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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,817
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,817 |
I am debating anywhere between 23 to 26 inches. I will be shooting elk out to 600 yds. Packing the weight is not an issue and 95% of my hunting will be hiking in the back-country. Mostly what I am thinking is having a nice handling rifle without sacrificing to much in terms of 600 yd performance on elk. I may be interested in lowering my maximum yds to 500 in trade for a better handling rifle. Thanks for any help in deciding.
Shod ..........What would 3" of shorter tube length lose in realistic terms? Guessing 60-90 fps MV? That won`t make any difference whether your elk is at 500 yards or at 600 yards away.
28 Nosler,,,,300WSM,,,,338-378 Wby,,,,375 Ruger
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,509
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,509 |
We will be shooting a 22" and a 23" 280 AI today...we'll let you know how it goes...
The 22" barrel was a 24" last year and it actually hit 3300 with a 140...we'll see how much speed we lose.
"after the bullet leaves the barrel it doesn't care what headstamp was on the case"
"The 221 Fireball is what the Hornet could have been had it stayed in school"
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 96
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 96 |
I am debating anywhere between 23 to 26 inches. I will be shooting elk out to 600 yds. Packing the weight is not an issue and 95% of my hunting will be hiking in the back-country. Mostly what I am thinking is having a nice handling rifle without sacrificing to much in terms of 600 yd performance on elk. I may be interested in lowering my maximum yds to 500 in trade for a better handling rifle. Thanks for any help in deciding.
Shod 23"
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 14,807
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 14,807 |
For a while I was interested in a Kimber 280 Improved. Then I compared it's specs to the Montana's I have in 270 WSM and 7mm WSM and see that they already weigh less than a M70 Featherweight which is a benchmark to me. Where would a 280 fit in? Its not quite a magnum with all the range I want, not as light as it could be in that size round. Maybe one with nice wood. Now that's enough reason for yet another rifle. 
All guns should be locked up when not in use!
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,445
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,445 |
I had Shaw put a 23" on my brother's AI. Seems to work just fine.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing."
Robert E. Howard
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 8,423
Campfire Kahuna Emeritus & Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Kahuna Emeritus & Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 8,423 |
During the last thirty years, I've been all over that.
My primary rifle is a .280 Ackley and THE barrel length is 24-inches. A twist-rate of 1-10" is fine because field experience will eventually prove to you that any bullet over 154-grains is folly.
Steve
"God Loves Each Of Us As If There Were Only One Of Us"
Saint Augustine of Hippo - AD 397
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,880
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,880 |
23" on Compact
24" on Classic
25" on HTG
26" on A-3
"Then join in hand, brave Americans all!.....By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall"
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 674
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 674 |
We will be shooting a 22" and a 23" 280 AI today...we'll let you know how it goes...
The 22" barrel was a 24" last year and it actually hit 3300 with a 140...we'll see how much speed we lose. Thanks Rembo, The results will be of great interest. I'm also curious at what length muzzle blast becomes much more notable. I'm assuming the efficiency of the 280 ai should make it a better candidate for a shorter barrel than the 7 mag. Shod
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,949
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,949 |
Whatever you choose the ballistic aspect is not worth thinking about unless your a total loon. A 100fps is not going to matter on a shot but a little bit of handiness or a balance issue will be felt every time you pick up the rifle.
Hunt hard, kill clean, waste nothing and offer no apologies.
"In rifle work, group size is of some interest...but it is well to remember that a rifleman does not shoot groups, he shoots shots." Jeff Cooper
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,129
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,129 |
It doesn't make any sense to improve a cartridge for speed then chop the tube to make it unimproved...and a 280ai shooting a 140 at 3300 is likley running over pressure!
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 16,540
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 16,540 |
It doesn't make any sense to improve a cartridge for speed then chop the tube to make it unimproved...and a 280ai shooting a 140 at 3300 is likley running over pressure! Agreed on both counts. Even with speed demon Magpro 3260ish was max in my 26" tube. In a 24" tube 3200 would be about it IMO.
The Chosin Few November to December 1950, Korea.
I'm not one of the Chosin Few but no more remarkable group of Americans ever existed.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,509
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,509 |
The 22" 280AI did up to 3181 with a 145 Barnes LRX and Rel22. Averaged about 3140ish I'm guessing. We did not have any of the loads that went 3300 in the 24" tube, that load was 64.5 grs of Rel 22 and a 140 TTSX The 23" 280AI was loaded with H4831sc and 140 Ballistic Tips and TTSX's., they went about 3050 to 3100. I'm going to Rel22 in this rifle also. I'm assuming the efficiency of the 280 ai should make it a better candidate for a shorter barrel than the 7 mag.maybe true, but the 7-08 would be even more efficient in a shorter barrel....  but if you don't value effiency that much (I don't) then a 7mm RUM in a 22" barrel would still be faster than all of the above. If effiency were the pertinent criteria we'd be doing all our deer hunting with the 30-30
"after the bullet leaves the barrel it doesn't care what headstamp was on the case"
"The 221 Fireball is what the Hornet could have been had it stayed in school"
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 674
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 674 |
Rembo, thanks for the update it's much appreciated. I was curious how the 145 LRXs worked out. I've been thinking about giving them a try.
Shod
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50,169
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50,169 |
Alway's go as long as you are comfortable carrying /shooting.
The only thing worse than a liberal is a liberal that thinks they're a conservative.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,474
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,474 |
During the last thirty years, I've been all over that.
My primary rifle is a .280 Ackley and THE barrel length is 24-inches. A twist-rate of 1-10" is fine because field experience will eventually prove to you that any bullet over 154-grains is folly.
Steve
Steve was a tremendous resource for me when I built mine. I went 24" per his recommendation and don't regret it one bit.
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