New build: 280 or 280 AI

[howco]

New member here, been lurking for awhile. I have a douglas barrel on order and cannot decide which way to go. Action will be on a 1500 Howa. I have seen older post, just looking for advice/regrets etc. I am a handloader. I am just looking to have a shooter built. As we all know components are tough to find. I am looking to thin the herd in the safe... I guess. Currently have 7wsm, 7Rm, 300 ultra and a few 308s. I just keep grabbing the 7mms. Guns are for hunting and punching paper only for practice. Thanks in advance for advice/opinions..

 

[MudRunner2005]

.280 a.i.

 

[kaseyfied]

280AI baby!!! I love mine.. and 280 brass is easy to find and form.. shoots the 168 lr accubonds and 168 bergers into same hole at 200.. u will love it

 

[FEENIX]

Welcome to LRH and enjoy!

Either one should serve you will in your intended purpose. However, for extra oomph, use the right reamer, right gauge, right dies, fire form your own brass with your own chambering, and go with the AI.

Good luck and happy safe shooting/hunting.

 

[azsugarbear]

I am a big AI fan. Have a 6.5-06 AI and building an "improved" 338 Lapua. I have found that the life of the brass is extended. The extra fps are just a nice bonus. I believe either Hornady or Nosler make brass in 280 AI. I would match the reamer and dies to their brass and not look back. You could also neck down Lapua 30-06 brass for the 280 AI and fireform to AI dimensions.

 

[lloydsmale]

since you allready have a 7 mag id say go for the standard 280. Its a dammed good round on its own merit. Much easier to sell too if you ever decide you want to get rid of it.

 

[TOM H]

Welcome,

I've got pretty nice 280AI also 284 on long action and I like what I have build. I really don't get into comparing so when decided on 280AI I wasn't looking at anything else.

Well good luck

 

[MudRunner2005]

Even though the .280 AI is near 7RM ballistics, it has its advantages over the belted magnum case.

I am a huge 7mm fan. I have lots of them. Including several 7mm Rem Mags. But I am in the process of getting parts for my .280 AI build.

For starters, you can get 150 fos slower than a 7RM with about 20gr less powder, so it s more efficient. Also, it uses non-belted cases so the brass lasts 2-3x as long. Better barrel life than the 7RM. Less recoil.

There's just alot of pro's, and very few cons. The only cons I see is that only a select few ammo mfgs make ammo for it (if you don't handload), and if you do handload, brass is moderately expensive compared to a regular common calibers. But in the end, I feel the caliber is worth every penny.

The pros far outweigh the cons.

 

[mmayberry]

280AI baby!!! I love mine.. and 280 brass is easy to find and form.. shoots the 168 lr accubonds and 168 bergers into same hole at 200.. u will love it

What is your load for the 168 ABLR and what distance to the lands have you found to work the best for the ABLR?

Thanks in advance, this would be a huge help.

MM

 

[howco]

Thanks for replies. I keep seeing all the pros as far as 280Ai also. Mudrunner and others, do you have a set of dies that perform vs another brand. Everything seems to be on back order, so I'm planning waaaay ahead before build arrives.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't have one yet, but have been studying into the caliber for a number of years. Once I get the money for my barrel blank, I will be taking it to the smith for him to do all the work. Then I will be buying dies & brass. I use RCBS equipment, but Redding also makes good stuff from what I hear. I'm fixing to be buying some Redding dies from another member (on Friday) for my .25-06 AI build (which will be the same rifle as the .280 AI, it will be a switch-barrel setup. So, I think with either brand you can't go wrong.