280 ai

powder burner

powder burner

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Wish more manufacturers would chamber this. Seems like an ideal western game cartridge. 160 moving at 3000 fps.

Seems like savage and kimber are the only “affordable” options, although they seem a tad overpriced.
 
pathfinder76 said:
The 7MM Remington Magnum exists. 3000fps is a much easier target in it than the 280AI
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Don't you usually get 1 more round in the mag with the 280 though? I do agree that the 7mm rem mag is a major reason why the 280 (and 280ai) isn't more popular though. With 270win on one side and 7RemMag on the other the 280 is wedged between two very popular options that do much the same job.

If I ever build a rifle with the intention of having one rifle for all my hunting needs it would be hard to NOT make it a 280ai. There are faster 7mms out there, sure, but I don't take 600+yd shots on game so I don't need the extra umph of a Nosler or STW.
 
The problem is, one extra round in the magazine isn’t selling rifles. The 7mm RM has too much of a head start. The 280 AI is a great round, but it is competing with the most popular 7mm round to ever exist. A tough row to hoe.
 
The 280AI is a perfect combination of moderate recoil and excellent performance, easy to hand load for, Peterson aftermarket brass is of excellent quality, more and more factory ammunition options available, Nosler, Hornady, Federal and now Weatherby, its the rifle/cartridge I grab for everyday hunting.

Weatherby should chamber their Vanguard line up in the 280AI and they would sell like hot cakes......and same goes for Tikka.....would be an ideal hunting platform in the Tikka and would be flying off the shelves in North America......
 
remington jim said:
Yea ! Absolutely one of the BEST there is and I don’t Understand with the Popularity of the Tikka T3X rifles it is not ? Makes NO sense at All ! RJ
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tikka is selling a lot of 7x64 and 7mm rem t3x so i doubt they will a 3rd 7mm in their line. beside of a little western us and canada the 7x64 and 7mm rem mag are already meeting up what is needed. that doesnt mean it will not be a great extra options and some already done the conversion on t3x.
 
powder burner said:
Wish more manufacturers would chamber this. Seems like an ideal western game cartridge. 160 moving at 3000 fps.

Seems like savage and kimber are the only “affordable” options, although they seem a tad overpriced.
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You’re quoting about 100 fps faster than what is realistically and safely obtainable in the 160gr. bullet weight for the .280 Ackley.

The .280 Ackley Improved 40* cartridge checks a lot of boxes, so much that I had one built, I absolutely love it, 150gr. Nosler Partitions at 3000 fps don’t disappoint, deer, moose, elk, they all die and I’ve yet to recover a bullet.

But to claim the cartridge does what a 7mm REM Mag does is stretching the realities.

If you want a .280 Ackley so bad, get one built.
 
Dead simple to swap the barrel off a T3X in 270 or 30-06 to the 280AI. Probably what I should have done, but I went full custom on a Defiance AnTi and AG composites carbon stock--I don't regret it, the rifle shoots awesome!
 
Highland Arms out of Calgary takes 7-08 tikka’s and rechambers the factory barrel for 280AI. My buddy picked one up and has it in a Wildcat Stock. Pretty sweet light rifle. Under MOA shooting hand load 145lrx just over 3000fps. He bought it after falling in love with my Kimber hunter in 280ai but I wouldn’t sell it to him ����#♂️
 
Cletus26 said:
Highland Arms out of Calgary takes 7-08 tikka’s and rechambers the factory barrel for 280AI. My buddy picked one up and has it in a Wildcat Stock. Pretty sweet light rifle. Under MOA shooting hand load 145lrx just over 3000fps. He bought it after falling in love with my Kimber hunter in 280ai but I wouldn’t sell it to him ����#♂️
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Right On ! RJ
 
Cletus26 said:
Highland Arms out of Calgary takes 7-08 tikka’s and rechambers the factory barrel for 280AI. My buddy picked one up and has it in a Wildcat Stock. Pretty sweet light rifle. Under MOA shooting hand load 145lrx just over 3000fps. He bought it after falling in love with my Kimber hunter in 280ai but I wouldn’t sell it to him ����#♂️
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Thats a great idea! Even better than swapping the barrel.
 
Crashman said:
Thats a great idea! Even better than swapping the barrel.
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Makes me wonder what they charge... I can only imagine it's cheaper than rebarreling, and it's not like tikka factory barrels can't shoot well, but how much cheaper is it really going to be when you factor in Smith time and the extra parts (long action bolt stop and mag I would think? I'm not super familiar with tikkas but I think that's what you need to go from SA to LA caliber)?
 
Suther said:
Makes me wonder what they charge... I can only imagine it's cheaper than rebarreling, and it's not like tikka factory barrels can't shoot well, but how much cheaper is it really going to be when you factor in Smith time and the extra parts (long action bolt stop and mag I would think? I'm not super familiar with tikkas but I think that's what you need to go from SA to LA caliber)?
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Not that bad really
 

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Slimbo said:
Except t3x are now 1400 and a “gunsmith” just quoted me 450 dollars to rechamber one…
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$1300 for the stainless at Cabelas, can't imagine they're the best price in town either.

So $350 for a rechamber, plus a long action magazine and bolt stop I'm assuming? Not crazy expensive, less than half the price of a prefit IBI barrel... but $1650 for a tikka with a factory barrel feels kinda pricey...
 
Zero reason to go 280ai in a tikka. Just buy one in 7 rem mag and enjoy more speed and cheaper ammo. They both only hold 3 in the magazine. You can’t seat bullets way out either and red line pressure to try and catch up. The fatter case will always win.

This company reminds me of the dingus on the EE slapping tikkas in bell and Carlson stocks then trying to flip them for 2k.
 
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