284 or 280 AI??

[bjamin]

Hey! I thinking about building a light weight 4-500yd rifle for deer, sheep and maybe the odd elk. I just cant decide on a .284 win or a 280AI.
Anyone have either. What are your thoughts?

thanks

 

[chuck nelson]

My thought are I would build a 280 Remington. Unless you are set on a short action.

 

[bjamin]

No, I was going to use a long action either way

 

[asa]

I have a 280ai that I built, mine is not a lite weight hunter , I have a 27" benchmark heavy varmint fluted barrel I shoot 168gr berger,s at 2920fps. This gun is a tack driver and a pleasure to shoot, the last time out I was shooting clay pigeons at 645 yards and have shot this gun accurately to 1400yds

 

[Gatehouse]

If you are going to use a standard action, no reason to not go 7RM. Unless you just want a 280AI.

 

[werewolf]

Go .284, you can thank me later.

 

[guntech]

The AI costs a lot to get set up... I have had a couple. If I built 'another' it would be a plain .280 Rem. If I wanted more punch it would be a 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[bjamin]

If you are going to use a standard action, no reason to not go 7RM. Unless you just want a 280AI.

Im building a 7rm for my father, so i thought id change it up a bit.

 

[bjamin]

Im a reloader too so it kind of depends on what one has more powder options and brass availability,
looks to me like the 280ai has a little better of both?

 

[JamesM]

My thought are I would build a 280 Remington. Unless you are set on a short action.

This, since you can AI it later if the performance is found wanting.

 

[Boomer]

I bought a box of Nosler .280 Ackley brass last time I was in Winnipeg. The sticker shock was harsh; Lapua brass is reasonable by comparison! But I wanted a few so I had a basis of comparison for my fire formed brass, so I sucked it up. You'll find that .280 AI dies are expensive too, so if you go that route, over say a 7 Mag, do it because you really want that cartridge. That was my excuse, now I'm just waiting for the rifle. The funny thing is I have much more 7 mag brass, than .280, and I don't even own a 7 mag . . . at the moment.

A .284 chambered in a long action rifle has the advantage of lots of magazine length for seating out long bullets, but I prefer long cartridges to short, so between the two, the .280 would be my choice. I doubt there is much to choose between them in terms of performance, but in terms of performance, a 7 mag trumps the .284, the .280, and the .280 Ackley while adding nothing to the weight of the rifle, or to the cost of shooting.

 

[hoytcanon]

If your goal is a light rifle, choosing the .284 in a short action makes some sense... if the goal is a 400 yard performance cartridge on deer, a standard .280 will over it... if your "some elk" & "500 yards" requirements coincide, then don't do either... go with a 7 RM.

 

[SuperCub]

No, I was going to use a long action either way

6.5/06 or 270Win could be tossed into the mix as well.

 

[bjamin]

I bought a box of Nosler .280 Ackley brass last time I was in Winnipeg. The sticker shock was harsh; Lapua brass is reasonable by comparison! But I wanted a few so I had a basis of comparison for my fire formed brass, so I sucked it up. You'll find that .280 AI dies are expensive too, so if you go that route, over say a 7 Mag, do it because you really want that cartridge. That was my excuse, now I'm just waiting for the rifle. The funny thing is I have much more 7 mag brass, than .280, and I don't even own a 7 mag . . . at the moment.

A .284 chambered in a long action rifle has the advantage of lots of magazine length for seating out long bullets, but I prefer long cartridges to short, so between the two, the .280 would be my choice. I doubt there is much to choose between them in terms of performance, but in terms of performance, a 7 mag trumps the .284, the .280, and the .280 Ackley while adding nothing to the weight of the rifle, or to the cost of shooting.

Its more of a want than anything. Everyone has a 7mag and i have a 300wm for long range. So i'm just looking at something that shoots well and with a little less recoil

 

[remington jim]

No, I was going to use a long action either way

280 AI for sure in long action - its right there with the 7mm Rem Mag and a little less recoil and a little less powder used ! RJ

 

[remington jim]

If you are going to use a standard action, no reason to not go 7RM. Unless you just want a 280AI.

But Clark the 7mm Rem Mag has a BELT on it ! Snicker ! RJ

 

[Northman999]

If you just WANT a 280 AI then go that way; personally I like pretty much everything based on the 30-06 AI case. They're just great cases...

But there is no arguing that all the AI's suffer from being outperformed by their cheaper, simpler to get shooting, and more commonly available magnum big brothers.

 

[sunray]

Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at 4-500 yards? Most cartridges are not made for those distances anyway. And you need to look into the ballistics. A 139 grain .280 Rem drops 43.1" at 500 and has insufficient energy for either deer, sheep or elk.

 

[hoytcanon]

A 139 grain .280 Rem drops 43.1" at 500 and has insufficient energy for either deer, sheep or elk.

That depends on the distance you are zeroed at... if you zero for MPBR with a 4" KR... it doesn't even drop half of that... I am not near a calculator, but will check it later.

 

[Boomer]

Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at 4-500 yards? Most cartridges are not made for those distances anyway. And you need to look into the ballistics. A 139 grain .280 Rem drops 43.1" at 500 and has insufficient energy for either deer, sheep or elk.

Things have changed a bit since the .44-40 was considered cutting edge. Any cartridge that produces 2300 fps, can do pretty well at 500, if the rifle, the choice of bullet, and the shooter are up to it. No one would choose to shoot 500 yards with a 100 yard zero, so we can discount the 40" of drop. Few knowledgeable riflemen would choose a 139 gr Interlok if they knew a long shot would be made on a live target, but you might be surprised what can be done with a 140 gr TTSX from a 7X57 or a .280.