280 Ackley Improved questions

powder burner

powder burner

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Can this be easily resized from 3006 brass?

If I can’t find a 280AI, is it easy for a gunsmith to take a 280 Remington and turn it into a AI?

Are they finicky to reload for?

1:9 ratio likely best for 120-175 grain?


Thanks. This has really piqued my interest. Liking it because it’s almost a 7mag with less recoil and powder.
 
powder burner said:
Can this be easily resized from 3006 brass?

If I can’t find a 280AI, is it easy for a gunsmith to take a 280 Remington and turn it into a AI?

Are they finicky to reload for?

1:9 ratio likely best for 120-175 grain?


Thanks. This has really piqued my interest. Liking it because it’s almost a 7mag with less recoil and powder.
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My Kimber has a 9” twist and I shoot 168 ABLR’s out of it. 3/4” 3 shot groups. No different to reload than any other bottleneck cartridge. I’m using Nosler brass with a 280AI headstamp.
 
You can shoot standard .280 rem ammo and it will fireform to the AI. As RJ said above, if you resize .30-06 brass to .280 rem it will still need to be fireformed to become AI. I got over 3,000fps with 160gr bullets but haven't finished my load development yet, looks like their might be a node near max and one a couple grains above min.
 
powder burner said:
....

If I can’t find a 280AI, is it easy for a gunsmith to take a 280 Remington and turn it into a AI?

.....
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If you look on SAAMI chamber diagrams (available on Internet as ANSI documents), you will see that the shoulder to neck junction on a 280 Rem chamber is further away from the bolt face than on a 280 Rem AI. So, that means your gunsmith must remove barrel, add extra thread and move that barrel back at least 0.100" or so to correctly cut a new 280 Rem AI chamber into a barrel previously chambered for 280 Rem. It is not as simple as running in a 280Rem AI chamber reamer and calling that done - although has apparently been done that way... So, yes, it should be "easy" for your gunsmith to do - it is not complicated, but has to cut new shoulder and catch and then extend barrel thread, and shorten rear face of barrel - but maybe more than what you might have expected?

This means the barrel will be "set back" at least .100" from new - if you had very tight fit between stock and barrel, would no longer have that?
 
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powder burner said:
Can this be easily resized from 3006 brass?

If I can’t find a 280AI, is it easy for a gunsmith to take a 280 Remington and turn it into a AI?

Are they finicky to reload for?

1:9 ratio likely best for 120-175 grain?


Thanks. This has really piqued my interest. Liking it because it’s almost a 7mag with less recoil and powder.
Click to expand...

You can shoot 280 Remington ammunition out of a 280 AI to fire form the brass. A gunsmith can remove a barrel of a 280 Remington and ream it to a 280 AI. However, try to find a 280 Remington with a 26" barrel, almost non existent. The 280 AI is benefited the most with the 26 incher.
 
Potashminer said:
If you look on SAAMI chamber diagrams (available on Internet as ANSI documents), you will see that the shoulder to neck junction on a 280 Rem chamber is further away from the bolt face than on a 280 Rem AI. So, that means your gunsmith must remove barrel, add extra thread and move that barrel back at least 0.100" or so to correctly cut a new 280 Rem AI chamber into a barrel previously chambered for 280 Rem. It is not as simple as running in a 280Rem AI chamber reamer and calling that done - although has apparently been done that way... So, yes, it should be "easy" for your gunsmith to do - it is not complicated, but has to cut new shoulder and catch and then extend barrel thread, and shorten rear face of barrel - but maybe more than what you might have expected?

This means the barrel will be "set back" at least .100" from new - if you had very tight fit between stock and barrel, would no longer have that?
Click to expand...

Depends if you want the lettering on the barrel in the correct place, and whether or not you have iron sights too. If not, cut another thread and shorten the shank by a thread, and recut the chamber. If you just run the AI reamer into the chamber, you end up with, as Rocky Gibbs called it, A "morprodite chamber". Think 7 Gibbs with the AI shoulder. Barrel fit to the stock will have to be adjusted, though that isn't too difficult either. - dan
 
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powder burner said:
What speed are the 168s moving from the muzzle?
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I shoot 168gr Berger Classic Hunters in my 22.5" 280AI @ 2750 fps with RL22. Not a hot load, but shoots very well

I use RL26 to bump the speeds up on hunting ammo. This fall's ammo was 160gr Trophy Bonded Tip over enough RL26 to hit 2925 fps. From a more traditional 24" barrel the speed would be around almost 3000 fps
 
Has anyone 280AI a tikka t3? I’d probably need a 7mm08 to start with then changed bolt stops. I don’t think you could rechamber a 7mm mag?

Not many 280s on the shelves to get reamed out to 280AI. If I could find an affordable 280rem I’d have a good start.

Saw the savage long range in 280AI. Kinda fugly to have a sweet cartridge in it.
 
Browning shows 6 .280's in current production. I have one and couldn't be happier.
https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt/current-production.html

Or get a donor long action rifle (30-06, 270, etc) and get a new barrel chambered for 280AI by a gunsmith. Remington 700's are popular, affordable actions. There's quite a few on the EE starting at $750.
If you get a donor with a stock you like that's a bonus.
 
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