Ai ?

It seems like there is a lot of guys "improving" their rifles.
I was having a conversation with a guy today that improved his 25'06.
He told me that a local gunsmith did the work for $100. I thought that was very inexpensive and am considering having my 270 done but I am very concerned about my rifle getting screwed up for $100. I would expect to pay more. I am new to the area and don't know many people or gunsmiths yet.
What do you guys think?

I would be careful about doing that unless you have either good references for or first hand experience with the gunsmith in question.
IMO the AI stuff is overrated, anyway(again,just my opinion)

Is adding another 100 ft/sec all that important to you? I've had AI cartridges and they are fun for awhile but are they that big a deal? NOPE

Charlie-NY":2fnw4xzj said:

Is adding another 100 ft/sec all that important to you? I've had AI cartridges and they are fun for awhile but are they that big a deal? NOPE

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I do think it takes away from the value of the rifle, if that matters.

On a related note, do the Ai cartridges generate higher operating pressures with the extra powder? Or to put it another way, would there be a pressure difference between a 30-06 with 59 grains of H4350, and a 30-06 Ai with 59 grains of H4350?

-jeff

Yes, all things being equal

You won't see much improvement over your std. .270 or .25-06. They are already running hot & the shoulder improvement mught let you have 1.5-2gr more cap. You can get that by switching to a diff. brand of brass. I have a .260ai I had made. Since it was a new bbl. the extra cost not an issue. I like it a lot, but probably would be just as happy w/ a std. .260. Brass does last along time though. I can get 10 full power firings & they case still look good.

I'm not going to do it.
I like the rifle the way it is and if I want a harder hitting flat shooter I will use my 300win.

old #7":1pvvj75g said:

I'm not going to do it.
I like the rifle the way it is and if I want a harder hitting flat shooter I will use my 300win.

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I think that's smart; if it ain't broke, don't fix it...

-jeff

My 280 AI shoots the 160 gr AB at 3029 fps with accuracy in the .2"s.
The 140 gr AB averages 3219 fps with accuracy in the .3"s.
This is quite abit more than you could get from a standard 280 Rem not to mention that I can shoot factory 280 Rem ammo in a pinch.

JD338

JD338":2bnwnxtd said:

My 280 AI shoots the 160 gr AB at 3029 fps with accuracy in the .2"s.
The 140 gr AB averages 3219 fps with accuracy in the .3"s.
This is quite abit more than you could get from a standard 280 Rem not to mention that I can shoot factory 280 Rem ammo in a pinch.

JD338

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Those are nice numbers! Comparable to my freaky-fast 30-06. With numbers like that, you are in 7-mag territory but I bet with a lot less recoil...

How much more are you seeing than a hot-loaded .280, I wonder? How many more grains of powder does the AI case hold, in a .280? Is your barrel a premium barrel or reamed factory barrel? If it's a premium barrel then a big part of your extra velocity is probably from that...

Sounds like a hell of a rifle, though. My problem is when I get one that good I want to shoot it all the time.. then you end up shooting them out in a few years.

-jeff

-jeff

JD338, what bbl. length is your .280AI? I am running 160grNPs @ 2850fps & 140grNPs @ 3000fps from my 23"bbl. .280. I know my .260ai is really only giving me about 50-75fps over the std. 260. I think the .280ai has the right exp. ratio to make the AI viable.

old #7,
Please understand that this is not a hijack attempt, just more dialog on the Ackley Improved. This iniformation could be applied to the 270 Win as well.
Ok guys, here is the 280 AI details:

Remington 700 action blueprinted
Hart #5 flutted 24"
Tubb Recoil Lug
Scope is a Leupold Mark 4 PR 4.5x14x40, 30mm tube w/ std duplex reticle. I plan on adding a HS Precision PSS 55 072 stock to complete the project.



Accuracy is short of unbeleivable so I will include some pictures.
Velocity for the 140 gr and 160 gr AB's taken w/ Oehler 35.

