Conveniently, the .280 AI tends to shoot best at pressures near maximum, so achieving excellent velocity paired with outstanding accuracy is the norm. Most hunters and shooters in North America are probably familiar with the venerable .270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges. Its now possible to buy .280 AI brass (Nosler brass is a particularly good choice), but you can also make your own by fireforming .280 Remington brass. When you push past this performance level with a 7 mm cartridge, you do so with diminishing returns as far as velocity goes. Ackley is also widely respected amongst reloaders and wildcatters for his contributions to the respective fields with his meticulously researched reference book, Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders. In other words, that extra powder is resulting in diminishing returns in terms of velocity, but still producing more recoil. While all four are pretty commonly available, the .270 Winchester and the 7mm Remington Magnum are by far the most popular out of the bunch. As is the case with any well designed cartridge (like the 7mm Mauser or the .30-30 Winchester), wildcatters also quickly started modifying the .30-06 Springfield to accomplish a variety of different tasks. Later, they also offered it in their Model 742 autoloader and Model 760 slide action before finally offering it in the Model 721 and 725 bolt-action rifles. That reason was heavier bullets. Shaw Custom Barrelssells new barrels in five different contours chambered, crowned, and threaded for your specified action for as little as $160. However, the reduced body taper and sharper shoulder can sometimes cause feeding issues with certain rifles. Maximum pressure obtained from SAAMI (p23 and 28). Cases obtained by firing--and thus fireforming--standard cartridges through Ackley's improved chamber could be handloaded to give improved performance. Roy Weatherbys proprietary 7mm Wby. Mag. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. You can shoot factory 280 Remington loads in the 280 AI chamber to fire-form cases. It might seem like Im splitting hairs here when talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the these cartridges. Bergara added the cartridge to its chambering options. In this article, Im going to do a detailed comparison of the 270 vs 280 Remington vs 280 Ackley Improved vs 7mm Remington Magnum in an effort to answer the above questions and parse out the differences between those four cartridges so you can make an informed decision regarding which one will work best for you. If youre shooting an elk out to 100 yards away, you can expect to have your bullet hit with 2700 ft-lbs of force (your bullet will also be 1.3 high from where youre aiming). Thanks to Jack OConnor, the .270 Winchester is considered a classic sheep hunting cartridge if there ever was one. Great article and comparison of similar cartridges. Rounds Per Box: 20 $ 95.99 Add to wishlist Add to cart 2 in stock Ackley Improved cartridges were essentially a traditional round (like the .270, .30-30, .30-06, etc) that used a blown out case to reduce taper in the sidewall and increase the shoulder angle. A technician friend at Barnes used this bullet right after it was introduced for a once-in-a-lifetime free-range bison hunt in Utah and shot a large, old bull right at 600 yards with his .280 AI rifle. I've not conducted any scientific tests, but Ive certainly had to do less trimming of my Ackley cartridges than their factory counterparts. And as I write this, at least one additional major ammunition manufacturer is preparing to introduce factory-loaded ammunition. Compare that to a 175-grain 7mm bullet fired at 2,850 fps from the .280 AI, which generates less than 26 ft-lbs. .280 Ackley Improved loads Greg Duerr Jan 23, 2018 Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum Become a supporting member 1 2 Next G Greg Duerr Well-Known Member Joined Mar 25, 2011 Messages 1,101 Location Reno, Nevada Jan 23, 2018 #1 Need feed back on your hunting load for your .280 AI what bullet and powder that gives you the best out of your rifle Instead of using the much more commonly used .284/7mm bullets like the 7mm Mauser (and many newer cartridges like the 7mm-08), for reasons that arent clear today, the .270 Winchester used .277 bullets. For the heavier bullets from 160 to 180 grains, H4831SC, Reloder 23, H1000, and IMR 7828 SSC are excellent. If you are a handloader though, the choice is a no-brainer. Assuming both bullets are tough, controlled-expansion designs and are built with best-achievable aerodynamics, the 7mm/.284 projectile will drop less, drift less in the wind, and inexorably close