.280 Ackley Improved

[hayseed_theology]

So a conversation from the 7-08/280 Rem thread a while back got me thinking.

All that said - if I had the money to build a custom rifle right now, it would be a .280 Remington.

Hayseed, are you sure you wouldn't maybe do that custom rifle in .280 Ackley?

No, I'm not sure.

Been thinking about Bullgators question. I am starting to lean toward the .280 AI. My original argument for the .280 Rem was that there were more factory offerings for it. I am going to hand load for it, so it doesn't really matter how much factory ammo is available. How many places actually stock .280 Rem after all? The increased efficiency of the AI shoulder seems to gain velocity without much more powder or recoil.

Kenny Jarrett lists the .280 AI among his pet calibers. He writes:

.280 Ackley Improved

120 gr. Nosler bullet ......... 3340 f.p.s.
140 gr. Nosler bullet ......... 3150 f.p.s.
160 gr. Nosler bullet ......... 2950 f.p.s.


If I had to lay my finger on one thing that really brought Jarrett Rifles to the dance, it would be the .280 Improved. We have made over 1100 rifles in this caliber and probably rebarrelled at least that many. For me to say I’ve had more experience with this cartridge than anyone else is a safe bet. After several long discussions with P.O. Ackley, I decided I wanted to work with this cartridge. Even though P.O. Ackley would not take credit for its creation, it bears all the markings of Ackley’s work. (Ackley also made a 7mm-06 version, which is slightly shorter and has a little less capacity than the .280 version.) Mr. Ackley was very enthusiastic about the .280 Improved and told me that he felt its capacity was the maximum useable powder for 7mm. Mr. Ackley had a lot of influence on me in the earlier days and out of respect for his help, most of my .280 Imp. rifles still bear his name. Several aspects make the .280 Imp. a wonderful cartridge: first, factory ammo can be used in the Improved chamber, second, its brass life is good, and third, its versatility created by the high degree of accuracy with bullet weights ranging from 120gr. to 160gr. One can see there is very little difference, if any, between the magnum 7mm’s and the .280 Improved. Mr. Ackley felt strongly that a belted case was not needed in 7mm. Listed are average velocities for the .280 Improved and I say “average” because rifles are individuals. In fact, the tight bore barrels, dimensionally speaking, produce the best accuracy but not the best velocity.

On the light bullet end, you have a set up that will beat a .25-06 all to pieces. Conversely, the heavy end bullets will out perform a .30-06, velocity wise. The higher ballistic co-efficient of 160 gr. 7mm bullets allow them to retain their down range velocity better compared to 160 gr. .30 caliber bullets..

If you only want one custom rifle, then versatility should be your prime consideration. The .280 Improved is totally adequate on small African game or antelope with the 120's. It’s perfect for larger deer with the 140's, and a real elk and moose buster with the 160's. The .280 Improved has been one of our best sellers because they work extremely well. Unless you are really recoil shy, a muzzle brake is not necessary on a .280 Improved. Thousands upon thousands of animals have been taken worldwide with the Jarrett Rifle in .280 Imp. That many dead animals couldn’t be wrong! For more information on the .280 Imp., refer to the Nosler No.4 reloading manual.

Anybody own a rifle in .280 AI? What's your thoughts on the cartridge?

 

[Knotwild]

I had one of Kenny's early 280 Ackleys and loved it. But someone loved it more than me and stole it. Mine was very accurate with groups in the 0.3 to 0.5 range consistently. What I really liked is the life of the brass in the Ackley chamber. The idea is that the straight walls of the case stick to the chamber and the sharp shoulder doesn't push back against the bolt face as much as a lesser shoulder angle. I never had to worry about trimming necks. There are also debates about the Ackley sharp shoulder providing a more efficient powder burn and less throat erosion.

But John Barnsess (sp?) and others, including Ackley indicate the only performance gain is due to the increased case capacity. So percentage wise, you don't gain much. I think mine had a 24" barrel on it. Most people say the 7 mag beats it with heavy bullets.

Nosler is making 280 improved brass now if you didn't want to blow your own. My gun shot under an inch with factory 280.

I would not hesitate to own another. I went to the 243 Ackley on the next custom rifle and I kind of regret it.

Side note: Kenny isn't doing well right now, has had some back and hip problems and as of 2 weeks ago was in a physical therapy center.

 

[Elkbane]

I bought a Nosler Custom Rifle in 280 AI two years ago and really like it. Have always been intrigued by the 280AI and it did not disappoint. I've shot two elk and two deer with it.

I have a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14 on it with the Z-800 reticle. It shoots Nosler's 150 grain LR Accubond factory load and 160 gr partitions to almost the same point of impact. The 150's group a little better, and have more retained energy at distance, so that's mainly what I hunt with. Sight in at 200 yards, dial the power ring on the scope to 11.5 power and the reticle subtention matches that load. So you have cross hatches for 300-800 yards below the main reticle. Change the load and you use Zeiss's ballistic calculator to find the power setting that matches the load's ballistics.

I shot an elk last year at 600 yards, measured with a Leica laser rangefinder. I got on my shooting sticks, put the 600 yd cross-hatch on him and hit him twice in the chest (he probably didn't need the second one, he was staggering down) - complete pass through - didn't recover either bullet. The elk I shot 2 years ago was a neck shot at 125 yards. Dropped like a rock.

