Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 280 ackley do or dont?

I am considering having one put together. I own a 25/06 and 30/06 and my pea brain is telling me this will be the best of both worlds, could someone please enlighten me with some real world experience and numbers.

I vote do because I have hunted with one for almost 20 years. I love it and it is my go to rifle for everything I hunt. I shoot other calibers like the 257 Roberts and 30.06 but I like my 280 AI for hunting. What I like about the 280 AI: very accurate, manageable recoil, plenty of range for everything I hunt, easy to reload for, brass life is good and brass is easy to fire-form from 280 brass, great bullet selection in 7mm. It may not be perfect but it's pretty dang close. You won't be disappointed if you build one. If you don't reload Nosler offers a couple of good factory loads but you really need to load your ammo to reach its full potential.

Ackleyman pretty much summed it up !!

What twist of barrel and what is more cost effective a stiller predator action or a blueprinted 700?

Do it if you have not done one before. This AI stuff is just a hobby and fun for awhile.

Wait until after this hunting season. It will shorten the winter.

Other similar cartridges will do about the same.

Most cost effective is a Montana or a Nosler. Both can be had for the cost of a Stiller or blueprinted 700 action, and both are good rifles and ready to go.

But then so is a 7-08 Montana for most things I can think of doing.

The 280 AI doesn't really do any more than the 30-06, but it does it with greater efficiency.

The 30-06 will wake up when loaded up to full power behind a Scenar or 208 Amax.

These days hard decisions mostly revolve around glass.

I really like mine, dose all I ask of it. Its my go to big game rig. Actions, depends on if you have a 700 action or not. I think it would be pretty close if you had to buy new.

I'd go 1-9 twist and for cost, a "blueprinted" 700. Most gunsmiths perform most of the necessary "blueprinting" before they screw on your new barrel. IMO, anything beyond, squaring the action face, bolt face, truing up the bolt lugs ( or just lapping them in if there not to outta whack) and cleaning up the action threads is really a waste of money on a hunting rifle. Remember when you buy a custom action they don't come with a trigger, magazine follower, magazine spring or bottom metal. Not sure how many customs come with a recoil lug either. Pretty easy to see that a Stiller Predator will cost you more than a grand by the time it's ready for it's barrel.

Another yes vote, I've been very happy with mine and it loves 150 TTSX's and RL22.

TopCat makes a good argument for a factory Montana or Nosler, but if you want to put one together, I agree with RDFinn. A "blueprinted" 700 action is probably the best way to go considering what you get at a reasonable cost. My rifle is built on a Win. 70 action but a Rem 700 is hard to beat for an accurate rifle. Mine is a 1-10 twist but nothing wrong with a 1-9 twist especially if you plan to shoot 160 grain bullets. Mine has a 23" barrel but I would probably go 24" if I built one today. Action and barrel length really comes down to personal preference.

My brother absolutely loves his M70 push feed rebarreled by E. R. Shaw. Fingernail size groups with 160gr Sierra boattails are the norm, and deer don't like it at all.

I had exactly the same cartridges and did pick up the 280AI, especially for elk. Which to me means 160 plus grain bullets.

I have a Sako A7 25-06, and a Sako 85 30-06

Now I have a 280 AI and its more my first choice if I'm western hunting than anything else.

If I'm hunting thicker stuff where 300 is a long shot I just use my 260.

I have a 280AI chambered/threaded Rock barrel,dies and some brass i picked up here in the classifieds.

I might be selling it as i'm building another 7wby,if anyone's interested in it let me know.

I love mine! I have a stainless select shilen barrel mated to a Whitworth action trued and lugs lapped in.

I went with the saami spec chamber so I can use 280AI Nosler brass or fireform 280 brass if I choose.

The original wildcat chamber will have headspace issues if you try to use 280AI Nosler brass and therefore is only recommended to fire form.

There nothing special or magic about the 280AI however I enjoy playing around making loads for something different.

Shod

Have an RBros built AI. McM Hunters Edge, bedded, trued, Kampfeld fluted bolt, 24" #4 Broughton finished at .660, 1-9.



On a cold morning was around 2904 average, pretty close to advertised.


First load with the 150TTSX was 56.5 IMR4350 that went .307". The rifle is far better than I am and have messed up my share of groups. Would be easier with more than a fixed 6x, but I want to go on a few hunts before swapping the scope - if I ever do.

Here's mine, built on a pre 64 M70 action, pac-nor fwt barrel and a mcm edge stock.

Just about a perfectly balanced cartridge. It will overlap the 25 and 30-06 a fair amount on both ends with 120-180 gr. bullets. Only reason not to build one is the other rifles may stay in the safe at least for awhile.

It for me is about the top end that I would want in an ultra light rifle. A Titanium Pierce action for the 280AI sure would be nice.

Mine is a truck gun throw down rifle on a Ruger action. Not worthy of a photo even if I knew how.

Handwerks rifle is just about perfection.

Shameless plug:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._Winchester_Model_70_Lightwe#Post9027136

I have a 7x57 & 30-06 I reach for more often and could use the funds for hunting.

If I could sell & consolidate all three rifles I'd likely do 280 AI though.

I like the 280.

120's at 3340 and 162's near 3k. They all get it done without much fuss.

If I saw a rifle for sale that I liked but chambered in a odd cartridge like the 280 ai I would not buy it.

One rifle guys experience with it:



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