the energy gap as range increases. Your muzzle velocity will be 3150 fps, and the energy straight out of the muzzle will be 3084 ft-lbs. Broadside means the animal is perpendicular to you, facing left or right, not looking at you or away from you. Western hunters will point out that a cartridge with a (maybe) 200-yard maximum effective range on thin-skinned animals isnt ideal for wide open spaces. Your articles are not like that. The .280 Ackley Improved offers a modest ballistic improvement over the .280 Remington in terms of trajectory, wind resistance, and retained energy. Improved Military Rifle IMR 4320. Another great caliber that is hard to find accurate factory ammo for - we have experience with this caliber and our house loads are hard to beat! With regards to bullet weight, the majority of .270 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 120-150 grain range. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. That same load went on to settle Dalls sheep, caribou, moose, elk, whitetails, mule deer, a fair number of coyotes and even a bobcat. From $ 84.99. Such projectiles drop less and drift less in the wind, even though they do start out a bit slower than light-for-caliber bullets. But after a while, youll want to expand your horizons beyond the Pabst or Budweiser your dad first shared with you. Those differences in the external dimensions of the .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, and 7mm Remington Magnum do translate into differences in ballistic performance, though probably not quite as much as youd initially expect. Saami spec on the 280ai is 3.330 coal. Theres only one question: What are you waiting for? none of which are recommended for Ackley Improved. Shop 280 Ackley Improved Rifles The .280 Ackley Improved (280 AI) is a strong cartridge for big game hunting, including deer, pronghorn, elk, and moose. Although the .280 Remington is considered to be a very balanced cartridge combining the best attributes of both cartridiges due to the high ballistic coefficient and sectional density, characteristic of 7mm calibers, it did not reach the popularity achieved by the .30-06 and .270 Win. Mag. Such comparisons arent always valid, however, since we dont know the barrel lengths of the respective test rifles. Thats absolutely true. The .280 Ackley Improved (.280 AI) was the result of the .280 Remington case modification by P.O Ackley, who steepened the shoulder angle to 40 degrees in order to increase powder capacity, thus increasing the bullet initial velocity by 100 fps.[1]. Others insist it does. Since it uses a much larger case diameter, most rifle magazines will hold more .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, or .280 AI cartridges than 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges. With a completely different lineage than the other three cartridges, the 7mm Remington Magnum has a unique look as well. For example, when using the same weight bullet, .280 Ackley Improved factory ammunition typically shoots 50-150 (usually around 100 fps faster) than most .280 Remington factory ammo. Since it uses a larger diameter case derived from the .375 H&H, the 7mm Magnum has a very large powder capacity and is capable of shooting the same weight bullet faster than the .30-06. The 280 AI is quietly but steadily gaining converts. A 280 AI can safely fire 280 Remington ammunition, simultaneously fire-forming brass cases to reloadable 280 AI dimensions. Excellent capability without fanfare is the result. ammo can be used. I'm going to work with a Kimber Subalpine in 280 AI this spring and will pay careful attention to any feeding issues with it, but I'm truly not concerned. Mag. In my experience, the .280 AI generates nearly as much velocity as the popular 7mm Rem. The relatively new .280 AI is nowhere near as common as the 270 or 7mm Rem Mag. Looking at it from a technical perspective, the .280 Ackley Improved is a much better design in that it runs on less powder, yet offers a performance level comparable to the 7 Mag. The unique roots of the 7mm Remington Magnum and the shared heritage of the .