The .280 AI

[Razorbacker]

RB,

RL 22 and Federal GM215M primers.

My rifle has a long throat so I seat the bullets quite long.
Accuracy is well under .5 MOA
160 gr AB
60.0 grs RL 22
3000 fps

140 gr AB
63.0 grs RL 22
3150 fps

Let me know if you have any questions or need any additional info.

Thank you, I'm a big fan of RL 22. So did you have your throat cut longer on purpose? i feel certain I'll one day load some 160s but right now those 140s have me positively moist. i will definitely call on you when the time comes,
Thanks again
JD338

 

[nvbroncrider]

My 280AI is awesome as well. It's long throated as well and has a 28" tube.

My load is 62.5gr of 7828SSC WLR primer with a 160AB in Nosler cases 3162 out the barrel.

 

[Razorbacker]

Okay, so you guys have longer tubes, the .280s I'm looking at are all 22" should I just look at a custom tube if I can find a donor action? I'm still waiting to hear back from this highly touted builder, maybe his Momma is sick or something. i have no problem with a few less FPS from a 22 incher. Hunting accuracy is my goal and i just think 600 yards would be so rare as to not pay for that tube. Anyway I'm looking on GB at NIB hawkeyes at around 600 bucks. Then we got reaming the chamber, rings, scope, trying to keep this under a grand but I'm open minded.
School me...

 

[nvbroncrider]

If that's your budget and can find a donor for around $400 you can hit your budget. Also it depends on what you want conditions, Thick woods wide open weigh considerations you have to know that stuff before you decide.

 

[Razorbacker]

If that's your budget and can find a donor for around $400 you can hit your budget. Also it depends on what you want conditions, Thick woods wide open weigh considerations you have to know that stuff before you decide.

Believe me, I've thought of all that and it's a mixed bag. I've probably killed a lot more deer inside 50 yards than way out there somewhere. Probably more inside 25.
But there have been a few way out there and I hope to hunt out West again, so there's that as well. I'm still rolling all this around in my head and gathering info before I plunk down my money. I've asked about a special order but they act like it's a big hassle.

 

[woods]

Find a standard action .473" bolt face and rebarrel it. You will get more satisfaction out of it and in all likelihood a better shooter. I made mine off a Sako 75 270 and had Hart put a 26" barrel #4 contour 1 in 8.5 twist .313" neck

There are a lot of very good barrels out there (Krieger, Lilja, Pac-Nor, Shilen, Douglas, Brux etc.) and rebarelling will insure a gunsmith (not an assembly line worker) pays attention to it.

Personally my goal was the 160 AccuBond at 3000 fps and my load with RL17 easily reaches that. That gun always goes whether I'm hunting Whitetail or Elk. My 6.5 with a Douglas barrel goes also on the Whitetail hunts and the 338RUM with a Brux barrel goes Elk hunting.

26" has never seemed too long and never seemed too short

 

[Razorbacker]

Woods, I've worn out the tubes of the Goolenet on this topic today and needless to say I ran across your input on the different forums. So Nosler/SAAMI/Big Green bolixed this thing up. You have what you have, but, if you were reaming one today, no, a chamber not Nosler, what would you go with and why?
The way I read this thing is if you go with the SAAMI/Nosler chamber you can still fireform any makers regular .280 and chamber the Nosler custom stuff or just use their brass. I have no interest in necking up then back down.
What say you, bottom line? Most importantly i need input on dies. Are the new SAAMI ones readily available.
I must say your rifle has me salivating. I would have thought 26" would be to long but looking at it laying across that hog, it looks right handy.
Any of you other AI guys, please chime in.
And finally, you built yours on a .270 donor action. What other chamberings, bolt faces would work.
The stampings on your barrel by Hart are some of the best. most professional I've seen, Did they ream the chamber as well?
Thanks in advance you guys.

 

[Razorbacker]

Shameless bump

 

[JD338]

RB

The speeds I am getting are from a 24" Hart barrel.

JD338

 

[woods]

Woods, I've worn out the tubes of the Goolenet on this topic today and needless to say I ran across your input on the different forums. So Nosler/SAAMI/Big Green bolixed this thing up. You have what you have, but, if you were reaming one today, no, a chamber not Nosler, what would you go with and why?
The way I read this thing is if you go with the SAAMI/Nosler chamber you can still fireform any makers regular .280 and chamber the Nosler custom stuff or just use their brass. I have no interest in necking up then back down.
What say you, bottom line? Most importantly i need input on dies. Are the new SAAMI ones readily available.
I must say your rifle has me salivating. I would have thought 26" would be to long but looking at it laying across that hog, it looks right handy.
Any of you other AI guys, please chime in.
And finally, you built yours on a .270 donor action. What other chamberings, bolt faces would work.
The stampings on your barrel by Hart are some of the best. most professional I've seen, Did they ream the chamber as well?
Thanks in advance you guys.

This was my first rebarrel and I sent the whole gun to them. They reamed and installed on the action and sent back finished product. Since then on all subsequent rebarrels I have used a separate gunsmith, ordered the barrel from whatever manufacturer (Douglas, Brux, Pac-Nor, Shilen) and had sent directly to gunsmith and received action/barrel back reamed/installed/finished. Not that Hart did not do a bang up job, just that it was a long wait with no interaction. I'm not too good about just waiting with no input.

