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Alright y'all I realize this belongs in " help me decide" but the brains are here so help me out. I'm wanting a long action hunting rig to back up my 300wn mag for elk and also work for heavy deer i.e. mulies out on the desert. The 280ai is calling my name but with the current situation with reloading parts I'm not sure. This rifle needs to be light weight .I will carry it for long hunts but
needs to launch 160gr at 3000fps. No magnums, have plenty of those already?
Ted
I don't know if you will get 3k on a 280AI, but who knows. People say they can touch the bottom end of the 7mmMag range with the AI. The only issue you will have with reloading it right now, is powder. I just got done building a regular 280rem for a long range gun and I really like the idea of a slightly flatter shooting 30-06 using bullets with better BC's that are almost always in stock. Plus You can run any stander 280 rem ammo in it or Nosler does make factory 280AI ammo. But I do believe there are 2 different specs for the 280AI chamber and issues can arise from using the nosler ammo in a different AI chambering or some crap like that. I read it on the interwebs so it must be true. Frankly though, the 280rem ain't no slouch. I like mine and if I can get the time i need to work up some loads and go and see what it can really do.
My only question is why do you need 3000fps out of it? Is it to get to a specific distance or is it to have enough energy to knock an elk down? IIRC getting a 160gr projectile to a MV of 3000fps is going to be tricky with the AI from what I can remember. Could be wrong though. But frankly, if you know how to shoot and know how your gun shoots, even a standard 30-06 has more than enough to take down an elk at 500yds or better. Especially if you have a well built gun that has good accuracy out of the gate. Which its hard NOT to do that with a Savage and any of the nicer prefits out there.
I will be following this one. I can't think of anything that fits the bill that does not require reloading.
Should be fun.
I was looking for ideas on some other calibers I will be reloading for this rig hopefully I can find what I need. Sortafast 30-06 is a fine caliber but I have a 300wn mag. Yes I want the velocity to help with energy as much as possible. This will be a deer hunting rifle and a back-up for elk so I need the heavy bullet. Also, when I hunt over east there is the likelihood of a long shot say out to 700yd+. I have seen load data for 280ai with the 160gr slightly over 3000fps with a 26'' barrel and a variety of different powders. 284win is close,280rem, 6.5x284?
I bought a .280 Rem, thinking I might rebuild it as a .280 AI. Then I decided the .280 in factory form would do what I need. Why go to an AI to add 100fps when the 7mm Rem Mag is only another 100fps beyond that? Didn't seem worth the hassle to make a 7 Mag-Light when I have 7mm Rem Mags, already. I'm building a 6.5X55 AI right now, but that was more because I needed to use a .264" barrel that had been sitting, a long action receiver I got cheap, and 6.5X55 brass is the cheapest in Lapua's lineup.
I also have 7rm it's heavy and as posted this is a skinny barrel build need to pack it all day in excess of 10mi at times. The load data I've been looking at has velocity diff with 160gr at 200+fps with the possibility of a long shot that will help. Nosler has 280ai brass I think they standardized the cartridge beside, can fire form with 280 brass no hassle. My 300wm is light but I don't enjoy shooting it, hard for me to be confident with it. Another good reason to fill up a spot in the safe so to speak.
Funny you would mention 280AI I just bought one of the 280AI barrels I saw mentioned on this forum and am in the process of converting a stevens 30-06 with it. I decided to see what kind of lightweight mountain rifle I could build when I saw the light contour on this barrel. Nothing fancy but I stiffened the forearm with two pieces of carbon fiber arrow and a whole tube of JB weld. I also installed a 1in pressure point made of wood and will bed it with some silicone just to stabilize this light barrel. I also put 6 coats of a flat black paint on the stock and will do a silver spider web job on it later this week. As luck would have it my gunsmith had a used 7mm vais brake off a 7mag that he sold me for 50 dollars and is turning it down so that it transitions nicely to this thinner barrel .
When it is done I will try to post some pictures here.
Have you considered the 300WSM? You can build one on a 22" light barrel and it will get you 3k from a 160g....you can also get 3k from a 160g Nosler Partition in a 270WSM...I really love my 270WSM...I have taken moose, deer and elk with it without hesitation...it kills them DRT! Those are the two non-belted cal's that come off the top of my head....I hunted elk for years with a 308 with 165g Partitions and never though twice, but certainly not at 3k....
emt a short mag is in my future. how is the recoil with your 270wsm? rooster good luck with your build. how long is your barrel? my buddy shoots a 260rem, 26'' lilja skinny on a remmy action that rings the gong at a 1000yd. it is free floated beyond the typical 1'' barrel bedding for rem 700. for my build a 284win is close but the 280ai has my attention. I have found a 111 in 270, metal dbm, top bolt release for $340. I'm gonna go put my hands on it!
The recoil of my 270WSM (which is a Tikka T3 Stainless Lite) is less felt than the recoil of my 270 Win (which is a heavier Remington 700 BDL)