Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 280 AI brass options

Chewing on a 280 AI build. What do you guys recommend for brass? Anyone fireform plain Jane 280 brass with success - I have a bunch. Thanks.

Fire formed my 280AI brass for 30+ years now. My preferred method is with Bullseye powder and a quarter square of toilet paper tamped on top. Point up, shoot, done.

However, Nosler fixed it for me by selling their brass already fire formed.

Because you already have a bunch of 280 brass though, I'd go get some Bullseye. It works like a charm. PM me if you have any question.

Best of luck.

If you want the best try 6.5x65 RWS neck up and fire form. This will outlast even Lapua brass. I got a deal on Winchester nickle and these have worked fine. Only cases I lost were ones I over annealed. I like the nickle because there is no chance of mixing this brass with the other 270s and 280s.

They have the highest capacity of any 280 case I have checked. I used 13-15 grains of Red Dot and cream of Wheat worked well. I use a Lee scoop for both powder and Cream O Wheat so goe's quickly.

Do what Godogs17 suggested. Then if you can find some Nosler brass get some of that too.

Fire forming standard .280 brass is actually all I've done. Hard to justify Nosler brass prices when I've got over 400 pieces of Rem and Fed with nice sharp shoulders and plenty of case life giving me nice small groups with both bullets I like to hunt.

I've tried the CoW method, but ended up going with a regular hand load and excess bullets I have no use for, anymore. I've got a lot of 4064 and plenty of 7mm fodder between 120-140 gn. I use a near minimum load and take advantage of the extra trigger time for off hand practice.

Best -
Andy

Cabela's has 280 AI brass in stock.

I formed mine from Lapua 30/06 brass, fired formed with bullseye, stout cases.

If you form from 280 brass, you need firm contact with the neck/shoulder junction in the chamber. If the gunsmith did his job correctly, then you should feel the contact when you close the bolt. If you do not feel firm contact when you close the bolt, then you are going to have case stretching, which will cause case stretching and thinning in the web.

Thanks guys. I have 4-500 rem cases. In fact my dad bought 14-15 new boxes of 150 gr Rem Corelokt and gave them to me. Still have 8-10 unfired. Assuming I can simply fire them in the AI chamber - assuming headspace is correct.

I've tried the COW method on a previous 'cat and didn't like it much. I do have a bunch of 7mm practice bullets that came from the same deal at the 280 Corelokts.

15g of Bullseye, then top off with cream of wheat, tuft of paper towel, cases are 98% formed. Saves a LOT of barrel wear.

I double checked all my thinking with JB, before I got started, but it was much simpler than I'd initially expected. If you have unfired factory ammunition sitting ready, then yes, you're fine assuming the headspacing is correct. That's how I got my first 120 cases: shooting up the rest of my standard .280 factory loads. After that, I started the other processes for the 1x fired stuff I had on the shelf.

read & understand the chamber differences...hellua cartidge !

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2014/5/20/the-280-ackley-improved/

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammo/new-and-improved-the-280-ackley-improved/

http://www.shootingtimes.com/long-guns/longgun_reviews_the_280_ackley_031511/

I'm aware of the various versions. I'll be going the SAAMI route. m

Thanks for posting.

Oncefiredbrass.com has Nosler for $70/100. Looks like new. Tumbled and clean.

Hmm, why use a case with a ,474" head diameter? Do you have an oversized chamber?

I just neck up 280 Rem cases or buy Nosler 280 AI Brass.

Or buy Hornady 280AI brass. Yes, I said Hornady 280AAI brass. Should/could be on your dealer shelves now.

FYI. Midway has Hornady 280AI brass in stock. I have some on the way to try. CP.

I've been using Horn brass for my 308. Liked it so much I bough it for my 06 and 300 WSM.

Thanks for the tips. The 280 idea is growing legs...........

The Hornady brass should be good, based on results with it in several other cartridges over the past few years.

Both the .280 AI's I've owned had the SAAMI chamber, with no problems ever encountered when fire-forming .280 Remington cases.

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Hmm, why use a case with a ,474" head diameter? Do you have an oversized chamber?
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Need to check, they chamber fine but are tight and don't show much base expansion. The reamer was supposed to be minimum but no turn. I need to see if the sizer is doing anything to the base I bet it is but no marks on the case.

The 6.5x65 is based off the 9,3x62 case, not an '06 based case.

My AI chamber was also cut with the SAAMI chamber and I just load a std 280 case and fireform. Accuracy with std cases is exceptional so I like to fireform by shooting piggies. But having preformed AI cases is certainly welcome.