Best Bolt Action in 280 Ackley Improved?

I made one of these with a 26" McGowan barrel 1:8 twist . With a Winchester model 70 action .

It shoots lights out
 
Being a lefty, my choices are very limited without having a custom rifle made. I'm having my LH Remingon 700 SPS 30-06 rebarrelled with an ER Shaw custom barrel in 7AI. It's very affordable, and I don't have to change bolt head or any special modifications. The rifle is already mounted in a Bell & Carlson Alaskan with full-length aluminum bedding and has a Timney trigger.
Would you consider something other than a Tikka?
 
Had a sweet remage 700 in 280AI , wish I wouldn't have traded it away. Stupid stupid stupid. Ugh! Live and learn i guess.
 
I'll stick with the original question regarding 280 AI in a factory rifle. I just checked several of my vendors and for under 2K the Kimber, Weatherby 307 Alpine ST, Browning X-Bolt 2 in several variants and Christensen are all available. Browning and Weatherby have 1-8 twist, Christensen and Kimber are 1-9. I am a dealer and what I pay is not what you may find at your local gun shop, wholesale is between $1600 and $1900 just as a reference.

If you wanted to go the Tikka route as so many have suggested and don't care about bolt fluting, any 7mm non magnum (as in 7-08) can be rechambered to 280 AI. Tikka and Sako barrels typically shoot well and you may not need to buy a barrel, just rechamber the one that came on the rifle. You would buy long action magazines and a long action bolt stop. However, by the time you do all of that and add the cost of smithing services, you've potentially spent 2k or more, especially if you buy a barrel. If you can find one, buy a used Tikka of any non magnum, 308 bolt rifle and build it from that.
 
Please tell us more. What barrel, length, etc. I have a featherweight I have thought of rebarreling to an 280 Ackley. I have two 280 Ackleys already, but I have a lot more 06's.
Actually, I fitted an XTR barrel in 7x57 with the 8.25" twist, rechambered to 280 AI so it's 22" in featherweight profile of course.
Looks like a standard XTR but shoots 140gn TTSX's at 3200fps which is the same velocity I get from my 26" barrelled 7 Rem and I'm still using Nosler book loads.
 
Weatherby makes the 6 lug Mark V Hunter in 280AI.
Weighs about 7lbs.
Shops near me were selling them in the $1,300 range.

Currently I'm saving up for a barrel to build my 280AI.
Savage Axis II action.
Will be a fairly inexpensive build.

What barrel are you going to go with and what stock? I've done several savage rebarrels and all of them were fun and they shoot very well.
 
Pretty sure Browning chambera in this round.

Tikka has 270win and 7rm offerings. About the same performance.
 
Actually, I fitted an XTR barrel in 7x57 with the 8.25" twist, rechambered to 280 AI so it's 22" in featherweight profile of course.
Looks like a standard XTR but shoots 140gn TTSX's at 3200fps which is the same velocity I get from my 26" barrelled 7 Rem and I'm still using Nosler book loads.
Thank you
 
My current 280AI rifle is HVA. Action with a 24 " BenchMark #1 contour 1-8 twist barrel - Wildcat Stock with Epoxy Paint - Timney Trigger Leupold 4.5x14 VX111i in Talley LW s it's the one in my avatar Cerakoted too
Pretty light rifle 👍. Just over 7 lbs
 
Last edited:
Build your own with the gun being exactly how you want it .I did this on mine. Kelblys nanook action, proof barrel, trigger tech diamond, manners lrh custom painted by me, arc rings and a tangent theta 315m NOT CHEAP BY ANY MEANS but absolutely how I wanted and shoots amazing.
 

Recent Posts

Back
Top