Light bullets in 280AI

I use 143 Grain Hammer Hunters in my 280AI and its shoots lights out and has very little recoil. I absolutely love it. Has been like a lightening bolt on Deer and Antelope.

I have shot the 120 gr hammer hunters in a cooper 280ai Backcountry rifle. Shot it using 64.0 gr of H4831sc. Was able to get 3289 fps with .62 group. Has a 1-9 twist with 24 inch barrel. Still working on the load. This was just the first two tests.

I run the factory Nosler 140gr Accubonds, they consistently exceed the 3200fps box data. They have accounted for 11 one and done deer from 140yds to 306yds. Easy on the shoulder and extremely accurate. One did make it about 50yds, but that was entirely on me.

I think the boy is on to something, I say buy it and never look back.

Don't mean to over step the OP but the 6.5 PRC is one hell of a round. I have taken elk sized critters out to 500 yards with 140 grain Accubonds with absolutely no issues and they never got more than 10 feet from where the bullet hit them. As I stated above the AI is a super sweet caliber and I love it but my PRC is my go to gun for 600 yards and under.

Cbhunter said:

Is anyone using light bullets in their 280AI. I have a small frame 16 year old son that's fascinated with the cartridge, but he wants to run 140gn bullets on whitetail and antelope. I know next to nothing about the round, and have been reading up on it all day before we buy this rifle, but I'm not finding much about it with lighter bullets. Seems like it would be a nice flat shooting, low recoil round on paper. What's do your real world results look like?

Click to expand...

Cbhunter said:

The recoil is an issue in my mind, but not his at this point, but he hasn't shot anything larger than a 6.5 Creedmoor, but wants to step up in power on his own. We are going to shoot a friends 280AI this weekend. We'll see if he decides the 7-08 is more his speed.

Click to expand...

Cbhunter said:

This is very encouraging.

The worst part is I already bought a 6.5 PRC thinking he'd shoot it, but he got a 6.5 Creedmoor when everyone was crazy over them, and a couple guides we talked to didn't want him to bring that, so he's kinda stung and afraid the 6.5 PRC will turn out the same way. I've tried to tell him it's not the same, but he's got the 280AI in his head and he might have gotten a bit of stubbornness honestly.

Click to expand...

If your son can handle his 6.5 Creedmore and knows enough about guns to know he wants 140gn thru a 280ai then dont worry about recoil, he can adapt and manage it. 280ai is not a cannon and 140s are on the lighter side of that caliber.
I shoot a 140AH thru my 280ai at 3200fps no issues with recoil. And I dont use the brake that came with it.

You need to find a new guide.

Allen Kitts said:

Don't mean to over step the OP but the 6.5 PRC is one hell of a round. I have taken elk sized critters out to 500 yards with 140 grain Accubonds with absolutely no issues and they never got more than 10 feet from where the bullet hit them. As I stated above the AI is a super sweet caliber and I love it but my PRC is my go to gun for 600 yards and under.

Click to expand...

I have one. He wants something different

Thanks for all the responses. I'm now fairly confident my son will be fine with this cartridge. Rifle choices are limited in our findings. I have a couple bolts so we may end up with another one in short order.

140 BT's in my.280AI pushed by IMR4831 producing 3200+ fps is a nasty whitetail load. May be borderline for a youth, but if you have a brake it may work. I also shoot 143HH's with RL26 that is extremely accurate. Might be a tad too much for youth. I had not shot BT's since early 90's due to grenade like characteristics until Birddog68 told me Nosler redesigned them. Great whitetail bullet.

The 280 AI cult following really started with Kenny Jarrett and the "Beanfield Rifle" craze of the 90s. One of the early "accuracy" smiths building highly accurate rifles with synthetic stocks. 140 Nosler Ballistic tips were what most used and remain a great choice today. The 280 ai with faater twists bridged the gap to the modern trends, but you will not be sorry running 140s.

Lou

Cbhunter said:

This is very encouraging.

The worst part is I already bought a 6.5 PRC thinking he'd shoot it, but he got a 6.5 Creedmoor when everyone was crazy over them, and a couple guides we talked to didn't want him to bring that, so he's kinda stung and afraid the 6.5 PRC will turn out the same way. I've tried to tell him it's not the same, but he's got the 280AI in his head and he might have gotten a bit of stubbornness honestly.

Click to expand...