Certainly if I were making a 280AI today it would have a SAAMI chamber, no downside. I don't know about SAAMI sized dies since I got my Lee Collet and Redding Body Die before all the changes happened and they work just fine. IMO the difference is so small that using a Lee Collet, even if it were originally manufactured for the older 280AI, would not make a difference. There might be a little of the neck unsized next to the shoulder but IMO that would be a good thing. With the body die you can adjust to size down as far as needed as long as it reaches the shoulder, if it doesn't then you might have to take a few thousandths off a shell holder or bottom of the body die.

Originally my thinking was that if I was unsatisfied with a 26" barrel (too long) that it would be a simple matter to have a couple of inches cut off. Going the other way from a 24" to a 26" will have to wait until someone invents a barrel stretcher :wink: . My 2 rebarrels to 6.5 rem mags and the 338RUM rebarrel all also sport 26" barrels. Only the 375 Ruger rebarrel has a 24" (faster powder, #5 contour weight problem). Supposedly the downside to a longer barrel maneuvering in a blind or catching on brush when walking but I have encountered none of those.

Any .473" bolt face rifle on a standard action length (3.4") is a candidate. 25-06, 270, 280, 30-06 are the most common. I would stay away from any bolt face modification for a larger case head. Also if you have a choice, a detachable magazine limits OAL and sometimes will influence how much the bullet intrudes on powder space, so a blind or drop floor plate without the detachable mag can help. I can get 7 loads in the rifle with the Sako :mrgreen: . I have also had a problem and have heard that gunsmiths do not like to rebarrel Brownings, so if you run across one as a candidate, ask your gunsmith before purchasing.

IMO a perfect action for rebarreling would be a 3 position or tang safety, stainless, drop floor plate, 3 lug or multi-lug (lower degree bolt lift) and a Pac-Nor 3 groove #4 contour 1 in 8 twist. But if wishes were horses we'd all be riding.

 

[Razorbacker]

Thanks guys, woods especially, I've got all my questions answered. I think I'm just going to be patient and wait for the right donor action and have one built. Probably a Winchester or Ruger. Unless something else comes along.

 

[JD338]

Thanks guys, woods especially, I've got all my questions answered. I think I'm just going to be patient and wait for the right donor action and have one built. Probably a Winchester or Ruger. Unless something else comes along.

RB

Good move. I think you will be happier in the long run having a rifle made exactly the way you want it.
You could go ahead and order a barrel. Then you could take it to a gun smith and have him put it all together, saving you some wait time.

JD338

 

[EOD Diver]

RB,
I'd bet you've seen JD's groups with his .280AI and the antelope he recently took with it! I think he's got all the dope on it you could ever ask for. I acquired a Kimber .84L before I deployed. I ordered a set of dies for it, before I split, and failed to mention that it was to a SAAMI chamber. Don't make the same mistake. I actually ordered the correct SAAMI dies for it yesterday. I think it was about $120 for the Redding 3 die set from Midway. Just make sure you specify the SAAMI chamber with them, if you go that route, and you should be good to go. That said, JD's rifle in the original chambering has me wondering and scratching my head if PO Ackley didn't have it right the first time!
Joe

 

[SJB358]

You aren't kidding Joe. JD has gotten my attention a few times with the groups his 280 has turned in.

 

[Razorbacker]

RB,
I'd bet you've seen JD's groups with his .280AI and the antelope he recently took with it! I think he's got all the dope on it you could ever ask for. I acquired a Kimber .84L before I deployed. I ordered a set of dies for it, before I split, and failed to mention that it was to a SAAMI chamber. Don't make the same mistake. I actually ordered the correct SAAMI dies for it yesterday. I think it was about $120 for the Redding 3 die set from Midway. Just make sure you specify the SAAMI chamber with them, if you go that route, and you should be good to go. That said, JD's rifle in the original chambering has me wondering and scratching my head if PO Ackley didn't have it right the first time!
Joe

Thanks for the heads up, brother Diver but believe me I've researched this issue 9 ways from Sunday, This new SAAMI issue will be addressed at ordering time.

 

[JD338]

Mine is a 280 AI 40` not the Nosler SAAMI chambering. I use RP brass and FF my cases.
Not a big deal. Looking forward to getting the new 150 gr LRAB bullets soon. Crop damage deer season starts in a month.

JD338

 

[Razorbacker]

Mine is a 280 AI 40` not the Nosler SAAMI chambering. I use RP brass and FF my cases.
Not a big deal. Looking forward to getting the new 150 gr LRAB bullets soon. Crop damage deer season starts in a month.

JD338

Okay, you are the devil. that 40 degree thing is calling to me. i thought my mind was made up and all questions answered. Ackley's 50 years of improving speaks volumes. How long is the neck in your chamber? I'm looking at loading the 140s and 160s.

 

[30-338]

Below is picture of SAAMI Spec 280AI on rem action build few years ago.

http://mail.aol.com/37288-111/aol-6/en- ... l&partId=7

My wife's Forbes UL rifle in 280AI was build 2006 and it chambers Nosler 280AI brass fine.

 

[ccoker]

I love my 280AI!
Mine is a Nosler TGR

 

[EOD Diver]

RB,
My delux die set came in from Redding/Midway. The part number is 84428. I went to the Redding website today and confirmed that they are what the SAAMI chamber calls for. It's under one of their tech articles and will come up if you search their site for "280" or simply hit the following link: http://redding-reloading.com/tech-line- ... 80-changes. Any way you slice it, the 280 AI's (original or SAAMI) combination of efficiency, trajectory, and recoil make it a winner. Good luck finding the one you want!
Joe