Buck1970
Well-Known Member
I studied the kimber hard before getting the xbolt
280 AI Production Rifle Recommendation
- Thread starter Bominiscious
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Same powder? Try another powder. How far off the lands?
Buck1970
Well-Known Member
Yes
40 thousands off
Factory bedding? Did you take it out of the stock to adjust the trigger or replace the spring? If so, dollar to a donut the action is trying reseat itself, Browning bedding is extremely tight and hard to get to reseat properly.
I relieve a little material in front of the recoil lug to aid seating, then reinstall the action, over torque the front screw and then back the rear screw out and let it sit overnight, loosen and torque both to 35in lbs. Check it with a dial indicator to see if it is moving when I loosen and do the final retorque. If it's moving, I bed the recoil lug and rear tang.
I relieve a little material in front of the recoil lug to aid seating, then reinstall the action, over torque the front screw and then back the rear screw out and let it sit overnight, loosen and torque both to 35in lbs. Check it with a dial indicator to see if it is moving when I loosen and do the final retorque. If it's moving, I bed the recoil lug and rear tang.
^this.
Browning xbolt 280ai 8 twist here. I can seat out to 3.570 coal to fit and feed from my magazine length. I can seat out to 3.510" coal where I touch the lands with my bullet.
I recommend an 8 twist to take advantage of longer higher BC bullets.
I bought a new Browning Xbolt Hells Canyon Speed Long Range 280AI. Still in the box. Waiting on my scope. I have been buying heavier bullets to try.
Hornady ELD X 162 175 M 162 180 gr.
Nosler Accubond LR 168gr
Berger 168 gr vld 175 gr Hunter 180 gr VLD. I owned a Kimberly 84l hunter 280AI. Never hunted with it sold it. Almost bought a Savage ultralight 280AI. But I wanted a 24 inch or longer barrel. I seen Browning offered a 1@8 and a 26 inch barrel. I went with a Browning
Hornady ELD X 162 175 M 162 180 gr.
Nosler Accubond LR 168gr
Berger 168 gr vld 175 gr Hunter 180 gr VLD. I owned a Kimberly 84l hunter 280AI. Never hunted with it sold it. Almost bought a Savage ultralight 280AI. But I wanted a 24 inch or longer barrel. I seen Browning offered a 1@8 and a 26 inch barrel. I went with a Browning
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adk hunter
Well-Known Member
Do yourself a gigantic favor and buy one here in the classifieds. More money up front, sure, but you will be waaaaay ahead in a few years.
Savage ultralites are awesome, have one myself. The stock sucks, but there are aftermarket options. I saw recently greyboe makes one now. Mine in 6.5CM shoots ridiculously good. Had a 3/16" group at 150 yards once with it. 143 ELD-X over H4350. Light as can be too. Those proof research barrels are fantastic.
I've been watching for the last month and haven't had anything show up that was in budget. But I'm not in a hurry so I will keep watching
txaggie1
Well-Known Member
If I had a large enough gun store to go hold several models being considered so you can see the difference in the rifles even if they aren't chambered in the 280AI I would do that. My experience with this caliber is you want to make sure you love the rifle - resale on it tends to stink. Unfortunate because incredibly accurate round - I owned a montana 1999 that was semi custom spiral fluted barrel sold to my son's father in-law who had to be talked into the caliber by my son because he had one in montana 1999 i bought him years prior. Got mine in a trade, great gun it was right handed and i'd reached a point in my life if it's not a southpaw or a single-shot I don't need it. Plus I'm a wby collector guy - so having said that yes i'm a fan of the 280AI offerings in wby. But the ones I like will push the budget - I have over half a dozen backcountries and those LW rifles all shoot IMO.
The montana 1999 if they had them available I would tell you to get one in a heartbeat, sad they went down fine rifles for the money. They remind me of kimbers, look and feel pretty similar - I can not verify similar accuracy.
My brother in-law purchased a BC wby model in this chambering after playing with mine and my kids it's a shooter. My son loads 160's in his montana which I believe is 1-9. The hunter model in mark v or the new 307 model won't break the bank. There is a sweet BC Ti model on GB with a $7-800 scope on it that isn't a terrible deal for a rifle that will go north of $3k.
I go back to just make sure you like the rifle first and i'm sure you will not be disappointed with the caliber i'm sure, allot of options if you load which you stock up on brass!
Good luck,
The montana 1999 if they had them available I would tell you to get one in a heartbeat, sad they went down fine rifles for the money. They remind me of kimbers, look and feel pretty similar - I can not verify similar accuracy.
My brother in-law purchased a BC wby model in this chambering after playing with mine and my kids it's a shooter. My son loads 160's in his montana which I believe is 1-9. The hunter model in mark v or the new 307 model won't break the bank. There is a sweet BC Ti model on GB with a $7-800 scope on it that isn't a terrible deal for a rifle that will go north of $3k.
I go back to just make sure you like the rifle first and i'm sure you will not be disappointed with the caliber i'm sure, allot of options if you load which you stock up on brass!
Good luck,
Buck1970
Well-Known Member
Yes, adjusted the trigger to 3 1/2lbs, as low as it will go without replacing the spring. I'd like to put in the other spring but I want to get it shooting before spending more on it.
I'm going to throw a curveball into the conversation. I have an older stainless Tikka T3 in 270 that is just sitting in the safe but is in a nice manners stock. Maybe I will just rebarrel that to 280 AI. Would love to hear some thoughts on that as an option or does it make more sense to just go with a Browning, Weatherby, Kimber, etc.? 
I would do it in a heartbeat.I'm going to throw a curveball into the conversation. I have an older stainless Tikka T3 in 270 that is just sitting in the safe but is in a nice manners stock. Maybe I will just rebarrel that to 280 AI. Would love to hear some thoughts on that as an option or does it make more sense to just go with a Browning, Weatherby, Kimber, etc.?
7mm man,
Thanks! I'd like to get two rifles anyway so that I can give one to my son, so maybe I will start with the re-barrel and then start doing some load development with that. Later in the year I could pick up a production rifle.
New question, what is the fastest way to get one rebarrelled? Are pre-fit barrels the way to go and do I want one with a shoulder? This is new territory for me, but I have a Gunsmith locally, who is very reputable, and could spin a barrel on for me pretty quickly. In fact, he rebarrelled another Tikka for me last year with a preferred barrel blanks 7MM rem mag. But I had to wait three months for that barrel and I'd like to move more quickly on this project as we have some vacation time set aside in May to spend a couple days shooting on our hunting lease.
