I Think I Need a New Cartridge

So after much research for something outside my wheelhouse of cartridges, I have determined I need a .280 AI.
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LOL! … So much for your research. :rolleyes: The .280AI is right up there with the 6.5 Manbun and the 6.8 Neckbeard. And maybe the Lazzeroni line as well.

Scarce factory ammo makes it a tedious handloading proposition, which in turn means a huge expenditure of time at the reloading bench followed by the obligatory range time to vet those handloads.

Nope. Commonly available cartridges can cover all your bases.

:cool:
 
Scarce factory ammo makes it a tedious handloading proposition, which in turn means a huge expenditure of time at the reloading bench followed by the obligatory range time to vet those handloads.
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I think you need to get out a bit more. It may not be as common as 308, but there is ammo available.
 
JustJake said:
LOL! … So much for your research. :rolleyes: The .280AI is right up there with the 6.5 Manbun and the 6.8 Neckbeard. And maybe the Lazzeroni line as well.

Scarce factory ammo makes it a tedious handloading proposition, which in turn means a huge expenditure of time at the reloading bench followed by the obligatory range time to vet those handloads.

Nope. Commonly available cartridges can cover all your bases.

:cool:
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No more time than what I already spend reloading. And I always vet my handloads. Literally what I do for fun, so that does not seem like a con to me.
 
The 280 AI is IMO a top classic cartridge design, it just "seems right" in the balance of powders it can use, efficient ignition and gives you the room you need to explore the complete range of 7mm projectiles. And it's accurate. Very accurate.
 
Scarce factory ammo makes it a tedious handloading proposition, which in turn means a huge expenditure of time at the reloading bench followed by the obligatory range time to vet those handloads.
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That's the whole point, though most of us would change "tedious" to a happier adjective. I'm fixin' to spend some time at the reloading bench on 257 Roberts, 250-3000, and 300 Savage, followed by, well not obligatory because I'm not obligated to do so, but rather relaxing time at the range.

I've not tried any of Ackley's "improved" rounds, and I admit to being a skeptic. But I'll be very interested to hear the results.
 
There's nothing tedious about reloading the 280 AI--in fact it is extremely flexible in just about all respects (bullets, powder, COL, seating etc).

This thread has inspired me--here's some 190 VLDs seated to 3.478":)

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According to a recent survey, most deer prefer to be shot with a high BC bullet. This would exclude the .270 winchester. If you have a m an bun a 6.5 creedmore would be perfect!
 
According to a recent survey, most deer prefer to be shot with a high BC bullet. This would exclude the .270 winchester. If you have a m an bun a 6.5 creedmore would be perfect!
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Not true--manbunnery has come even to .270 with the recent introduction of ultra-high BC bullets and high twist barrels.
 
Except for the bigger 7mm bullets--they are actually quite hard to find right now much under 168 grs. I had to cough up big bucks for these cutting Edge 130 gr MTH solids, the only ones I could find in that weight. Just loaded some into 7mm-08. Maybe not manbunnery--but definitely semi-quiche.:D

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JustJake said:
Yep. A commonly available cartridge with a field-proven rep. :)

And no man-bunnery. :rolleyes:
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I am not sure why people throw around the whole "field proven" ideal. Think about it this way. What difference would being field proven make exactly? Being older somehow makes it better? the 280AI is to the 7mm-08 Rem what the 30-06 Springfield is to the 308 Win.

With the 280AI I can shoot heavier bullets and do so at the same speed the 7mm-08 will launch the lighter bullets. By your logic, instead, we should all be shooting the 30-06, or 7x57. Let us not forget that Ackley was shooting the 280 AI and nearly generating 7mm Remington magnum velocities before Remington introduced the 7mm Remington magnum in 1962.

The idea here is that I do not want a 7mm-08. I want to shoot heavier bullets faster than the 7mm-08 is capable of doing. And I want to do it without using a belted case, and using less powder than the 7mm Remington magnum. See what you think is a bad choice, is a choice I made after carefully considering what I wanted, and how best to get it.

Also, how about the fact that the 280 Rem, 280AI, and the 7mm Remington magnum all predate the 7mm-08. Even though the 280 AI was not standardized until 2007.
 
Honestly, seems like you have your bases covered pretty well. Based on what you have it seems to be splitting hairs with the 280ai.

If you want it, get it. But "need".... imho no.
 
Yeah!

It is a great cartridge. I got sick and tired of suggesting it as a slightly elevated option to the .30-06 and .270 that I went ahead and put one together for myself.

Defiant action, TT Diamond trigger, 24" barrel, KRG stock, Burris XTRIII in Hawkins Hybrids. I'll probably still hunt Elk with the .338-06, but use this for Deer and Pronghorn and a rare ELR match and the 2K challenge. Expecting surgery in a few weeks (neck issues and a lot of pain) so I might not get the loading done for it, but I am very happy with the build.

Handing down my .30-06 to my oldest and the .270 to the youngest really did make me "need" this, and I had sold off my 7mm Mags.
 
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