280ai vs 7mm rem mag?

Mudrunner I have thouroughly enjoyed this topic and you evidently have the same gun as I. Mine is an off the shelf Win 70, sporter 24" barrel, 1:9.25" twist, but I have free floated it and bedded the action. I handload the 168's with 63.4grs of H4813SC with no case issues and the book shows 2904 fps. I use a Leupold VXI, 3-10 X 50MM. My best group was .58" at 200 yards and I dropped a little buck at 390 yads through the heart with one shot; I was zeroed at 300 yards and I had calculated a 9" drop at 400 and held over right on the back bone. But I can expand my yardage easily to 600 this year and want to know a maximum load and powder brand I could use to reduce my bullet drop somewhat.
I'm a novice shooter but have really worked hard this past summer to get the best bullet and load I can. I'm 80 years old and don't have too much time left to shoot "one for the ages" this year. I'm teaching my grandsons to think longer range shooting since the average deer kill in Georgia is 17 yards; my personal best 10 pointer out of at least a hundred deer was a whopping 10 yards. Got a bunch at 285 yares with the old (Siricco?).
 
My rifle is a custom that I had built about 4 years ago, on a Browning A-Bolt II action, with a 26" stainless magnum sporter contour 1:9.25" barrel chambered for 7mm RemMag.

fullsizeoutput_f36.jpeg


Alabama hunting is the same way...100 yards max for most folks. But I try to hunt longer ranges when possible. For me, anything inside of 500 is really no challenge at all. I worked in a gun/outdoors store when I was in high school, and the capabilities of your average Alabama hunter would boggle the mind. It almost makes you say, "And we're allowed to sell these folks firearms...And then they're out in the woods where I am!?!?!?" Those experiences are part of the reason why I have only hunted private land since.
 
zr600 said:
Ok how close in ballistics and energy are these two rifles with the same weight of bullet? Thinking of maybe a 280ai when my 270 needs a new barrel. How would the 280ai be for moose and elk and deer?
Click to expand...
I would stick to a cartridge that you can buy over the counter, 280,308,3006 that uses the same bolt face.
 
I distill it down easily. I have not reloaded for some time. Since quality .270 ammo is much more readily available, that would be my choice. Performance on critters it nearly identical.....you get a dead critter!
 
zr600 said:
Ok how close in ballistics and energy are these two rifles with the same weight of bullet? Thinking of maybe a 280ai when my 270 needs a new barrel. How would the 280ai be for moose and elk and deer?
Click to expand...

Screw that go 6.5x284 no modifications needed accept barrel change.
 
I didn't finish reading all the responses - but much like JohnLittleJohn? - on the first page - it's more about shot placement than anything else (assuming we're talking the calibers mentioned).

Whatever you can shoot best - which includes not flinching from too much recoil - is the key.

I grew up hunting - and about age 12 my dad let me first carry in the woods by myself - shooting a 30.06 and didn't think it kicked that much - or recall it to anyway.

About 10 years ago - I was approaching 60 - and I was going to buy a .300 mag - and then a friend asked me - Why?

I said - it would add maybe 50- 100 yards to the effective killing range (lets say out to 400 - 450 yards - maybe a bit further in perfect conditions - and I was once on a rifle and can still shoot purty good) - and he said: Yes - it has a little more range - but the .300 does kick more than the 30.06.

Well, even tho I weigh over 200 lbs and didn't think much about recoil - I figured I should try it out first.

So I did shoot his .300 mag - and it didn't seem that bad - but I thought - what if down the road - it might cause me to flinch? - so I stuck with the trusty .06.

Now - with the new ELDX bullets by Hornady (Federal has another new one as well - sort of based on the Berger? ) - it really doesn't matter as a 30 Caliber 178 grain bullet will shoot flatter than before - sort of 7 Magish - and buck the wind as well. :)

So my thought is pick what is easiest for you to shoot - and all other things being weighed - get the rifle whose ammo is most readily availble - assuming you don't handload.
 
zr600 said:
Ok how close in ballistics and energy are these two rifles with the same weight of bullet? Thinking of maybe a 280ai when my 270 needs a new barrel. How would the 280ai be for moose and elk and deer?
Click to expand...
I want to confuse your evaluation. I like my 7 mm STW (Shooting Times Western). I shoot 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips with 79.8 grains of IMR 7828. I do not have a chronograph. Supposedly it is over 3200 feet per second. 4 shots into one hole at 100 yards. Bob Hart converted my Remington Model 700 from 7 mm mag. He installed a 24" Hart barrel with a 2" muzzle brake.
 
