever owned.
I'm getting real close to just selling the damn thing & grabbing a factory '06

 

[N2TRKYS]

It won't do anything that what you already own won't do.

 

[blackdog]

I have one built off an old Rem 721 action with a Bartlien barrel that shoots awesome but I question it's place in my arsenal all the time. It's great with the 160/168g bullets so a little light for elk for my taste so I'm already planning my next .300 win mag build (why did I sell the last one???) and my .260 works great for deer and antelope. So to me it seems like a tweener with no real specialty, although it can do about anything. If that makes any sense.

 

[16Bore]

I've never done anything practical with mine, built on a Savage action. It's taken me 7 months & I STILL can't find a load it likes.
Without a doubt THE pickiest rifle I've ever owned.
I'm getting real close to just selling the damn thing & grabbing a factory '06

Seems it always comes around that way, eh? Monkey around and monkey around then finally realize that you can actually shoot and there sits a 30-06 with 1,000 different loads and you wonder "what they hell was I thinking"

And odds are your first BG rifle was a 30-06.


Been there....or should I say "am there" but with a 270.

 

[robtattoo]

Seems it always comes around that way, eh? Monkey around and monkey around then finally realize that you can actually shoot and there sits a 30-06 with 1,000 different loads and you wonder "what they hell was I thinking"

And odds are your first BG rifle was a 30-06.


Been there....or should I say "am there" but with a 270.

I've been monkeying around with different builds for years & I can usually find a sub-moa load after 3 or 4 tries. I don't think they MAKE a 7mm bullet I haven't tried in this rascal.
Believe it or not, and I really feel bad for saying this...... I've never fired a .30-06! Not once! I've owned several, but always bought them to rebarrel to something else.
I'm actually negotiating on a Win 70 in '06 on GOC right now, just so I can say I have one! I feel thoroughly unamerican (not that I am American....)

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

 

[Regul8r1]

I had Hart re-barrel a 30-06 into a 280AI and I like it, shooting 168 Bergers. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have just stayed with the 06. Would get a faster twist for bigger bullets and save a ton on brass!

 

[luckybrand]

Love mine, built on a savage 110 with a Mcgowwen barrel, 168 grain berger hunting vld into 1/2" groups

What powder are you using? I’m running a savage action with shillen select barrel, seems to love 175 ELDX but I haven’t been able to get it to be consistent with 168s using h1000, n165, H4350 or rl 22. The only one I have that I’ve not tried is 4831. The 175s shoot 2960fps and group 1/4-1/2 but bergers are way way easier to find in my area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Xxtavixx]

What powder are you using? I’m running a savage action with shillen select barrel, seems to love 175 ELDX but I haven’t been able to get it to be consistent with 168s using h1000, n165, H4350 or rl 22. The only one I have that I’ve not tried is 4831. The 175s shoot 2960fps and group 1/4-1/2 but bergers are way way easier to find in my area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With a monster of 2960fps using 175 id be super happy. Do you have a freak lf nature or A very long barrel. Thats past 7mag territory.

 

[luckybrand]

With a monster of 2960fps using 175 id be super happy. Do you have a freak lf nature or A very long barrel. Thats past 7mag territory.

26 inch shillen select match barrel, it’s a hot load but not over crazy, I do like the 175, it’s just very hard to find them up here in northern Alberta.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DRUSS]

I really like mine. It is very versatile. I can shoot 140gr AB at 3300 sub half moa. I also have shot 168s 2900-3000 3/4" moa but it likes 180gr Berger hybrid 3/8" or less 2909fps. Some reason it won't shoot 150s . I had a barrel on it that was very finicky. Talked to a couple gunsmith and decided to change it. Now it really good to load for quite forgiving. Rl22, h4350,7828ssc. Rl19 wasn't too good about moa . 4831sc seems to be promising too but haven't finished any loads with it. I have a benchmark 24" 1in 9 twist. If shooting heavy bullets would choose 1 in 8.5"

 

[HellsCanyon]

280AI is one of my top calibers I build, but mainly for guys hunting medium sized game and without too many other calibers. It's a great "do-all" caliber and is fantastic even on elk to moderate distances. I've had 3 kills between 800-900 yards with mine shooting both 168 and 140 VLD's. And have shot about 6000 rounds through 280AI chambers the last few years.

For what you already have in your arsenal though, depending on what you want to do, I'd step up to the BIG 30's or 338 range if you want something to bump yourself up ballistically. If you want something to just play around with again that's easy to load for, great barrel life, and has the "cool" factor of the ackley name, 280AI is a great choice.

Mike

 

[mtnkid85]

It’s a caliber that is interests me as well, but only if I could shoot the 175+gr bullets. What twist rates are you guys finding are the best for the heavier loads? Any factory offerings with a faster twist rate?

 

[texag10]

Fastest factory offering I've seen is 1:9, which might work for you depending on length of the bullet and altitude. I've run some of the berger ballistics calcs and it doesn't seem like you gain anything with the 180s over 162-168s in 280ai unless you're really pushing it. I only really looked out to 500 though.

 

[bates]

What powder are you using? I’m running a savage action with shillen select barrel, seems to love 175 ELDX but I haven’t been able to get it to be consistent with 168s using h1000, n165, H4350 or rl 22. The only one I have that I’ve not tried is 4831. The 175s shoot 2960fps and group 1/4-1/2 but bergers are way way easier to find in my area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

try 4831SC it works well with the 280ackley with the 168's and 180's that we have tested with.

maybe not as fast as others but it works.

the 168g classics are great shooting bullets too, not as sexy on paper as other offerings, but they just seem to be one of those bullets that shoot very well. and its hard to make them not want to shoot.

 

[sneaky]

IMR 4831 pushing 168 Bergers right now in my Cooper. Most accurate load in it though is 140gr Sierra GameKings over IMR 4831. Those will consistently shoot .375" at 200yds. Rob, what barrel are you running on your build that won't shoot? Sounds like something is a bit off because most 280AI are tack drivers.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Steve Timm]

Hi Guys,

I was a gun writer for a long, long time. In that position, I had to use many different rounds ... but, when I was free to choose my own cartridge and rifle, I seldom strayed from the .280 Ackley Improved.

In fact, I wrote the cartridge lead-in for the .280 Ackley in the Nosler Reloading Guide Number Five and when it was obvious that I had to leave Varmint Hunter Magazine, I made sure that my magnum opus was a long article on the .280 (Issue #45, January 2003.)

So, how many big game critters have I killed with the .280 Ackley? Literally hundreds, from American pronghorn to Asiatic water buffalo, with whitetail, mulies, bull elk a two subspecies of moose in between.

Favourite bullets? The 120-grain Ballistic (it is a heavy, heavy-jacketed killer), the 139- and 154-grain Hornady Spire Point Interlockeds. There is absolutely no need to go heavier. The 120Ballistic at muzzle velocity of 3,370fps is an especial favourite of mine and it simply electocutes antelope, deer, bull elk and mooses.

Favourite Rifle Build? 700 BDL blueprinted action, Gary Schneider Three-Contour stainless barrel cut at 24-inches with a floorboard crown, McMillan Remington Classic stock and a Leupold 3.5-10x40 in Leupold Dual Dovetail mounts. With a Harris bipod, leather sling and five boolits, the rifle tips the scale at nine-pounds, eight ounces ... not a featherweight, but a very stable platform afield.

Anyway, count me as a total fan of the .280 Ackley ... It's a keeper.

Karen (wifey of 53 years) and I Wish All of You A Very Merry Christmas,

Steve

PS. Here is a few victims of my .280 Adkley.













By the way, I killed the moose and the two bull elk with a single 120Ballistic each.