280 Remington - Is it a bad choice?

[Marine24]

Looking to build/buy a 7mm rifle and leaning towards the 280 Remington. I had a 7mm-08, which is a great caliber, but sold the rifle to a young man looking for his first deer rifle. I'm partial to the long actions.

I keep bouncing between the 280 Remington and the 280 AI. I know the latter is faster, more suitable for heavier bullets but factory ammo is more expensive. I've shot magnum calibers for years, with a preference for the 340 Wby but my shoulder and I have moved past that.

My goals are modest. Looking at a 6-700 yard rifle for mule deer and elk at closer ranges. I would like to shoot bullets in the 160gr+ range. Most factory 280 Rem ammo is in the 140-150gr range but there are some in the 160gr+ range.

I have a rifle in 6.5 CM but it is a target/hunting hybrid that is better suited as a long range target rifle.

Am I being ambitious sticking with the 280 Rem given my goals?

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

There is nothing wrong with the 280 rem. It's my favorite 06 based cartridge. It's what the 270 should have been.

 

[Hand Skills]

If you are shooting factory ammo, the AI might be a better choice as it's loaded to higher pressures (65,000psi vs the 280rem's 60,000psi). High performance ammo is easier to find. .280Rem factory ammo is notoriously slow (when it can be found) and I think your goal may be a bit ambitious in that context.

From a handloader's perspective, the gap closes quite a bit and the difference between the two is on the order of 1% (more like 50-75fps) when loaded to equal pressures. Handloading really opens up bullet sellection for this cartridge and in this context, the 280 Rem is perfectly suited to your needs.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Looking to build/buy a 7mm rifle and leaning towards the 280 Remington. I had a 7mm-08, which is a great caliber, but sold the rifle to a young man looking for his first deer rifle. I'm partial to the long actions.

I keep bouncing between the 280 Remington and the 280 AI. I know the latter is faster, more suitable for heavier bullets but factory ammo is more expensive. I've shot magnum calibers for years, with a preference for the 340 Wby but my shoulder and I have moved past that.

My goals are modest. Looking at a 6-700 yard rifle for mule deer and elk at closer ranges. I would like to shoot bullets in the 160gr+ range. Most factory 280 Rem ammo is in the 140-150gr range but there are some in the 160gr+ range.

I have a rifle in 6.5 CM but it is a target/hunting hybrid that is better suited as a long range target rifle.

Am I being ambitious sticking with the 280 Rem given my goals?

You will be good out to 700 yards with either one. I have a major man crush on the 280ai - I am waiting patiently for barrett to come out with a 280AI in the fieldcraft.

 

[CCAguns]

Hand Skills is dead on. I had a 280 Rem improved back in 1984. Still shooting it today and truly love the rifle. But if you handload, the standard 280 Rem will do all that you want and gives up little to the AI. The AI will give you more reloads as the case is considerably less tapered. If you buy factory ammo, the 280 AI will outperform the 280 Rem.

 

[Marine24]

I see what you mean. I would think it would be the opposite but see most 280 Rem factory loads for the 280 Rem runs around 2700 fps for the 156 to 160+ loads. Must be the 10mm of long guns.

Surprisingly, Rem Core-Lokt SP load is advertised at 2820 fps with the 165gr bullet. Ammo I was going to try out first was Doubletap's 280 Rem ammo. 160gr Sierra GameKing at 2905fps.

Handloading isn't a problem. Like to see if I can build a load around the Barnes 160gr TSX.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

ive been shooting the plain vanilla 280 for 15 years now. Ive yet to see the real need to Ai the cartridge, unless I was going with a long barrel (26+)

plug the numbers into your shooting app. add 125-150 FPS to simulate a 280 ai. youll find the added velocity is only a few extra clicks when shooting in your specified yardage you intend to hunt in.

 

[Marine24]

You will be good out to 700 yards with either one. I have a major man crush on the 280ai - I am waiting patiently for barrett to come out with a 280AI in the fieldcraft.

Know what you mean. There are a couple that are listed here that have caused me to post my question.

 

[Marine24]

ive been shooting the plain vanilla 280 for 15 years now. Ive yet to see the real need to Ai the cartridge, unless I was going with a long barrel (26+)

plug the numbers into your shooting app. add 125-150 FPS to simulate a 280 ai. youll find the added velocity is only a few extra clicks when shooting in your specified yardage you intend to hunt in.

Thanks. 24" barrel on your rifle?

 

[CCAguns]

I handload Nosler 160 gr Partitions to 2950 fps in my 280 AI. Excellent accuracy and have never recovered a bullet. Factory 280 Rem ammo that I shot prior to reaming the barrel chamber struggled to reach 2775 fps. Check the Hornady Superperformance figures for both. I've found the reported velocities of this factory ammo to be pretty accurate. Any premium 160 gr bullet at 2800-2900 fps will do the job!

 

[Bob Wright]

Just got mine built in 280AI. If you choose handloads there are many many bullet combinations that will perform well. The target is during load workup at 200 yards using a 145 Barnes LRX. Without seating test, it got me here, using Reloader 23.
I don't know about the 280 but the AI version is running this bullet at 3100 fps.
Very happy early on with this chambering. The barrel twist is 8.4 by the way and a brake is very helpful to the youngins in my family.

 

[crystalgayleguy]

either one you can't go wrong I have both

 

[Jud96]

Both are great cartridges. If I was building a rifle, I would go with the .280 Ackley. There's no disadvantage to it over the standard .280 Remington. Ammo is a little more expensive, and not as common. But the regular old .280 isn't very common and doesn't have many ammo options to begin with. You can always reload for the .280 Ackley and it will be nearly the same price to handload for it compared to the .280 Remington but it will be more powerful and offer better ballistics. If you're buying a factory rifle, then I would be open to both and be more worried about what rifle you find in either cartridge and what rifle suits you better. Both are fine cartridges.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

I have a 22 inch barrel on my 280 rem.