Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Lipseys 2020 special

A lot of speculation on Lipseys 2020 new Ruger African caliber.

Many have heard it will be the 35 Whelen, which is my huckleberry.

I decided to simply ask Lipseys.

It will be the 280AI.

I just threw up a little in my mouth...

Ruger has also already chambered that in the #1, as a limited run for Classic Sporting Arms.

So, that makes sense. Good choice.

Jason just emailed me back.

He said the 35 Whelen & 30-06 are on his list! 😀🤞

He said the 9.3x62 & 35 Whelen were pretty close and wanted to 'spread them out a little.'

They got it right when the made the .275 rigby. Although, I still haven’t really warned up to the rifle like I thought I would.

Probably going to need one. Great choice!

Could like the Whelen too.

Ky221,
I like that red-brown phase ruffed grouse tail in the back ground! Aside from your new rifle, where are you hunting those red-brown phase ruffies? They sure are a tasty upland bird. I see more grey phase up here. Crops always full of high bush cranberry and quaking aspen buds.

Thanks Mainer. Rifle isn’t that new. I’ve had it for a little over a year now.


That was an eastern Ky bird. Very few grouse around these parts anymore. Had an abundance of birds until the 90s. You’re lucky if you still have good numbers of birds. And those gray phase are probably my favorite Here’s another pic of that bird.

Ahh, I see. Yah those Appalachians fom your neck of the woods all the way to Maine: ruffies and brook trout.

Our ruffed grouse population is cyclic: high numbers and low numbers directly corresponding to snowshoe hair population. When there be lots of fuzzy rodents, the owls, Eagles, lynx and Martin are killing off less grouse.

I like the African model allot and I'll take one in a 280ai. They could have done allot worse on caliber selection

The 9.3x62 went fast. I have the 6.5 Swede in one those were around for awhile didn't go as fast as the 9.3 or 275.

By far the most classic African cartridge to date for this rifle.


Good thing they didn't do a 404 Jeffery or 416 Rigby.

Rugers have that effect on me too.😉

I was really hoping for a 6.5 Creedmoor...

MY list (just in case Jason is reading this and sees my genius):

.275 Ruby
6.5x55
30-06
.35 Whelen
9.3x62

AND THEN

Baby African in:
.222 Rem
.22LR
.22WMR

ANYTHING with the letters "AI" and African, should be subject to immediate flogging. Then again anything with those letters rates the same punishment...

Baby African .222. Sign me up.

Did hey say when?

The .280AI is about as African as Menudo...

Ive warmed up to mine in a BIG way!