Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 280 Ackley vs 7 Rem Mag

Shooting same bullet weights. "they" say the 280 Ackley almost duplicates the 7 mag with less powder. If you had a 280 Ackley, would the 7 mag really be a step up?

Near as I can tell, a 7 mag aint a meaningful step up from a factory .280.
If you had a 6mm a seven mag aint really a meaningful step to me,
If you want one, by all means get one, but it won't be a life altering experience,
Just my 2 bits, worth what you paid for it.

Both hand loaded to potential, the 7mm beats out the 280AI by @ 100fps across the board. Whether that's significant is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I don't even see the need for the extra 50fps+ or - the AI gives over the .280Rem. JMO, YMMV.

"they" told you right.

almost being the key.

I`d say the 2 are closest with bullets 150 grains or less.

The 280AI is the finest cartridge a guy can have on a std. Remington LA.

There's no replacement for displacement. But you sure can get close

I agree with 280 - it ain't there but close enough. The issue you'll see with 7 mag data is that is has a SAAMI standard of 61KPSI, the 280 60KPSI. Most manuals have 7mm data limited to 59-60KPSI and it doesn't look all that impressive. I think its perfectly safe to go 2 grains above 59-60K psi data in both cartridges, which should gain you about 75-100 ft/sec over the 60K psi stuff. The key is to have pressure tested data to start from. Run from internet data on both................

In a horse race,with everything equal(it never is)the 7 Rem Mag is going to be the fastest because it holds more powder.If you dote on shear velocity,get a 7 mag; if you want the most velocity in a standard action, get the AI.If you don't care about either,get the 280...whatever keeps your gunwales above the highwater mark.

I always figured(still do) that if I have to lug a 24" barrel, I might as well get the Remington Mag.

As others have said, the caveat is "almost". To my way of thinking the difference is pretty acedemic, particularly if using the medium to light-weight bullets in 7mm. Once you go to 160 and up, the mag has the advantage.

The reason I'd never get the mag but would like an Ackley is because everybody has the former but the latter is different. I just like having "off the wall chamberings".

And, honestly and as contradictory as this may sound (because everybody has the ole gov't), I love the '06, which in my opinion does everything the 7 mag could do but better.

I have owned both for over a decade and on average the 7mm Rem Mag rifles will outrun my .280IMP, especially as the bullets get heavier. However, you will never notice the difference other than comparing numbers because long range is long and requires the best of you no matter what and dead deer don't get extra dead. I love my .280IMP because it is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever shot but if I could only have one it would by the 7mmRM because no matter what components and(if need be) ammunition will always be easier to come by since it is our most popular magnum.

I have a 280 AI with 25" barrel and a 7RM with a 23" barrel and they shoot almost exactly the same so far. Main difference is the noise level. The first time I took a shot with the 280 Imp. at a Deer I though I had mistakenly loaded a fire form round, the report was so mild in comparison. The longer barrel and a counter sunk beveled muzzle help. Between these two you have to go to 175 grains to see a difference.

Funny...the Nosler handbook sez 3562 for the 7Mag and 3396 for the 280AI tops way down at 120g.

I'm a big of fan of the AI as anybody but that looks like 150fps to me...

We all have our own results, I suppose.

The 7mag Mickey Coleman fixed me up with goes 7 1/2 pounds loaded with an overweight Zeiss 3-9 on it. Its a pleasure to carry and 70g of powder doesn't exactly kick you into next week.

I like the .30-06

Lots of good gack to debate, but the line about the various 7mm's I remember best was from Jerry Fisher, the famous stockmaker, who for years shot a pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester in 7x57 he stocked himself. Jerry lives in Montana and has hunted a lot, and he says the biggest mistake he ever made was to rechamber and modify the 7x57 to the 7mm Remington Magnum in the mid-1960's, when the 7RM was the "in cartridge." Jerry says all it the 7mm RM does is use more powder, kick harder and make more noise, because it doesn't kill any better than the 7x57....

Pressure for Pressure the Ackley won't get within 200 fps of the
7 Rem mag.

That goes for any 06 based case compared to a belted mag.

I hunted the Imnaha basin in E.Oregon for a number of years with a 280 and
I always envied my buddies 7 mag. He simply had more reach than I did.

Supertrucker,

These days I think more about the rifle I want than the exact cartridge although everything matters.

When I wanted a magnum with less weight and in SS with those 'syn' stocks the Kimber 8400 Montana looked good to me considering those wants.

So I would go for one in 7mm WSM.

Isn't that the real point of a bigger case--a flattened trajectory?

I hunt more often with a 7x57 and 7-08 as they all are killers--but there are places....and there are odds.

If I were prudent and would limit myself to only one seven for any range and hunt, I'd pick the 280 AI hands down...but certainly would miss the others...particularly a 7x57 in a mauser.

But,you can walk into any shop/store and buy 7Mag but you have to make the 280AI.Not everyone reloads.

http://www.nosler.com/index.php?p=11&b=3/&s=148 While spendy, Nosler does load it.

Factory 280 ammo is available in many places and you can run it in the 280AI.

But,you still have the cost of the conversion is also still there.Guess it depends on how much free change you have,.

I understand what you're saying...my "free change" coffer is more empty than it used to be.