Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 280 AI

Why does everyone love the 280 AI? Great velocity but at what kind of pressures? Why not just go to the 7MM Remington or Weatherby? I always thought the 7 WSM was the best of the bunch, but interest t has kind of died in the WSM's..I had a 257 AI once and ity was a pain to fire form case and couldn't tell that is was any better than the Bob, only advantage was not much case trimming.I shoot the std 280 Remington and like it a lot.

The weatherby has .300 freebore.

7 RM is a great choice, 175-180g at 3030-3050 bug holes with R#26

280- Look at the nosler Manual #4 with 160g, IMR 7828, Fed 210's at 2900 fps

280AI gains a little over the above, Lapua 30/06 brass will rule the day, fire form with 14.6g of Bulleye and cream of wheat.

If you are lazy, want to do all the easy way, Make your choices accordingly.

28" 7 Rem Mag, throat for 162-168-----3200 fps with Retumbo and Fed 215, #4 contour with #5 being the best,

with my long actions that were 270's with worn barrels, they will become 280's and AI's, Magnum actions will be 27" 7RM and 7 STW, and Ultra mag actions will be 28 Nosler.

Muzzle breaks all the way around.....Forward facing ports for me and my family

SAAMI max average pressure (MAP)
280 Rem 60k psi
280 AI 65k psi

Remington proposed an anemic pressure for the 280 Rem, so factory 280 Rem ammo doesn't reach the cartridge's true potential. A 280 Rem at 65k psi would be ideal, and probably would have meant the 280 AI wouldn't have nearly as much interest.

I have read Remington loaded a little light for the Remington autos, but not much difference to the hand loader. I know the 7 Mag has that much "disliked" belt but I neck size my once fired so it head spaces off the shoulder.The 7MM holds one less in the magazine but not a big deal..I've never had a 280 AI but would think the standard 280 or 7 MM Express would feed more smoothly.

I have two 7mm RMs, my personal favorites but the 280AI makes a lot of sense, good velocity without the magnum recoil and typically and extra cartridge in the magazine. Also, you have the advantage of shooting regular 280 ammo in a pinch.

Some of us just like something different. I shoot a 260, would not consider a Creed. I shoot a 358 Winchester, and my 30-06 is getting turned into a 280 AI. If I didn't handload, my cartridge choice would be different. One thing that drew me to the 280 AI was first, I have an AI itch. Secondly, plenty of power for what my needs are without burning the powder a 7mm mg will. Honestly if I had problems finding 280 AI brass, dies etc, I would just shoot the 280 Rem. No real advantage over the 270 or 06, but just a bit different. Also drove a Saab for 7 years, so maybe I am just different!

My trip down the .280 AI path came because I wanted a Kimber and the 84L action housing the .280AI is smaller and lighter than the 8400 action housing the 7mm Rem Mag. I would add that I preferred the 24 inch .280AI barrel over the 26" that came with the 7mm mag.

What I found, for me, was the .280AI was just a bit too much recoil for the weight of the rifle. I was getting scope-tapped maybe 1 shot in 10 from the bench and getting my glasses nudged by 1-2 more out of 10. It was distracting. My gun predated the "Sub MOA accuracy standard" by 6 months to a year and was not particularly accurate, probably a 2.5 MOA rifle so far as what it would do every time on demand. It'd shoot a better group now and then, but you couldn't count on it. It went down the road.

If I were to do it again in the Kimber Montana, I'd get a .270. Take off 100-150 fps and 10 grains of bullet weight compared to 280 AI ... recoil would be just a little less distracting. I'd happily do a .280AI again but I'd want an 7-1/2 to 8 pound all-up rifle, not a 6-1/2 pound all-up rifle.

That's just me of course ...

Tom

Loaded to the same pressure their is about 50 FPS difference between the 280 Rem and the 280AI, not worth the trouble to me

That's it? I really never thought much difference in recoil between the 280 and 7MM Mag, though it is there but not noticeable to me.As mentioned in this thread I guess some guys just like different flavors. Have fun out there!

The .280AI has about about a 6% powder capacity advantage over the standard .280, given the same brass fire-formed. According to the 4-to-1 Rule,m amounts to a about a 1.5% advantage in velocity, when both rounds are loaded to the same pressure in the same barrel length.

The standard .280's SAAMU maximum average pressure is 60,000 PSI, the same as the .30-06, which isn't exactly wimpy. But the .280 AI's in 65,000 PSI (the highest pressure SAAMI allows for any rifle round). The general rule-of-thumb is that any increase in pressure results in about half that percentage in velocity, though it can vary with the powder, cartridge, bullet etc. In this instance it would average about another 4% in velocity.

Between the increased powder capacity and higher pressure, the .280 AI gets around 5% more velocity than the standard .280 at the same pressure. This is around 150 fps in loads around 3000 fps. But at the same pressure the AIs advantage is around 45 fps.

Several manufacturers making .280AI brass now, no need to fireform. Basically near 7mm mag with less powder and recoil. I'm over 3000 fps with 160s without pushing things.

What is the trouble you are referring to?

The .280 AI is a standard SAAMI cartridge (thanks to Nosler) It costs nothing more to chamber to the AI version than the original .280 Rem cartridge.

Remember you`re asking rifle loonies a question with no answer..other than maybe "just because".

I was happy to see that Peterson started making some! Got 2 boxes from Euro Optic. Seems like guys using it like it. Personally since I am getting one built, I am going AI. If I already had a 280, I would likely not get it rechambered.

Another way to look at the .280 AI is that it gets just about the same muzzle velocities, with the same bullet weights, as a .30-06 handloaded to "modern" pressures. But 7mm bullets of the same weight and shape have higher ballistic coefficients.

The 280AI is todays darling. Easier to find rifles and gear for than a .280.

Same pressure max for .280 AI as a .270.

7 RM and Weatherby both require a magnum bolt face, are usually heavier, usually only hold 3 in mag. 7RM has/had pressure excursions. 7WBY is a great cartridge. A 7x61 Super is also a great cartridge and is a near match to a 280 AI's ballistic performance.

7WSM also a great cartridge. Feeding issues, sometimes little support from mfrs.

Differences between the 280, 280AI and 7RM are not earth shaking. I shot the 7RM as my primary rifle for nearly 40 years, now that I have a 280 AI the magnum only gets taken out of the safe for occasional fondling. The 7RM with bullets 160-190 will out perform the 280s but for general use and average ranges not much difference. What is noticeable is the noise and recoil reduction. The first deer I shot I thought I had used a fire forming load the report was so mild. The 280s are more economical to load with cheaper brass and less powder used. I don't mind fire forming and usually do 100 at a time, the time spent fire forming is somewhat made up for by the almost complete lack of trimming for the AI.

I would take any or all of them gladly.

Rechambering a 280 Rem

I don't see many current manufacture 280's around for rechamber. You can just buy a 280 AI, and 280 AI brass.