MudRunner2005 said:
My rifle is a custom that I had built about 4 years ago, on a Browning A-Bolt II action, with a 26" stainless magnum sporter contour 1:9.25" barrel chambered for 7mm RemMag.

View attachment 96272

Alabama hunting is the same way...100 yards max for most folks. But I try to hunt longer ranges when possible. For me, anything inside of 500 is really no challenge at all. I worked in a gun/outdoors store when I was in high school, and the capabilities of your average Alabama hunter would boggle the mind. It almost makes you say, "And we're allowed to sell these folks firearms...And then they're out in the woods where I am!?!?!?" Those experiences are part of the reason why I have only hunted private land since.
Click to expand...
 
Well AI cartridges are so 1950's! LOL I am sure everyone has seen the movie with Jim Carrey "Dumb and Dumber". I always pictured the two main characters from that movie owning an entire collection of AI chambered rifles! Why because nothing is more wasteful than the fire forming process. It eats into barrel life which should be a punishable offense maybe a misdemeanor. LOL In my mind the only reason to do an AI cartridge is just because you want too! Which doing it just because you want to is fine I have no issues with that just as long as people do not try to pass it off as the best option or most logical option in 2018.

There might have been a time when their was some economy in taking a standard cartridge and hot rodding it but those days are gone. The price for 7mm Rem Mag brass and 280 Rem brass are with in $1-$2 of each other for a box/bag of 50. So unless you sitting on a mother load of surplus brass it makes no sense to do the 280AI over just going 7mm Magnum if all you want it velocity with a heavy 7mm projectile. Their is a reason why we have so many cartridges based off of the 30-06 and 7.62 NATO and 308 Win! Can you say surplus brass and powder at one time that was insanely cheap!



If you just want something different you might consider a 6.5-06 I used one in F-Class for a while. If you do not care about barrel life it is a sweet cartridge. A-Square made it an official Cartridge so you can get brass with 6.5-06 head stamp if you wanted to take it hunting outside of the USA.

Obviously the above is opinion not gospel cast in stone! When it comes to putting meat on the table I am rather frugal when comes to competing I am not. I cannot see spending a lot of money just to put meat in the freezer. When it comes to keeping the freezer full my $149 Single Shot H&R/NEF rifled slug gun, Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag with 32" vent rib and Ruger 10/22 prob. do 85% of the heavy lifting. The rest is rounded out with what ever centerfire rifle I happen to grab that day.

We know that if you exclude Kodiac Bears you can really kill anything in North America or Europe with cartridges like the .308 Win, 260 Rem, 7.62x39, 7x57 Mauser,30-30, 30-06, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 7mm/08, 25-06, 45-70, 8mm Mauser, British 303, 7,62X54, 12ga slug all day long. So anything in excess of these common chamberings is all about novelty, fun and excess! So which exotic chambering makes your pulse race and your face blush?? Which ever one it is that is the girl you should build!

Cheers!
  • .280 Remington Ackley Improved, an improved version of the .280 Remington cartridge with 40 degree shoulder, dies readily available. It duplicates the ballistics of the vaunted 7mm Remington Mag, with 30% less propellant used and less barrel erosion. Registered with SAAMI by Nosler.

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.O._Ackle
 
johnlittletree said:
Well AI cartridges are so 1950's! LOL I am sure everyone has seen the movie with Jim Carrey "Dumb and Dumber". I always pictured the two main characters from that movie owning an entire collection of AI chambered rifles! Why because nothing is more wasteful than the fire forming process. It eats into barrel life which should be a punishable offense maybe a misdemeanor. LOL In my mind the only reason to do an AI cartridge is just because you want too! Which doing it just because you want to is fine I have no issues with that just as long as people do not try to pass it off as the best option or most logical option in 2018.

There might have been a time when their was some economy in taking a standard cartridge and hot rodding it but those days are gone. The price for 7mm Rem Mag brass and 280 Rem brass are with in $1-$2 of each other for a box/bag of 50. So unless you sitting on a mother load of surplus brass it makes no sense to do the 280AI over just going 7mm Magnum if all you want it velocity with a heavy 7mm projectile. Their is a reason why we have so many cartridges based off of the 30-06 and 7.62 NATO and 308 Win! Can you say surplus brass and powder at one time that was insanely cheap!



