I was thinking 26" but now I'm thinking about 24"..

It's a 1:8 twist 280 barrel from Krieger, I got 1 in 8 to stabolize even those pesky long LR TTSX...

I shoot a 260 as well but for elk I like the 280AI with a bigger bullet.

Gonna put it on my Sako 85...

Not sure if I'll keep my Cooper Excalibur in 280AI, Dang thing shoots... But I do love my sako's...

Don't see the need for 26". 24" would be it for me (that's what I have)

Yep I went with 24" on mine as well, been happy with it.

What velocity are you guys getting with the 24".

Thanks,
Spot

24 on my Ackley

3050fps or so with the 150gr bullets and 2940 or so with the 160's. This is with both my .280AI's. With the 160's 60.5grs of IMR7828 gets me there and 60.5 of R22 with the 150's. Both rifles have 24" Krieger barrels. I use Sierra bullets for steel and Nosler Partitions for most of my hunting.

I would not bother with a .280.

My Kimber Montana 7mm WSM and 270 WSM's weigh less and have more range than most 280's or 270's for that matter.

Savage99

Not sure what over compensating gets yah besides short and fat with more hot air and not much if any more performance.

Then again you do sound a bit in denial so maybe you are jealous...


BTW not to rub it in, but the Sako 85 finnlight in a McMillan edge Sako hunter pattern is what this barrel will be on, so you can keep that Kimber, mine rig is way sexier.

i went 24" on my last two 280ai rifles I had built. Cant imagine going any longer

My 280 AI has a 23" barrel but I would go 24" if I built another one.

24" on mine

140 VLD @ 3140

The two bullets I've shot out of mine have been:

140 TTSX @ 3150
150 TTSX @ 3050

24" barrel 140NP,RL22 and 3180FPS

24" it is then, thanks gents.

Not to hijack a thread but have a 280 forbes and getting 3130 out of 60 grains of H4831sc to .5 to 3/4" with 140 ttsx and 140 BTs. I am wondering now if chrono is bad. I was going to sell my 7 stw and build a 280AI or rebarrel. second guessing myself now..

26" on my Sendero contour and 24" on my Ti. Would not change either.

Like I said I have a 26" 280 AI cooper 52 Excaliber.. That shoots very nice.
I may keep it for my longer bean field rifle..

I'm making a Sako85 24" version now...

All Good

I made my 280AI barrel 23". Did my son's with a 24" tube initially and cut it back to 22" after one season. We lost about 50 fps in those two inches. He found it too long and poor handling. Works great at 22". I have been contemplating cutting mine back to 22" since I built it.
My reasoning is if I am going to carry a longer barrel it will be chambered in a bigger case than a 280AI. I have a 24" 7 Mag that's only a half pound heavier and about 200 fps faster.

REMBO and I must have trained under the same chronograph....

Of the 6 280s I have, the 2 custom builds are 24". Should be just fine for 280AI, if or when I decide rechamber.

Mine's 24" and feels just right

My Borden/Kampfeld 280 AI wears a 23" tube. Pushes 140's to 3200 fps, shoots 3/8 moa @ 100 yards and weighs 6 lb 13 oz.

What's not to like?

24+. My 284 has 28" and that gives about the velocity of a 7 mag with shorter barrel.

Yep, it almost makes me think I don't need my 06 anymore....

I have had 3 280ai's in 24". Lilja#4 Bartlein #3 Hart #3 currently. I would not want any shorter or longer. Bartlein #3 was nose heavy @24", Lilja was a little nose heavy. Hart is perfectly balanced in an edge fill stock. I am going with a Hawk Hill #2 on a 6.5x47 build. It is a copy of the Bartlein 2b contour. Wondering if should stick with 24" or go shorter. The balance of the barrel matters to me slightly more than the velocity gain/loss.

I'm with you guys.

If you had the 84L Montana in 280 AI you would have a much better handling rifle. And pretty much duplicate the 7 WSM performance. I'd go 24" on the Ackley

I wouldn't pay that much for a Kimber - you are goofy

$1,200 bucks for that thing...

I spent less on my finnlight when I bought it.