Sorry the guides put the mind set out there for you that 6.5 MM bullet wasn't enough. Those deer will definitely notice the .5 MM difference …….anyways 140s in my 280ai have a very manageable recoil very flat shooting and accurate. It's one of my favorite rounds your son will love it. It will have more recoil tho but running 120s would be another great option as well

A good friend of mine, and his brother, both swore by the 120gr NBT in the 7-08. They said it beat all they ever saw when it came to killing whitetail. Jerry had told me about one whitetail he killed at 500 yards with his 7-08 pistol that was drt. His brother Tom said that pistol had earned the nickname, the terminator. Lol.
I say shoot the 120's.
Anyway, here is some info on the 120 in Jerry's words.

J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2009

I've never cross sectioned one myself, but have heard on many occasions it has a thicker jacket than the 140 Ballistic tip.

This bullet is scary accurate in my 280AI..........all groups with this bullet and H4831sc are in the .156"-.210" range. For comparisons, the 140's (Ballistics and Accubonds) are a consistant 1/2" group. I know I'm probably being a little anal in the accuracy department, but with those 120's I feel I could "shoot a hummingbird in the lips".
Click to expand...
They will surprise you how well they work.

There best operating velocity is 1800 to 3000 ft/sec and guess what your velocity @ 100 yrds
is 3061 and at 700 yrds it is 1857 ft/sec. (perfect) !!

I use the 120gr Ballistic tip in my 7/08 and performance is outstanding.

They are at there best with soft tissue shot placement (Behind the sholder) especially at longer
distances.

I did not have as good a result using the 140 gr ballistic tip ,But I was not able to get the
velocity that you can in the 280.

Most of the guys I know that have a 280 use the 160gr accubond and love it.

I use the 120 on everthing from a turkeys head to 300+ pound hogs and have never been
anything but amazed at what it will do .

If you like high shoulder shots then I would recomend the Accubond to minimize meat damage.

J E CUSTOM

J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2009

After reading buzzguns post I had to settle this issue for my self.

I am and allways have been suprised by the performance of the 120gr ballistic tip so
I decided to prove it once and for all.

This is the way I did the test.

First I cut a piece of 1 and 1/2" stainless pipe 1 inch long.
Then after sand blasting a 120gr and a 140gr NBT I placed them on a piece of granite
protected by release agent .

Then I placed the piece of stainless pipe over the two bullets.

Next I mixed up some devcon and carefully poured the devcon in the pipe and coverd
the bullets.

After cureing I placed the specimen in my lathe and started facing it off .005" of an inch
at a time to keep it cool and not disturb the bullet or the core.

After cutting almost half way through I took demensions using a 6x magnifier and a electronic
vernier.

I had expected to find a thicker base on the 120 but they were the same(0.152 avg).

Next the wall thickness in 3 different locations. the readings for the 120 was 0.053avg and
the 140 was 0.041 avg.

After getting these readings I faced the test specimen down to the center line of the both
bullets for my finial readings.

The 120 wall deminsions were 0.043 avg and the 140 was 0.031 avg.

So the 120 gr NBT definitely has a 0.010 thousandth thicker jacket than the 140gr NBT.
By 20 + percent.

This test explaines a lot to me and puts the debate to sleep as far as I am concerned.

I know it was long winded but I wanted to make this test as accurate as possible and
unbiased.

J E CUSTOM

I have seen pictures of them sectioned and you can see the difference. Not sure if it's truth or internet legend but supposedly silhouette shooters were complaining that the 120 would not consistently knock over the ram targets so Nosler beefed them up. Either way it punches above it's weight class.

308win said:

The 120 BTs are little death rays! Running them out of my 7-08AI @ 3000fps hits deer like a lightning bolt. For my numbers, I figure them to be good out to 400yrds, with a 280AI I'm sure they'd be good to 500 or maybe a little more? Not for certain, but I understand them to be a slightly tougher construction than the 140s? IDK, but I do know they work! So much so, I'm thinking of trying them in my 7-300PRC just to see what they'll do?

Click to expand...

When he was first starting to shoot, he wanted a 6.5 Creedmoor so I bought him a Browning AB3 and loaded it with 120 Nosler BT. It was softer recoiling for the little fella and sure woke that Creedmoor up in my opinion. Here he is 11 years old and his best deer to date.

I used a 120 gr V-Max bullet on deer and antelope in my 7MM for about ten years. The load was easy on the shoulder and did a very good job of putting the animal down.