120 gr BT approx 3300 fps
[/img]
140 gr AB avg 3219 fps

160 gr AB avg 3029 fps
[/img]

JD338

Very nice Jim. Gotta get an HS stock! :lol:

Nice looking rifle! I bet a significant part of your velocity increase is that slick Hart barrel... at least as much as the extra couple grains of powder.

Premium barrels are addictive! I went with Pac-Nor since they are right down the highway from me. My 30-06 (22") will do 150's at 3100 fps and I can get Whelen speeds from my 20" .358 Win. And they clean up so easily! I never did get the kind of accuracy I'd like to see with my .358; it'll hold about 1.25 MOA but I think that's partly due to the fact there just are not many bullets for .35 caliber. Actually, come to think of it, the 225-gn Sierra .35 shot really well but I didn't really pursue it like I could have since I wasn't sure WHAT I'd use that bullet for! My 30-06 shoots great. I don't think my bench setup, or ME, is capable of repeatable .3's so I don't really know what the rifle will do, but I hold sub-MOA easily with it.

I thought of doing '06 AI when I did that rebarrel but I decided to just keep things simple. Since I was rebarreling anyway, which is money you'll never see again since messed-with rifles don't seem to hold value well, I could have done it with no financial penalty I suppose. However, it's one of those things that seems like you'd really have to like your factory rifle if you did it to it, because you'd really be devaluing it. At least, from what I've seen at the local gunshops, where AI's are usually priced much lower.

-jeff

Pop,

We will see how she does on the goats next fall buddy!

JD338

JD338":36lmbc82 said:

Pop,

We will see how she does on the goats next fall buddy!

JD338

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It won't work. Just gonna bounce off. You need something with Ultra Mag in the name to work these days.



Where will you be hunting goats?

-jeff

Is the AI advantage more room in the case for powder or just more overall room.
I haven't seen any loads for the 270 that are compressed. High case capacities seem to be around 90%. I am using 140 AB's, 52.5 gr of IMR 4831 in R-P cases with a CCI 200 and getting nice results but my case is only 82-83% full.
I will never get rid of my guns for any reason and would consider having some of them inproved but only if it results in an advantage.

Jeff Olsen":v4zm5rou said:

JD338":v4zm5rou said:

Pop,

We will see how she does on the goats next fall buddy!

JD338

Click to expand...

It won't work. Just gonna bounce off. You need something with Ultra Mag in the name to work these days.



Where will you be hunting goats?

-jeff

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I will also bring my 338 RUM loaded with 200 gr AB's @ 3200 fps.
Should get the job done so long as I am in good bow range. :lol:

JD338

old #7":2cq2cyte said:

Is the AI advantage more room in the case for powder or just more overall room.
I haven't seen any loads for the 270 that are compressed. High case capacities seem to be around 90%. I am using 140 AB's, 52.5 gr of IMR 4831 in R-P cases with a CCI 200 and getting nice results but my case is only 82-83% full.
I will never get rid of my guns for any reason and would consider having some of them inproved but only if it results in an advantage.

Click to expand...

The AI case will allow for more powder than the parent case (280 Rem)and this powder will burn more effeciently. If you look at the velocity I am getting with my 280 AI, it is 7mm Rem Mag performance while burning slightly less powder than the 7mm Rem Mag does. And I still have the option of shooting factory 280 Rem ammo.

JD338

JD338":9c8u90w3 said:

Jeff Olsen":9c8u90w3 said:

JD338":9c8u90w3 said:

Pop,

We will see how she does on the goats next fall buddy!

JD338

Click to expand...

It won't work. Just gonna bounce off. You need something with Ultra Mag in the name to work these days.



Where will you be hunting goats?

-jeff

Click to expand...

I will also bring my 338 RUM loaded with 200 gr AB's @ 3200 fps.
Should get the job done so long as I am in good bow range. :lol:

JD338

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Maybe. Still a little light. That AB might just blow up and leave singed hair on the hide, too.

I'd go with one of the African calibers and copper solids, just to be sure.

-jeff