280AI. Need info

[Bigeclipse]

I need help understanding the 280AI. Originally I was thinking of doing just one build on my 700 mountain SS but now I think I will build a 280AI on that rifle AND purchase a lighter recoiling rifle as well for fun shooting. The current rifle is a 3006 Remington 700 mountain SS. I will be rebarreling with a 280AI. The plan will be to shoot 120/140 pills. I have read an awful lot on the 280AI and I am just getting more confused the more I read. From what I have read is it used to be a wildcat round but SAAMI adopted it sometime ago. This means there has been a couple chamber configurations where factory 280AI ammo can work and other chambers it may not? I also am not understanding about how 280rem can be shot through it in a "pinch". Can someone please help me on what I need to know for this caliber? Can 280rem be safely shot in it and are they decently accurate assuming the whole rifle and barrel are accurate (I am talking sub 1 MOA). So for example if I built a 280AI and am able to get .5MOA groups with reloads, is there a high probability I could potentially find a 280rem load which will shoot decent enough if I ever need ammo in a pinch? I do reload so what will I need to load? Do I need a special die set to form brass or are there good factory options readily available? I don't mind buying expensive brass if it will save me from having to fireform brass. What twist barrel should I look into for shooting mainly 120/140 grain pills with possibly up to 160. Definitely no heavier than that. This will be a flat shooting woods hunting rifle for deer so I do not need high BC. I may also simply load it towards the bottom end of loads with 120s just for lighter hunting rounds to mimic a 7mm08. I have also read things about possible feeding issues due to the shoulder of the cartridge. Will this be a problem in my Remington 700 action? What else am I missing? Thank you for your patience.

 

[Deputy819]

Bigeclipse,
The below article should be of some help to you as far as explaining what Nosler did with the.280AI.
https://faq.nosler.com/index.php?action=artikel&cat=32&id=39&artlang=en
I use Nosler .280AI brass for mine and Redding ".280 Ackley Improved" dies (Type S Match Bushing). Here's a link from Redding explaining the die situation.
https://www.redding-reloading.com/tech-line-a-tips-faqs/133-280-changes

I think a 1-9 twist would serve you well concerning your stated bullet weight range. Mine is a 1-9 and I shoot Berger 168gr vld's with no problems (Savage 110/Criterion barrel).
I'm certainly NO EXPERT, but If you intend this build to only be a "woods hunting rifle" (with no need for a high BC bullet) in my opinion you may want to consider other chamberings better suited for "woods hunting" applications? Good luck, Sir.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I need help understanding the 280AI. Originally I was thinking of doing just one build on my 700 mountain SS but now I think I will build a 280AI on that rifle AND purchase a lighter recoiling rifle as well for fun shooting. The current rifle is a 3006 Remington 700 mountain SS. I will be rebarreling with a 280AI. The plan will be to shoot 120/140 pills. I have read an awful lot on the 280AI and I am just getting more confused the more I read. From what I have read is it used to be a wildcat round but SAAMI adopted it sometime ago. This means there has been a couple chamber configurations where factory 280AI ammo can work and other chambers it may not? I also am not understanding about how 280rem can be shot through it in a "pinch". Can someone please help me on what I need to know for this caliber? Can 280rem be safely shot in it and are they decently accurate assuming the whole rifle and barrel are accurate (I am talking sub 1 MOA). So for example if I built a 280AI and am able to get .5MOA groups with reloads, is there a high probability I could potentially find a 280rem load which will shoot decent enough if I ever need ammo in a pinch? I do reload so what will I need to load? Do I need a special die set to form brass or are there good factory options readily available? I don't mind buying expensive brass if it will save me from having to fireform brass. What twist barrel should I look into for shooting mainly 120/140 grain pills with possibly up to 160. Definitely no heavier than that. This will be a flat shooting woods hunting rifle for deer so I do not need high BC. I may also simply load it towards the bottom end of loads with 120s just for lighter hunting rounds to mimic a 7mm08. I have also read things about possible feeding issues due to the shoulder of the cartridge. Will this be a problem in my Remington 700 action? What else am I missing? Thank you for your patience.

In addition to being able to shoot 280 rem ammo, there are some good factory offerings in 280 AI - hornady precision hunter and the Nosler stuff.

 

[KyCarl]

I have been looking at a 280AI for a while. But I keep coming back to.. Is it really
different from the 7MM Remington I already have? Convince me..!
Skip the belted non belted thing. The 7MM RM flat out works! period! I have used it enough I know!

 

[ramrod79]

Big why is it that you want a 280ai by the sounds of it it's not a long range rifle and you plan on loading it down to 708 velocity and you are shooting light bullets. Seems to me for your intentions you should almost pick another caliber or just go straight 280 as it will do everything you intend. Personally from reading your post I would look ar different cartridge.
Deputy819 post is a good read and my 280AI was the same use 280 AI Nosler brass Redding dies shoot 280 ammo if needed.

