280AI or 7mm Remington Mag?

[Ron Milby]

I'm building a rifle to donate as a fundraiser to the folks at Yellowstone Bible Camp. I have a 7mm barrel Remington long action and long action McMillan stock. I'm trying to decide on caliber, which would you rather have? I think the 280ai is cooler but the 7rm has much more factory ammo support. The goal is to raise money for the camp so I guess the question is which do you think would appeal to more folks?

+1 for the 7 Rem Mag

 

[Sam Summey]

I'm building a rifle to donate as a fundraiser to the folks at Yellowstone Bible Camp. I have a 7mm barrel Remington long action and long action McMillan stock. I'm trying to decide on caliber, which would you rather have? I think the 280ai is cooler but the 7rm has much more factory ammo support. The goal is to raise money for the camp so I guess the question is which do you think would appeal to more folks?

I have a 280AI that I built 16 years ago, it uses 10-15% less powder and surrenders only about 100 fps to the 7mm Mag as long as the bullets are 165ish and below. I will take it to Colorado this Nov to hunt Elk using 162g Hornady ELD-X. I do not feel "under gunned". 280 AI ammo is becoming more and more common with Federal, Nosler and Hornady loading for it. It is a more tame (less recoil) than the 7 Mag. As a gunsmith I put a lot of muzzle breaks on magnum rifles.

 

[Sam Summey]

Since you said you already have an action....let's make it really easy. What bolt face do you have?
.473...go .280AI
.532...go 7RM.
See how easy that was?

Remington magnum bolts are plentiful on e-bay.

 

[David Zimprich]

That is very generous of you, what ever you choose to build. What a great cause I hope that you get a lot of bids and raise a lot of money.
Best of luck to you.

 

[crystalgayleguy]

how about the other auction items or is the rifle the only thing being auctioned off

 

[Eagle_93]

That's a great idea OP.

I do agree with others on the forum, that most people would be familiar with the 7 mag over the 280ai.

 

[Pacecount]

1 vote RM

Reason:
You can shoot heavier high BC rounds from the RM

 

[Partagas]

7mm rem mag for a fundraiser. What about the 28 nosler for another option?
Is this Jim and Andrea Hawthorne's camp?

 

[preventec47]

Think of the many orphaned exotic for a while wildcat cartridges many of which you cant even get reloading components for. What a crying **** waste. There already exists a cartridge to do anything anybody wants to do. It ****es me off to see mfgrs continually coming out with new stuff that copies existing stuff just for the sake of being new. However it is true that a concentration of interest like here on this forum exists that loves to discuss all the new experimental futuristic stuff etc. You always have to ask yourself where will that cartridge (that was a hot flash in the pan when introduced) be in five or ten years. I have a pretty much golden rule. If the major retailers do not stock the ammo then avoid in like a bad disease.

I own a 7mm Rem Mag as it is the most powerful round with the best trajectory of any cartridge in the top TEN list of cartridges sold around the world. Indeed likely the top five and that is saying something because the top three exist primarily because of the Military.

I was in a pawn shop not long ago and there was a super exotic Weatherby caliber that the guy could not sell for $150 with scope because it was a cannon intended for Africa and no deer hunter would ever want it to knock his shoulder off..... anyway... getting off the subject. Get something that is universally popular and that AINT a 280AI. Honestly I have seven rifles and 14 pistols and I load for five calibers and I dont even know what a 280AI is without googling. Unless the auction attendees are all members of a reloading club, it would be stupid not to pick the 7mm Rem Mag. This assumes no other options are available. If there was, I would auction a 270. The 270 is more efficient and equally as popular as the 7mm Mag.

On the other hand, If I were you I would scour all the local pawn shops real quick to see what is available cheap that could be cleaned up for presentation. You might find a desperate seller with a very nice condition gun. when you are holding it up in front of a gun crowd at auction, they cannot tell that is is not new or as good as new or even not quite as good as new.

I must admit, every firearm I own was bought in a pawn shop. I just wont pay retail or even market value used for any firearm.

 

[nicholasjohn]

I would like to have a 7MM Mauser. Don't have one anymore
and I miss it.

Zeke

Zeke,

I would, too - but I think we may be in the minority on that one. I think that most guys would prefer the 7RM, and name recognition is everything. That said, a 7 X 57 would be the coolest thing ………..

Nick

 

[J E Custom]

I'm building a rifle to donate as a fundraiser to the folks at Yellowstone Bible Camp. I have a 7mm barrel Remington long action and long action McMillan stock. I'm trying to decide on caliber, which would you rather have? I think the 280ai is cooler but the 7rm has much more factory ammo support. The goal is to raise money for the camp so I guess the question is which do you think would appeal to more folks?

The original cartridge would help decide. If it was a 25/06, 270, 280 30/06 or a 35 Whelen there would be very little changes to the action to make a 280 AI. If this is the choice, I would recommend chambering it like PO Ackley recommended so the recipient could shoot ether the 280 ammo or the fire formed version as an AI for the extra benefits.

If it were a belted mag, the 7 mm Rem Mag would be the best/easiest choice.

J E CUSTOM

 

[sodakota]

I have 3ea. 7mm RM and one 280AI.

I like the .284 diameter bullets. I like both and I like the 280 too. I would go with the 7mm RM for the same reasons many have stated above.

 

[lyotehunter]

make it winners choice I would think you would have more interest.

 

[1greywolf]

A lot of members say they wouldn't bid on a 7rm , most of the people bidding would probably do so because this might be the only way they will be able to get a custom rifle . Just my two cents