If you just want something different you might consider a 6.5-06 I used one in F-Class for a while. If you do not care about barrel life it is a sweet cartridge. A-Square made it an official Cartridge so you can get brass with 6.5-06 head stamp if you wanted to take it hunting outside of the USA.

Obviously the above is opinion not gospel cast in stone! When it comes to putting meat on the table I am rather frugal when comes to competing I am not. I cannot see spending a lot of money just to put meat in the freezer. When it comes to keeping the freezer full my $149 Single Shot H&R/NEF rifled slug gun, Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag with 32" vent rib and Ruger 10/22 prob. do 85% of the heavy lifting. The rest is rounded out with what ever centerfire rifle I happen to grab that day.

We know that if you exclude Kodiac Bears you can really kill anything in North America or Europe with cartridges like the .308 Win, 260 Rem, 7.62x39, 7x57 Mauser,30-30, 30-06, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 7mm/08, 25-06, 45-70, 8mm Mauser, British 303, 7,62X54, 12ga slug all day long. So anything in excess of these common chamberings is all about novelty, fun and excess! So which exotic chambering makes your pulse race and your face blush?? Which ever one it is that is the girl you should build!

Cheers!
  • .280 Remington Ackley Improved, an improved version of the .280 Remington cartridge with 40 degree shoulder, dies readily available. It duplicates the ballistics of the vaunted 7mm Remington Mag, with 30% less propellant used and less barrel erosion. Registered with SAAMI by Nosler.

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.O._Ackle
Click to expand...
You'll learn most guys here, that do wildcatting don't put barrel life at the top of the list of deterrents. Most that I know, either already have a different plan for the next barrel, or can't wait till they shoot the current one out, so they can do something different. Barrels are expendable, I pay more attention to my optics and action choice, than wether my cartridge has a short barrel life. And I'm not even a wildcatter.
 
johnlittletree said:
Well AI cartridges are so 1950's! LOL I am sure everyone has seen the movie with Jim Carrey "Dumb and Dumber". I always pictured the two main characters from that movie owning an entire collection of AI chambered rifles! Why because nothing is more wasteful than the fire forming process. It eats into barrel life which should be a punishable offense maybe a misdemeanor. LOL In my mind the only reason to do an AI cartridge is just because you want too! Which doing it just because you want to is fine I have no issues with that just as long as people do not try to pass it off as the best option or most logical option in 2018.

There might have been a time when their was some economy in taking a standard cartridge and hot rodding it but those days are gone. The price for 7mm Rem Mag brass and 280 Rem brass are with in $1-$2 of each other for a box/bag of 50. So unless you sitting on a mother load of surplus brass it makes no sense to do the 280AI over just going 7mm Magnum if all you want it velocity with a heavy 7mm projectile. Their is a reason why we have so many cartridges based off of the 30-06 and 7.62 NATO and 308 Win! Can you say surplus brass and powder at one time that was insanely cheap!



If you just want something different you might consider a 6.5-06 I used one in F-Class for a while. If you do not care about barrel life it is a sweet cartridge. A-Square made it an official Cartridge so you can get brass with 6.5-06 head stamp if you wanted to take it hunting outside of the USA.

Obviously the above is opinion not gospel cast in stone! When it comes to putting meat on the table I am rather frugal when comes to competing I am not. I cannot see spending a lot of money just to put meat in the freezer. When it comes to keeping the freezer full my $149 Single Shot H&R/NEF rifled slug gun, Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag with 32" vent rib and Ruger 10/22 prob. do 85% of the heavy lifting. The rest is rounded out with what ever centerfire rifle I happen to grab that day.

We know that if you exclude Kodiac Bears you can really kill anything in North America or Europe with cartridges like the .308 Win, 260 Rem, 7.62x39, 7x57 Mauser,30-30, 30-06, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 7mm/08, 25-06, 45-70, 8mm Mauser, British 303, 7,62X54, 12ga slug all day long. So anything in excess of these common chamberings is all about novelty, fun and excess! So which exotic chambering makes your pulse race and your face blush?? Which ever one it is that is the girl you should build!

Cheers!
  • .280 Remington Ackley Improved, an improved version of the .280 Remington cartridge with 40 degree shoulder, dies readily available. It duplicates the ballistics of the vaunted 7mm Remington Mag, with 30% less propellant used and less barrel erosion. Registered with SAAMI by Nosler.

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.O._Ackle
Click to expand...
Since we r discussing the 280ai which brass is available for and is no longer a wildcat...not sure how most of what u wrote applies? It's really not any different than buying a 28 nosler.
 
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