So a .280 AI is not a good choice for a western hunter? Do tell.
As far as adult male shooters and recoil, go to a long range match and see how many of the adult males there are using magnums or 28 Nosler chamberings. Then tell 'em all they're pu**ies for not using magnums. Shouild be a fun time.
The .280 AI is a pretty good round, but doesn't take full use of the action length and provides ballistics less than what you can get in a short action. I can't think of any hunting situation where the 280 AI is preferable to a 7mm WSM (if you want light) or a 28 Nosler (if you want better ballistics).
The recoil aversion at long range matches has to do with trying to spot bullets in flight for wind purposes. It's not relevant for hunting. If the recoil of a real cartridge is what's driven you to the .270, well, that explains that
