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What is the reason for picking the 260ai over the 7mm-08?
In my head I've got it between the 260 rem and the 7mm-08 for the simplicity of it, I've been trying to talk myself out of the 260ai but truth be told, the 260ai definitely holds a cool factor over the others imo. Not to mention it would be a neat addition to my model 24 280ai. I'd be just as happy with the 7-08AI. With a 3.00"+ mag, you have room to load the best .264" and .284" bullets, and seat them out to the throat without encroaching on powder space. There are awesome bullets made for both. Hornady has the 147 ELD in .264" and the 180 ELD in 7mm, in addition to there being a number of other excellent offerings from Barnes and others. I'd be thinking about bullet availability in our AO as the biggest differentiating factor. I have a pile of 284 bullets, Barnes LRX, Nosler LRAB, and Hornady ELD-X bullets not to mention a bunch of the regular 120gr and 140gr TTSX, Accubond's, SST's, BST's, Partitions and probably a few from Speer for my 280's, I haven't even looked for any 6.5's since I briefly owned a 260rem a few years back. I only owned that rifle for a couple months before I sold it though, so I didn't get a real feel for the caliber as far as availability of components was concerned. With those components on hand, a 7-08/AI makes sense.
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that lightening ain't distributed right." - Mark Twain
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What is the reason for picking the 260ai over the 7mm-08?
In my head I've got it between the 260 rem and the 7mm-08 for the simplicity of it, I've been trying to talk myself out of the 260ai but truth be told, the 260ai definitely holds a cool factor over the others imo. Not to mention it would be a neat addition to my model 24 280ai. I'd be just as happy with the 7-08AI. With a 3.00"+ mag, you have room to load the best .264" and .284" bullets, and seat them out to the throat without encroaching on powder space. There are awesome bullets made for both. Hornady has the 147 ELD in .264" and the 180 ELD in 7mm, in addition to there being a number of other excellent offerings from Barnes and others. I'd be thinking about bullet availability in our AO as the biggest differentiating factor. I have a pile of 284 bullets, Barnes LRX, Nosler LRAB, and Hornady ELD-X bullets not to mention a bunch of the regular 120gr and 140gr TTSX, Accubond's, SST's, BST's, Partitions and probably a few from Speer for my 280's, I haven't even looked for any 6.5's since I briefly owned a 260rem a few years back. I only owned that rifle for a couple months before I sold it though, so I didn't get a real feel for the caliber as far as availability of components was concerned. With those components on hand, a 7-08/AI makes sense. Do you have any expirience with a 7-08ai?
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Shot a friend's AI some and have my own SAAMI though they may get punched. If I had one w/ a 3" mag box it'd definitely be AI'd.
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that lightening ain't distributed right." - Mark Twain
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The brass situation isn't so bad. . .get the .284 Win.
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.284 Winchester, the original cartridge the Model 20 was designed around. Why is this thread continuing? Melvin also says .284 yet other's here disagree.
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What is the reason for picking the 260ai over the 7mm-08?
In my head I've got it between the 260 rem and the 7mm-08 for the simplicity of it, I've been trying to talk myself out of the 260ai but truth be told, the 260ai definitely holds a cool factor over the others imo. Not to mention it would be a neat addition to my model 24 280ai. Since you have a 280ai, the 260 and 708 would be redundant. Why not go 22-250 with a fast twist barrel to shoot 22 cal heavies? Would be fine for anything through mule deer, you can shoot bigger stuff with the 280. I should have also mentioned I'm hunting Alberta, 23cal or bigger to hunt big game. I want a short action with shorter barrel than my model 24, it's more about the rifle than the cartridge, but the cartridge has to fit a short action and preferably a 22" barrel. That being the case, how 'bout a 243 Win/AI or 6x45 or 250SavageAI? And as mentioned, the 6.5 Creemore could be in the mix as well. Fun project, whatever you go with!
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.284 Winchester, the original cartridge the Model 20 was designed around. Why is this thread continuing? Melvin also says .284 yet other's here disagree. Cause he's got a 280AI. And variety is the spice of life!
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Campfire Outfitter
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What is the reason for picking the 260ai over the 7mm-08?