 

[J E Custom]

In order to fire 280 rem factory ammo, the chamber needs to be done like the article
Deputy posted. Using a 280 rem go gauge and cutting the chamber .004 thousandths short to compress the round slightly for a good fire form and accuracy.

If the chamber is cut to the "NEW" SAMMI spec. it can be as much as .018 deeper
and can cause case head separation. the new 280 AI SAMMI chamber should only be fed Loaded ammo for this chamber. The "Old" Ackley chamber can handle all 280 Remington ammo safely.

If you don't reload, the new 280 AI ammo/cases are what You should use. If you re load the old AI chamber will allow you to use any 280 ammo without problems. If chambered correctly the "Old" AI can be very accurate while firing the 280 ammo.

Some have been using both sizes of ammo in there chamber and say it will work, But the chamber dimensions tell me that it won't without some problems. I personally like the flexibility and convenience of using any 280 ammo and getting good accuracy while fire forming.

Just My Opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[J E Custom]

I have been looking at a 280AI for a while. But I keep coming back to.. Is it really
different from the 7MM Remington I already have? Convince me..!
Skip the belted non belted thing. The 7MM RM flat out works! period! I have used it enough I know!

If you already have a 7mm mag, there is no need to go to a 280 AI. if you want a standard bolt face (Many are built on a 30/06 action with little change) The 280 Can duplicate the performance of the 7 rem mag in a 30/06 size case.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Bigeclipse]

Big why is it that you want a 280ai by the sounds of it it's not a long range rifle and you plan on loading it down to 708 velocity and you are shooting light bullets. Seems to me for your intentions you should almost pick another caliber or just go straight 280 as it will do everything you intend. Personally from reading your post I would look ar different cartridge.
Deputy819 post is a good read and my 280AI was the same use 280 AI Nosler brass Redding dies shoot 280 ammo if needed.

I like the flexibility of the round. I think everyone in my other post assumes I HATE recoil, which is not the case. I just love the lower recoil of my wife's rifles and if I could get that in the new rifle build great. My plan with 280ai was to make several loadings. I would make a 120 or 140 grain loading for purely shorter range flat shooting on deer. For example, a 120 nosler BT moving at like 2900-3100fps allowing me a very flat shooter out to 250 yards. I would also develop a load using 140s or 160s which would get me a bit further range on a bigger animal such as an ELK out to say 500 yards. I highly doubt id ever go bear or Elk hunting, but who knows what the future holds, so yeah I was trying to build a rifle which would offer me a bit of flexibility and allow me to develop some lighter recoiling loads with a lighter weight bullet for general woods deer hunting, allow me a few factory load options (280rem and 280ai) and finally allow me a higher horsepower rifle shooting a bit heavier bullet at higher velocities if I ever needed it. Maybe my thinking is wrong though since so many people are encouging me to go a different route which is why I may suck it up and buy a second dedicated rifle for lower recoil loads in 7mm08 for myself.

 

[ramrod79]

There's not much out there that's not flat shooting out to 250 yards now a days and at that range 2800 ft/ second 143 ELDX out of a 6.5 CM or 2900-3100 ft/ sec out of a 280AI with a 140 there's no noticeable difference but recoil. The deer won't know the difference that's for sure same can be said if you went to a 708.

 

[L.Sherm]

JE is correct I fireformed all my brass from older RP that I saved when it was a plain 280. The advantage is you can get nearly 7 mag performance with about 10 gr. less powder. It's a great round if that's what you want go for it.

 

[L.Sherm]

With the 3 that I've loaded for all were on 700 LA and zero feeding issues with just plain BDL bottom metal.

 

[Bigeclipse]

There's not much out there that's not flat shooting out to 250 yards now a days and at that range 2800 ft/ second 143 ELDX out of a 6.5 CM or 2900-3100 ft/ sec out of a 280AI with a 140 there's no noticeable difference but recoil. The deer won't know the difference that's for sure same can be said if you went to a 708.

problem is a CM and 7mm08 are short action rounds. I have a long action.

 

[ramrod79]

problem is a CM and 7mm08 are short action rounds. I have a long action.

That's only a problem if you make it one a lot of us run long actions with short cartridges for other reasons but they do work fine. I run a 338short in a LA. While I did this for bullet seating on bug bullets I a,so did this for future builds.

 

[J E Custom]

I have built many 280 AIs, and the performance is phenomenal. some of the guys
shoot 160 grain bullets, and some shoot 180 grain bullets . There seems to be no bad bullet weight because some of the guys using the 180,s are hunting a distances over
7 to 800 yards with 100% success. I have personally never shot a 120 grain bullet in a 280 AI, but with velocities between 3300 and 3400 ft/sec It should be a screamer.

It is one of the most versatile cartridges I have ever found and one of the best examples of the AI's. It can be anything from a 6.5 to a 7 Rem mag in performance and range. There are some cartridges that just stand out and this is one of them.

Just Me

J E CUSTOM