Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 280AI - 8 mm

Considering a 280AI opened up to 8mm. Name for that wildcat?

What’s the question Bugger!?!?

I mean there isn’t a pile of bullets out there but who gives a rats rear.. it’d be different and there’s enough out there to keep it interesting.

I got a 325 WSM totally expecting turn it into a donor. After getting to know it a bit it stays as a 325.

I kinda wanna try out the 220 Gamekings myself. The 180 BT and 200 ABs shoot great.

It isn’t a aero phenom like its 6.5 and 7mm cousins but I’d bet it’d be fun. Sometimes you just need to kick the tires and see how it runs.

Basically an 8mm-06 AI or essentially a slightly undersized 338-06AI (AI shoulders)

I made a couple of 8mm Gibbs Rifles. If loaded pretty hot, they were fairly impressive. One guy loaded his a little too hot and setback the bolt in his 1908 DWM action. As I recall, he was driving 200 noslers at about 2850 fps. If he had been satisfied with 2750, he would have been fine. GD

I have a 280 AI that I’m disappointed in. I have several. hundred of 8mm bullets. Thinking about getting it re-bored. I’ve already sunk a lot of $’s (>1,000) into this build - stock, receiver, trigger etc.

I have three 280’s and a 7mm RM, all factory stock 700’s other than bedding and such that are more accurate than this 280AI. I might keep working with this for a while before I re-barrel or have it bored out.

The only issue Is JES doesn’t do 8mm’s so you’d need to find another rebore’er. I’m sure there are others though.

Sounds like a cool project though.

What are you doing for the dies?

280 Ackley Sammi bushing dies?

Reason I asked, I did two custom reamers based off of the 280 Ackley Sammi, just a change in the neck diameter, shoulder in the same spot, 25-280 and 26-280.

I used bushing dies to go down, but hadn't considered going up with them.

I like big fat slow bullets, this intrigues me.


32-280 Ackley sounds nice

Has anyone used this company? It looks like they do an 8mm as well as a bunch of others.

http://www.oregunsmithingllc.com/Reboring-Relining-MuzzleBrake.html

I've had both 8mm-06 and 8mm-06AI - I'm sure there's more published load data in those than the 280AI conversion but sounds like they are the same.

Finding dies is the issue with about anything these days. The 338/06 Would offer more hope in a project coming to fruition. If you could foot the bill for some carbide tipped reamers, a gunsmith could open up some dies, and even bushing dies have to have the opening opened up.

I haven’t but they do nice stock work. I’d give them a whirl.

8mmWhyBother?

As to dies I still have 8mm-06 Improved made by RCBS - they still catalog the regular 8mm-06 dies

One of the local guys I know (from another board) highly recommends these guys, he's had several rifles rebored by them.

They have a great reputation for building custom rifles around here. I had a 375 that was a high quality rifle that was built by them. I didn't know they did rebores.

FYI: Re bore barrels rarely if ever use a Sunen hone machine to get the drill marks out of the bore. Top custom barrels are honed to exact size leaving the bore very, very smooth, which becomes the tops of the lands.

Barrels are usually drilled, then bored/honed to dimension leaving them very smooth, then rifled, then lapped. Custom barrels are stress relieved in the process, sometimes more than once. Custom barrels are also checked for uniform bore dia from end to end.

Great idea to look before you leap!

Consider a Wilson barrel first, as the 4 that I have are very uniform from end to end, smooth, and are easy to clean. Consider Shaw barrels if you are on a budget.

Pac Nor has a tracer lather that can trace your existing barrel contour if it is unique, and their barrels are top notch..

Two things really bother me:

a. looking the bore and see what looks like Rail Road tracks from the drilling process.

b. bore dimension opening up from breach to the muzzle, referrered to a "trombone" barrel, which rarely shoots well. A slight choke at the muzzle is preferable, and uniform bore dimension from end to end guarantees great accuracy even with Rail Road tracks in the bore...just keep the copper fouling to a minimum.

Describe the 280AI's build particulars,along with which Reupold rides atop it. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!................

Cool idea Bugger, I have killed more beasties with the .325 WSM than any other cartridge ranging from springbok at the smallest to eland as the largest. That being said I have never shot or shot at a game animal past 400 yards so my perspective does have its limitations. Your .320-.280AI would fall just a little short of the WSM in velocity and I'm sure would make everything hit well die just as quickly.

As is obvious to anyone looking the 8MM does suffer from a slight limitation of bullet selection especially the super high BC type bullets. But for long-range, as you have mentioned, you have a good collection of 7MMs, and there are enough good quality 8MM bullets for close and mid range game getting.

Please let us know what you decide to do.

All the best.

GRF

OP, consider the 280 AI with a 180g ELD-M, Impact velocity is considerable...run the numbers, get ready for a shock...unbelievable in fact!

Next, do a search on those using Lapua 30/06 brass in the 280 AI, R#26, CCI 250, then throw in the 180 eld M. If there is a down side to the afore mentioned combo, I have not found it as of yet. I have yet to have a primer pocket open up on the Lapua '06 brass, your gunsmith just has to throat for the 180 M's.

Hard to wrap your head around a .796 BC till you have seen it in action, 280 Rem, 280 AI, and 7 Mags on deer and hogs for me.

The money you save on a re bore, you will spend on cleaning solvents, pass the Brux 5R barrels on the 180g ELD-M. No flies on a Pac Nor super match, nice they can match a contour. Pac Nor and Douglas have the largest number of reamers of anyone on the N. American continent.

Note to file: two friends went to Africa for the 6 plains game with Weatherby Mark 5's in 7 STW. They loaded 162 SST with IMR 7828, MV of 3150. They all took their 6 plains game each with one shot each including Eland and Kudu. PH was very impressed as all animals died in their tracks. On the other hand, their friend that was a taxidermist took his 338 WM with 250g Nosler partitions and they had animals run off, they guessed that it was the horrible trajectory. Shots were to 350 yards with all three gentlemen. The 162 SST is tougher bullet than you would think, and I have shot hogs through both shoulders with this bullet out of a 280 Rem at 2920 fps(IMR 7828, Fed 210, Rem brass).


Never forget that your impact speed/wind drift/drop is a critical choice in your bullet & caliber selection.

One thing that people are forgetting is that the 280 Rem's shoulder is further foward than the .30-06! This would cause problems!

HIp