Talk me out of a 280 AI

[Frostbite Slim]

I have a Winchester Model 70 (post-'64), currently chambered in .30-06. I'm about to start gunsmithing school and I have to have a Model 70 project. I am not a huge fan of belted magnums (nothing wrong with them, I'm just not a fan), but it seems as though the 280 Remington Ackley Improved approaches the performance of the 7mm Remington Magnum ("approaches", as in .308 to .30-06). Why shouldn't I use this as my project?

 

[MudRunner2005]

The .280 AI is one of my all-time favorite calibers. There is absolutely no reason NOT to use it.

Are you going to be using an Ackley spec reamer or a SAAMI/Nosler spec reamer?

 

[Frostbite Slim]

The .280 AI is one of my all-time favorite calibers. There is absolutely no reason NOT to use it.

Are you going to be using an Ackley spec reamer or a SAAMI/Nosler spec reamer?

I'm researching both reamers right now, maybe your experience(s) would help my knowledge base. Do you have any insight?

 

[MudRunner2005]

The reason I would choose the SAAMI/Nosler spec reamer is because Nosler makes .280 AI brass. And if you use the Nosler spec reamer, there is no reason why the Nosler spec brass won't work.

Some claim there is no difference, others claim there is. I don't know for a fact who is correct...

But, just for simplicity sake, I would use the Nosler spec reamer for use with the Nosler AI brass.

Just my $0.02

Good luck on your project, and with gunsmith school. I have thought about going for years, because I already work on my own rifles (other than blueprinting the actions), but have not yet. I am a custom metal fabricator by trade, so I figure it wouldn't be too big of a learning-curve for using lathes and mills. Working on guns all day would be my dream job. But currently it isn't feasible for me to quit work to go to gunsmithing school full-time. Maybe someday.

 

[cowboy]

There may be other non magnum calibers as good but there is none better than the 280AI.

Take Mudrunners advise on using the current SAAMI reamer - been there done that - twice before Nosler had the 280AI SAAMI approved. Not only can you get brass from Nosler you can now get the "correct" dies from a number of manufacturers.

I would guess that there are a lot of 280AI's out there that were built prior to the SAAMI spec that are not using the correct dies for their chambers now that die manufactures are building dies to Noslers SAAMI spec.