In my head I've got it between the 260 rem and the 7mm-08 for the simplicity of it, I've been trying to talk myself out of the 260ai but truth be told, the 260ai definitely holds a cool factor over the others imo. Not to mention it would be a neat addition to my model 24 280ai. I'd be just as happy with the 7-08AI. With a 3.00"+ mag, you have room to load the best .264" and .284" bullets, and seat them out to the throat without encroaching on powder space. There are awesome bullets made for both. Hornady has the 147 ELD in .264" and the 180 ELD in 7mm, in addition to there being a number of other excellent offerings from Barnes and others. I'd be thinking about bullet availability in our AO as the biggest differentiating factor. I have a pile of 284 bullets, Barnes LRX, Nosler LRAB, and Hornady ELD-X bullets not to mention a bunch of the regular 120gr and 140gr TTSX, Accubond's, SST's, BST's, Partitions and probably a few from Speer for my 280's, I haven't even looked for any 6.5's since I briefly owned a 260rem a few years back. I only owned that rifle for a couple months before I sold it though, so I didn't get a real feel for the caliber as far as availability of components was concerned. Well that makes things simple. It's never been as easy to find 6.5mm bullets around here, as .224, .243, 7mm, .308 bullets. That's why my last few rifles have been in various 7mm chamberings instead of throwing in a 6.5mm or two.
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.284 Winchester, the original cartridge the Model 20 was designed around. Why is this thread continuing? Melvin also says .284 yet other's here disagree. .284-based brass isn't all that easy to find up here, even at the best of times. Finding .308-based brass is effortless.
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.284 Winchester, the original cartridge the Model 20 was designed around. This.....or 6.5/284. Take advantage of an action that does this well.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Lapua 6.5/.284 brass is probably available, if not exactly inexpensive, and easily necked up.
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John Steinbeck
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I haven't looked lately but the last time I did
Nosler/Norma 284 brass was available in 2-3 places.
Has that changed?
Jerry
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John, are the .284 Model 20's three down or only two?
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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As I recall three, but it's been a while since I've seen one.
However, even if they only held two in the magazine, I've never run my 2-down NULA 28 in .257 Weatherby dry.
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John Steinbeck
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I just moments ago ordered Norma brand from Graf's. They had Lapua in stock. I didn't even look specifically at the others although there were other brands in stock as well.
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With the abundance of 7-08 brass available to me, I'm wondering if the 7-08ai would be the way to go? Like I said, I have limited to no experience with these cartridges, but I think both the 260ai and the 7-08ai would be running on the 6.5x284 and the 284win's tails, but barrel and mag length wouldn't be an issue maybe?
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I'd do a 260 AI with the 3" magazine, the 284 based cartridges are pushing it in a 3" magazine with today's long bullets. I HATE being constrained by the magazine, I've run into it too many times and refuse to ever build something that's going to possibly not allow me to touch the lands with plenty of room to spare using any bullet I want.
I also wouldn't pick a cartridge just because I had a bunch of bullets or brass on hand. Seems kind of silly to base a decision on a $3500 rifle over a few hundred bucks worth of leftover components.
Too much is made of barrel length also, any of those rounds will be fine with a 22" barrel.
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308 winchester or 284 winchester !
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Campfire Kahuna
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The .284 is slightly over .01" longer than the 7mm-08, so there's no problem with magazine length. With 140-160 grain bullets, it gets about 100 fps more than 7-08 when loaded to equal pressures.
The 7-08 AI gains very little powder room over the standard round. Like most modern rounds with relatively little body taper, the velocity gains of the AI are mostly due to handloaders heating it up to higher pressures. When loaded to the same pressures as the standard 7-08, its velocities are closer to the 7-08 than the .284.
About the only real advantage of the 7-08 AI is almost complete elimination of case stretching. If that's important to you, it would be the choice. Personally, if I were set on the 7-08 case in a Model 20, I'd go with the standard round.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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I'd do a 260 AI with the 3" magazine, the 284 based cartridges are pushing it in a 3" magazine with today's long bullets. I HATE being constrained by the magazine, I've run into it too many times and refuse to ever build something that's going to possibly not allow me to touch the lands with plenty of room to spare using any bullet I want.
I also wouldn't pick a cartridge just because I had a bunch of bullets or brass on hand. Seems kind of silly to base a decision on a $3500 rifle over a few hundred bucks worth of leftover components.
Too much is made of barrel length also, any of those rounds will be fine with a 22" barrel. I do differ with this. At 3.000" with a 139 Scenar, a 260 has 48.5gr of usable case capacity and a 6.5-284 has 62.0. No comparison. Any good gunsmith will throat the thing just the way you wish.
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