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, and the .280 Ackley Improved are all obvious in the photo below. So, does that mean the claim that the .280 Ackley Improved can do everything the 7mm Remington Magnum can do, but with less recoil is true? On the other hand, the .280 Remington is normally offered with 139 grain, 140 grain, or 150 grain bullets, but its possible to find a few loads with 156 grain, 160 grain, and 165 grain bullets as well. Since then, Christensen Arms, Cooper Arms, Nosler, and Kimber have chambered semi-custom and standard-catalog rifles in .280 AI. The cartridge was intended to compete with the .30-06 and the .270 Winchester. Brand: Savage. For ammo, check out Federals 150g Power Shok cartridge. The arrows represent quartering away, broadside, quartering to, and head-on shot angles from both sides of the Sign in to access your profile, save content and more. So, Remington renamed the cartridge AGAIN after a few years and went back to the .280 Remington, which is what its called today. So, yes, its easy to find examples of .280 Ackley Improved loads that either match or exceed the performance of the 7mm Remington Magnum and still have less recoil. Winner: .280 Ackley Improved .280 AI Versatility vs. .300 Win. For example, all three of Federal Premiums 140-grain loads for the .280 Rem. I have killed and been around a pile of animals killed with .270s and .280s as wet have a few in the family. In 7mm you can specify 1-8 or 1-9.5 twist rates. Having plenty of follow-up ammo on tap is a very good thing. .338 Federal In an 8-pound rifle, about 36 ft-lbs is deposited into your shoulder in the twinkle of an eye. The results are also about what youd expect for the Hornady Precision hunter loads for those three cartridges. Weatherby chambers many of their rifles in the .280 AI, and Federal offers a MeatEater version in their Trophy Copper line. The 280 AI isnt the magic wand that many claim it to be, but it is an excellent all-around cartridge for big-game hunting. Mag. Here's why: 280 AI shoots 50 fps to 100 fps faster than the 280 Remington with the same bullets in the same standard-length actions. This was due to a number of reasons, one of which was the fact that the .270 Winchester fired unusual size bullets. Some gun designers necked up the .30-06 to develop bigger cartridges like the 338-06 and the.35 Whelen. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Rafe Nielsen of Browning to take a look at a new X-Bolt series rifle. And might also be interested in our 6.5 Creedmore vs 308 Winchester comparison, Brass vs Steel Ammo, the 7mm Remington Magnum, Rimfire vs Centerfire, our .5.56 vs .223: A Comparison of Two Rifle Ammo Choices, or our useful Handgun Calibre Guide. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Factory data has it exiting the muzzle at 2,850 fps, just 90 fps slower than the same bullet in Hornadys 7mm Remington Magnum ammo. Mag. In 1957 Remington introduced the .280 Remington, which was based on the .30-06 Springfield case necked down to 7mm. Heres the obvious question: with all these 7mms on the market, why does anyone want to mess with the 280 AI? 140 gr. Reader K. Akins recently wrote to ask which cartridge I thought would benefit the most from conversion to Ackley Improved:the 260 Remington, 270 Winchester, or 7mm-08 Remington. The Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun is one of the most popular home defense shotguns on the market. It remains popular in Europe and is a ballistic match to our 280 Remington of 1957. Its also better suited to using heavier bullets than the other cartridges. Remember, ejecta (exploding gases and particulates exiting the muzzle) contributes greatly to recoil. Both of those cartridges are very capable performers, though neither is as well known or as widely used as the .270 Winchester or 7mm Remington Magnum. Of the two, the .280 Ackley Improved has a little less recoil, but ammo is easier to find for the 7mm Mag. Importantly, although SAAMI specd the .280 AI with a common 7mm rifling twist rate of 1 turn in 9 inches, the cartridge is better served with a faster twist rate. Many consider the .270 Winchester to be on the light side for elk andmoose hunting, but especially when using heavy, premium quality bullets (like the Nosler Partition), its absolutely capable of getting the job done. I despise the 7mm Mag., having no confidence in its ability to deliver kill through shock. The Ackley version is a fine old cartridge and, when loaded with the right bullet, is big enough medicine for game up to elk and moose. Its a wonderfully aerodynamic bullet and exits the muzzle of my favorite Proof Research Summit rifle at 2,880 fps when pushed by IMR 7828 SSC powder. ELD-X 2,850 fps, Copper Creek Cartridge Co. 168-gr. list velocities of 2,990 fps while Noslers 140-grain Accubond Ackley Improved loads get you 3,150 fps. 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? For this reason, the .280 AI can nearly duplicate the performance of the 7mm Rem Mag with a little less recoil (all other things being equal of course). Naturally, many whitetail deer hunters choose this iconic Western big game animal for an out-of-state hunt. 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