Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .280 ackley improved

I'd buy it and leave it alone.

But then I like Rugers and boat semi-skeletonized paddle stocks.

I looked at it closely yesterday and it has enough wear on the bolt head that I can see the brass underneath (at least it was brass in color). Is this normal in the Rugers? I think he has had it long enough that he might be ready to deal.

Are you asking if the Ruger bolts have a skin coating of steel around a brass inner core?

If so, the answer is NO they do not.

brass from cartridge heads....

must have been a handloader trying to get AI speeds out of it...:)

have had a lot of fun with the AI...it is the first thing I would do to a 280. Nosler brass or cook your own...

the 280AI is SAAMI speced

its real advantage over the 280, besides a small increase (4g) in case capacity, is the annointing by said heavenly powers with a higher pressure ceiling

regardless of plenteous anedotal examples via naysayers, that advantage shows up in Nosler's loadbooks.

down the road it may matter a little bit more...

I agree with Ackley fan. I had a remingtom 700 reamed from 280 to 280AI. The best thing I ever did. Very fun to tinker with and very very accurate. I get 3200 outta my 140 grain AB's with 63.5 grains of RL 22. This is on a clean barrel. About 3150-3160 on a dirty barrel. I love the 280 Ackley so much Im having another 280 remington 700 built from the action. My gunsmith wanted the Shilen 280 barrel and brake so I traded for a 26" #5 contour Benchmark barrel with a brake. My original conversion was very very easy on brass. I use to fireform old and factory loads from 280 into the AI but now Nosler has great brass to use. I love their brass. Very uniform and consistent. I found that with 7828 the heavier bullets shot very well too. I have loads with 140's, 150's, and 160's. I really haven't found anything that wouldn't shoot in a 280AI. I would have another in a heart beat. I love 7mm rounds. As soon as my 7mm Ultra goes south on the barrel. I will convert it to a 700 Dakota. Love the Ultramag but just too overbore. Never seen a rifle reach out there like it with 160 AB's but just too much wear and tear for someone who like to shoot alot. Ive had to slow down on the Ultra mag shooting because of barrel wear. I noticed that I seat my bullets out a tad farther as barrel life increases. Still fun to watch it print holes at 200 yards. The critters just go bang flop. Mostly shoot large midwestern deer, elk and hogs with the big seven. My AI does the same thing on critters too. The dense deer woods and 150 Nolser partitions were bad medicine on whitetails and hogs. The open bean fields and powerlines I used the 140 AB's. Fun to see the animals go down from one shot kills in an accurate rifle. Sorry for the book but change your 280 to an AI. Once the investment is over you'll love it. Its just money. You won't take it with you.

Buddha, what barrel length do have on your AI? I can't get to 3200 w/RL22 with my 24"!

I can do 3130 ish with RL22 or IMR 4831 w/140 AB or 140 VLD.
I too enjoy the Nosler brass, no FF for me.
My Cooper (Jackson Hunter) loves anything 140.

I use 139gr Hornady SPIRE POINT and 60.5grs of Ramshot hunter out of 26in barrel with 1 1/2in brake on it.

Reading this is interesting....back when RL22 came out, I had just bought a beautiful Mauser custom 280 built by Kevin Campbell with a 23" Shilen tube.

Messing with the powders of the day,I found IMR4350 to be accurate but "slow";IMR 4831 provided faster speeds but accuracy went south.

An article by Layne Simpson where he compared standard throat and "long throat" 280's in 3 rifles, showed Norma 205 as one of the better powders,and RL22 was similar,while not eaxctly the same,so I tried it.

I don't recall the exact cartridge OAL,but I worked up to 61 gr with 140 Partitions,and vels averaged a hair below 3100....what pressre were I have no idea, but I never had an issue and case life was good,accuracy really excellent and consistent.

I have never had a 280AI although common sense says it's a great round(hard to find a bad 7mm),but it seems the "gains" are coming from generally longer tubes(24-26"?),a bit of additional capacity,and good smooth custom barrels,which will make a difference sometimes.Barrels and throats really matter and is the reason results vary widely when folks are all building customs with various barrels and reamers.

The fireform (warmup) load Dober gave me for my Mashburn(65-IMR4350-139 Hornady)does 3160 from the 24" Krieger,with great groups,and lands with the full power loads to 400 yards,so unfortunatley I may never get to try a 280AI.

If you use a 24" tube might as well get the 7 Rem Mag. Brass is cheaper and the rifle weighs less.

24"

I'm all ears on this one..............

Stick - it's lighter because of the little extra cut-out in the chamber that makes room for the belt. I'm surprised that you didn't know that!

My bad,I thought you were headed on the .473" to .532" boltface savings............

try RL 19 or its ilk

have a 24" that will run Nosler book velocity (3250ish) with RL19 at a grain under book...Nosler shows a 26"

Oh, Gawd, I forgot that.... and the wider case, too.

And ... one less in the belly.

It must really add up.... (grin)

You're learnin'...............(grin)

Yeah ... my age is closing in on my IQ.

I recently had a Rem 700 Mountain Rifle in .270 that I rechambered to a .280 AI. I love my rifle, but am in the very beginning stages of the rifle and load development. I have a load with IMR 4831 and 168gr Bergers that shoots a little over .55". I need a new stock and and I need to bed it, I'm sure that will help with the accuracy. I have yet to chrono my load but with a 24" Shilen bbl I'm sure that load is shooting close to 2800 as it is .3 grains over max.

Congrats on a fine shooting rifle