280AI

I don't have one, yet.
I noticed a couple here have the savage ultralight.
Is the 22" barrel sufficient for This caliber?
I've looked at the brownings and the savage long range hunter.
Trying to decide which rifle would be best for me.
Would y'all mind sharing what factory rifle you prefer in
280ai ?
Thanks
 
Buck1970 said:
I don't have one, yet.
I noticed a couple here have the savage ultralight.
Is the 22" barrel sufficient for This caliber?
I've looked at the brownings and the savage long range hunter.
Trying to decide which rifle would be best for me.
Would y'all mind sharing what factory rifle you prefer in
280ai ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
22" barrel depends what your goals are. Shot distance, animal hunted, weight of bullet etc. I get 3300 FPS with the 140 AH out of my 23" barrel with a 1-7.5" twist. Only bullet I've tried out if it. If you're wanting to shoot 175-180's a 26" barrel would probably be a better fit.
 
I'm running a suppressor on my Savage Ultralite so a 22" barrel keeps it manageable in heavier woods where I hunt. My previous 280AI was a 23" X-caliber barrel on a 110, also fairly manageable in the brush for me. My furthest kill to date is just under 40 yards so ringing out the last bit of velocity isn't a priority. My biggest problem is finding a bullet that holds up at almost point blank range where I usually kill stuff but can still function effectively if I get a long shot. The Swift Scirocco 2 and TTSX are my chioices but I had a stellar load with R23 and 180 ELDM putting along at 2700.
 
alphapygmy said:
I'm running a suppressor on my Savage Ultralite so a 22" barrel keeps it manageable in heavier woods where I hunt. My previous 280AI was a 23" X-caliber barrel on a 110, also fairly manageable in the brush for me. My furthest kill to date is just under 40 yards so ringing out the last bit of velocity isn't a priority. My biggest problem is finding a bullet that holds up at almost point blank range where I usually kill stuff but can still function effectively if I get a long shot. The Swift Scirocco 2 and TTSX are my chioices but I had a stellar load with R23 and 180 ELDM putting along at 2700.
Click to expand...

Was the 180 ELDM sufficiently stout at very close range? I'm thinking not, since you went to the Scirocco and TTSX.
 
Turnbolt53 said:
Was the 180 ELDM sufficiently stout at very close range? I'm thinking not, since you went to the Scirocco and TTSX.
Click to expand...
Never shot anything with it. I take killing my animals cleanly very seriously and the Scirocco 2 and TTSX have proven tough and effective my for close shots. The ELDM seems always used for longer shots in more open country. I'm always looking for data on how it does with an impact velocity of 2600-2700 fps but haven't seen enough to switch out my proven combos. I suspect it would be fine unless I hit an elk shoulder just wrong at close range but I won't chance it.
 
Buck1970 said:
I don't have one, yet.
I noticed a couple here have the savage ultralight.
Is the 22" barrel sufficient for This caliber?
I've looked at the brownings and the savage long range hunter.
Trying to decide which rifle would be best for me.
Would y'all mind sharing what factory rifle you prefer in
280ai ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Buck check and if Tikka makes one every one that I have been around shoots really good out of the box with factory ammo
 
Buck1970 said:
I don't have one, yet.
I noticed a couple here have the savage ultralight.
Is the 22" barrel sufficient for This caliber?
I've looked at the brownings and the savage long range hunter.
Trying to decide which rifle would be best for me.
Would y'all mind sharing what factory rifle you prefer in
280ai ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
I have a Browning Western Hunter in 280 AI with a 26" barrel. This rifles loves Nosler factory ammo either 160 gr ABs or 160 gr Partitions and is a very accurate rifle. I have not been able to test any other ammo for this caliber. I have some 168 gr ABLRs that I'll start working on load development with soon. My personal thought is that most hunting calibers need a 24" barrel to really achieve their potential. This provides a slightly more maneuverable and lighter rifle for the spot and stalk type hunting I do in the mountains of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. As an example, I have a super light 6.5 x 55 with a 22" barrel that is my favorite mountain rifle and is very accurate. What I've read says you'll get about 25 fps more velocity per inch of barrel and if this is correct, you'd get about 100 fps higher velocity from a 26" barrel over a 22". The other reason to advocate for a longer barrel is with the right twist & bullet weight combination you'll have better spin and stabilization on the bullet. The Savage Ultralights are supposed to be very accurate and I doubt it would lack on accuracy or power out to 500 or 600 yds. All that being said, I am just of the opinion that a 24" barrel sits squarely in the middle of velocity + accuracy + weight / maneuverability.
 
The popularity of the 280AI seems to be growing. I decided to go with this chambering on a custom build to take advantage of the efficiency and the growing supply of components. Picked up a couple of hundred Peterson brass and continue to add to my supply of .284 pills to test. I like the ease of not having to fire form brass as well as reducing the need to trim brass with a 40 degree shoulder. Even though there is some factory ammo available, I am not sure I would go this direction, if I was not reloading.
 

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