280ai on a budget

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280ai

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looking for a long range/mountain rifle. I'm set on the 280 ackley improved. Kimber chambers the 280ai but to order one up to the Yukon it'll be super expensive and complicated. I thought about buying a m700 mnt rifle in 280 and making it into an AI but it only comes in 22" barrel. I want at least 24". Not concerned about the extra weight. if I'm carrying 80lbs of meat out whats a couple extra ounces…
So I was thinking of looking for a second hand Rem 700, and putting a new barrel on it? I think it would be pretty easy to come across a second hand m700 but where would I get a 24-26" 280ai barrel from and what am I looking at for price of barrel, and smithing work to put it together?

thanks
 
280ai said:
looking for a long range/mountain rifle. I'm set on the 280 ackley improved. Kimber chambers the 280ai but to order one up to the Yukon it'll be super expensive and complicated. I thought about buying a m700 mnt rifle in 280 and making it into an AI but it only comes in 22" barrel. I want at least 24". Not concerned about the extra weight. if I'm carrying 80lbs of meat out whats a couple extra ounces…
So I was thinking of looking for a second hand Rem 700, and putting a new barrel on it? I think it would be pretty easy to come across a second hand m700 but where would I get a 24-26" 280ai barrel from and what am I looking at for price of barrel, and smithing work to put it together?

thanks
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P.S - when you have the 80 pounds of meat you are going straight downhill off the mountain to your camp or mode of transport... with the rifle, you are wandering around for days, mostly uphill... looking for your 80 pounds of meat... after 15,000 or so vertical feet, your 12 pound rifle feels like 1200 pounds.
 
What's your budget? Options are, buy a used 280AI that somebody has already put together would be your cheapest bet. Buy a 7mmRM and load it down to 280AI velocity. Lots of 7mmRM's kicking around. Nothing is cheap when you live in the north.

Russ...
 
Buy a used .280 with a 22 inch barrel and use it as is... then when you have several hundred dollars saved, have a custom 24 inch 280 AI barrel installed... if you still think you need it.
 
Other than buying a kimber or rechambering 280 your looking at $2000 for a decent build and a long wait. A LSS mountain in in 280 with a fiberglass stock or an XCR II if you have to have a 24" pipe, also with a fiberglass stock.
 
I wanted a 280 AI for a long time, so I found a new/ old Rem 700 BDL SS in 280 Rem and My Brother re-chambered it to the 280 AI.
It turned out to be a really accurate rifle, but after a couple hunting seasons it became a safe queen and I found myself carrying my 7X57 more.
Long story short, I ended up selling it to a hunting buddy and he loves it.
I still have another 280, but again it never gets used and will eventually go down the road, but having said that I do think the 280 Ackley is a fine cartridge and a superb one to reload.
My 700 had a 24" bbl. and after being re-chambered was very close to 7mm Rem Mag. performance.
 
I have to agree with the 7mm rem mag thing, especially if money is a factor.

Not as ###y as the 280AI, but it's commonly available, cheap, practical, and, did I mention, can be downloaded to match 280AI performance. You can always spend more money and time on an AI later, if you feel you just aren't cool enough with the 7mm rem mag; but you may also find that you're just fine with it, and more than a few bucks richer in the end.
 
Northman999 said:
I have to agree with the 7mm rem mag thing, especially if money is a factor.

Not as ###y as the 280AI, but it's commonly available, cheap, practical, and, did I mention, can be downloaded to match 280AI performance. You can always spend more money and time on an AI later, if you feel you just aren't cool enough with the 7mm rem mag; but you may also find that you're just fine with it, and more than a few bucks richer in the end.
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From my experience with both, you do not need to download a 7mm Rem. Mag. very far to reach 280 AI performance.
With most bullet weights probably midway between starting loads and maximum will easily get you to 280 AI velocity, if not slightly less.
Depending upon barrel length of the respective rifles involved, the 280 AI can be really close to the 7 RM and with less powder..
 
Kevan said:
From my experience with both, you do not need to download a 7mm Rem. Mag. very far to reach 280 AI performance.
With most bullet weights probably midway between starting loads and maximum will easily get you to 280 AI velocity, if not slightly less.
Depending upon barrel length of the respective rifles involved, the 280 AI can be really close to the 7 RM and with less powder..
Click to expand...

If you call 300-400 fps, depending on bullet weight and equivalent loads, "really close."
 
hoytcanon said:
If you call 300-400 fps, depending on bullet weight and equivalent loads, "really close."
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I do not know where you found your numbers but according to my chronograph the spread was 80-110 fps with several loads, some nearly identical.
With respect to velocity I will trust my chronograph rather than reading the numbers out of a loading manual.
 
I got my number from MY chrono... How "apples to apples" was your load comparison? My data on both came from 24" tubes on Rem 700 action builds... The bullets were the same weight Accubonds... And loads were max -5%... The difference (depending on powder) was 300-400 fps... Sure if you compare a max load of an efficient powder in one vs a sub-max load of an inefficient powder in the other, you can make the 280 AI "look" equivalent... I don't think too many who have reloaded for both .280 AI and 7mm Rem Mag would agree with you the they "are" equivalent in velocity or power.
 
hoytcanon said:
I got my number from MY chrono... How "apples to apples" was your load comparison? My data on both came from 24" tubes on Rem 700 action builds... The bullets were the same weight Accubonds... And loads were max -5%... The difference (depending on powder) was 300-400 fps... Sure if you compare a max load of an efficient powder in one vs a sub-max load of an inefficient powder in the other, you can make the 280 AI "look" equivalent... I don't think too many who have reloaded for both .280 AI and 7mm Rem Mag would agree with you the they "are" equivalent in velocity or power.
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Ok, now I did not say they ' are ' equivalent, I did say they were close and in my findings closer than 300-400 fps.
My 280 AI was an '80s 700 BDL, the 7mm Mags. were an early '70s BDL and a mid- '70s M65 Tikka.
With a 150 Nosler Pt. and a max load of RL 22 the 280 AI would just break 3000 fps, the 7RM BDL would be slightly over 3100 with an overmax load of the same powder.
The 7Mag Tikka was slightly slower because it had a shorter barrel.
My accuracy / hunting loads for both were 2990 for the Ackley and either 3050 or 3140 for the 7 Mags.
 
looking at my data the 22 inch 280ai i had runs right around what my 280 cooper with a 24 inch barrel does. both are less than two hundred feet behind my 7 mag with 24 inch barrel. all hand loads fairly hot with 140 ab. similar results with 160 grains as well for hunting there isn't a lot of difference between the rounds. if using factory ammo i'm sure the spread would be much greater.
 
Thanks guys. I'll get in touch with Rockchucker about a possible build. hoytcannon I'm not looking for a 12lb rifle but I was in the mountains for weeks last summer with an old mauser98 that probably weighed 8 lbs and I'm in good shape so I dont need a 5 1/2 lb rifle. looking for a stainless in a composite stalk so I dont beat up a nice walnut stalk. I had some frustrating experiences "spooking" sheep last summer so I want something that can reach out 500, 600 yrds and still be confident the bullets gonna have what it takes. I want the 280ai because I'd be reloading and if I can save a 1/3 of the powder and get within a couple hundred fps of the 7mm mag than why not? also I like to be different haha. btw why are all the 280's out there on 22" barrels?
 
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