I was just pointing out Savage 99's bullshit.

22" on my M70 FW & it works nicely.

I wouldn't put a 24" on my 06 so why on my 280 AI?

My last rifle purchase, last summer, was a Kimber 84L MA-280AI and it handles perfectly with the factory tube at 24". I do NOT use the brake, but, slightly more muzzle weight would be OK.

After 50+ years of packing about 150 different rifles all over BC and some other parts of western Canada, I have come to prefer a 23" tube on all of mine. No reason, just like it and that is damned near as important as accuracy, IME and IMO.

My 280 Ack is 24" Pac Nor #3 contour, with a 1:8 twist.

I have a 25" on my HCR and am getting 3100 fps with 150 gr Ballistic Tips and 7828sc.

That's the way I feel about Finnlites, but to each his own.

Now you're rebarrelling your bargain Finnlite because they don't chamber what you want, and I assume you'll be restocking it too.

BTW - Last Montana I bought was $950 NIB.

The finnlight was a 270 I just couldn't hang with the gayness of it.

As for Sako vs Kimber - I like the option to carry extra magazines, and love the bolt throw...

Ok. I can understand the detachable magazines. I am not a fan of them, but I know a lot of people like them. Depending on how you hunt, I know they can be pretty handy.

I appreciate the short-lift, but on three-lug rifles I've had the bolt lift was hard (due to the shorter camming ramp). For me, two lug bolts operate easier.

As I said, to each his own


Regarding the 270, if it's a shooter I would keep it a 270, but we all have to spend our money as we see fit

Sako 85s,especially the finnlite is [bleep] junk. 1899 cdn for a plastic stock, taper locked scope mounts and fugged up ejector system.

I think so, it's called the chronograph of reality without all the jacked up emotion and defending of cartridge choices that a lot of guys seem to go with.

I've had guys in shock when they find out I have both a 280AI and a 7 Rem Mag,...they just can't see why one would have both. Then they tell you about their 308's and 30-06's..:-)

I remember when my son first shot his 280AI. I had just sold his hunting buddy a NIB stainless/walnut M70 Fwt in 270....The 270 was running 3135 fps with a 130 gr.,pretty much the same velocties as the 280AI with 10 grs less bullet weight. No deer will be able to discern that.

I've chambered 7 or 8 280AI's and there's no magic in it.
Nothing wrong with it, it's just not a 7 Rem Mag all other things being equal. The 10 gr more powder capacity of the 7 Mag does make a difference just like the approximate 10 grs case capacity differences of many other rounds like 308 to 30-06, 30-06 to 300 Win Mag, 223 to 22-250, 243 to 240 Wby etc. etc.

Yea, a 280ai will never have the power of a 7mm Rem. And in practical hunting terms, it doesn't do anything a good old 30-06 won't do.

It's only a matter of personal preference. For me, the 280 Ack has a bunch of small advantages that are not worth arguing individually. But added together, and for someone who reloads, it makes a pretty sweet package.

A 280AI will never have the blast of a 7mm Mag either ... So I don't need the small amount of extra velocity, or the huge blast that comes it either.

BWAH... Hahahahaha...

Well I held a Kimber 280AI today just like the one pictured.

Also held a Sako 85...

The Kimber stock felt more like Tupperware, and the gun was bouncy light and didn't have the weight I thought it should have. The Bolt... Well it were not a Sako ...

Yuck !!

Now I have McMillan stocks on my Sako's.. So it may not. Be a fair comparison..

Better recheck your "facts": a Kimber Montana in .280AI lists at 5 lb 10 oz, the same rifle in .270 WSM lists at 6 lb 3 oz. (7mm WSM was discontinued a couple years ago.)

Tom

I meant it was too light, I personally like (and can carry at 11k ft) 8lb rifle with no issue, and in fact I can shoot it a good deal better than 7lber... So I personally didn't like it.

Your understanding of stocks seems to be lacking . . . Finnlite stocks ARE Tupperware

But you can put a $500 McMillan on a Finnlite and make it acceptable, same as you can on a Tikka.

Regarding the action, Montanas are CRF, and they eject spent cases