I'll probably experiment reloading with the 168 gr LR accubond later this summer. The ballistic coefficient on that bullet is superb, and I've shot enough game with Accubonds to be comfortable with how they perform. If I can get a load worked up with that bullet, it ought to be elk magic.

I considered going full custom for this rifle, but after looking at Nosler and Cooper rifles, the cost / benefit didn't seem to make sense. I got most of the features I would have wanted at half the price.

ELkbane

 

[JimD]

Hayseed, its really about what you want it to do. If you want horse power the 7mag will give you more speed. If you want long barrel life a 7-08 will beat either. What velocity and bullet are you looking at? What ranges do you plan on shooting? Also, if you just want a 280ai there is nothing g wrong with scratching that itch. I've contemated building one myself, but my friend gave me a 7-08 barrel I've been playing with.

 

[BriarPatch99]

A friend has a John Whiddon custom in a 280 AI ... and it is a great shooter ... he gets "near" 7 mm Rem mag with a lots less powder ...

 

[injun joe]

I've got both and like them, but for the money, give me the 7mm STW.
A little more recoil, a lot more gun.

 

[hayseed_theology]

Hayseed, its really about what you want it to do. If you want horse power the 7mag will give you more speed. If you want long barrel life a 7-08 will beat either. What velocity and bullet are you looking at? What ranges do you plan on shooting? Also, if you just want a 280ai there is nothing g wrong with scratching that itch. I've contemated building one myself, but my friend gave me a 7-08 barrel I've been playing with.

To be honest, I don't have the money to build a custom right now anyway, so it is pretty much academic at this point. But, I do intend to build one in the not too distant future. The .280 AI interests me because of it's versatility.

It's not horsepower that I am after. I've got a 7 Mag. Honestly, I probably won't own another belted magnum. I just don't feel like the muzzle blast and recoil is worth the gain in speed.

Another reason that the .280 AI interests me is that, since I reload for my 7 Mag, I already have .284 bullets. I don't have one particular bullet weight in mind. I like the BC and variety of weights offered in the caliber.

I was originally attracted to the .280 Rem because of its combination of velocity, available bullets, and recoil. Now, I am leaning toward the .280 AI because I get the impression it gives higher velocity which might allow it to better utilize some of the heavy bullets in that caliber, but without much more muzzle blast and recoil.

Most of my hunting is deer and hog hunting on fields here in SW GA. Shots range from a 5 yds to 400 yds where I normally hunt. But, I would like the gun to be able to stretch a little further in case I get the chance to hunt out west.

 

[deadend]

A Kimber Montana 84L in .280ai will be my next factory rifle. I've had much success with ai'd cartridges and don't see any reason not to have them nowadays. Brass life and eliminating trimming are all I care about. Velocity gains have been minimal in mine.

 

[georgiaboy]

I've got a 280 AI and the brass trimming is a big win for me. Otherwise it does the same as the rest basically. I've gotten to where I care a little less because if it's over 250 I'm probably turning a turret or holding on the next moa line anyway so what does another line down or another 1/4 turn matter? I don't take full advantage of the increased speed because I shoot 175s. Those are theoretically better in a 7 mag but somehow they still kill things well.

I get to shoot less than I used to so now when I can I try to shoot a fair amount (more than the 10 rounds or less which seems standard for most the day before season opens). Because of that, less recoil and blast are nice because no one likes a headache.

I am not knocking the 280 AI and love mine but a 6.5-284 or similar 6.5 would also be worth a look. Less recoil, plenty of speed, good ballistics and they seem to hit hard.

 

[bevills1]

The main thing I dislike about all AI cartridges is the necessity to fire form cases due to the extra time and cost of doing that. I'd rather just go to a 7mm Rem Mag or 7mm STW if I want better performance. Ammo is easier to find and no fire forming for handloads.

 

[tom ga hunter]

20 years ago I had a Jarett in 280AI, it was ok but not worth the effort. I have & use a 7 RemMag that I actually use. If I wanted a mid range rifle based on the '06 Case it would be a 30'06 or 270.

 

[Quickbeam]

I've got both and like them, but for the money, give me the 7mm STW.
A little more recoil, a lot more gun.

No offense but 10% more velocity. 50% more powder consumption. If one cares about those sorts of things. I shot an STW for a while but it ate so much powder.

 

[godogs57]

The main thing I dislike about all AI cartridges is the necessity to fire form cases due to the extra time and cost of doing that. I'd rather just go to a 7mm Rem Mag or 7mm STW if I want better performance. Ammo is easier to find and no fire forming for handloads.

Wrong. You can shoot 280's out of an AI chamber all day long if you wish.

Hayseed, I've had two Jarretts in 280 AI for over 30years now and have killed an ungodly number of deer with the round. I love the round and absolutely love what it does on game.

PM me if you need any info on this fantastic round. Will be glad to help.

 

[hayseed_theology]

Wrong. You can shoot 280's out of an AI chamber all day long if you wish.

Hayseed, I've had two Jarretts in 280 AI for over 30years now and have killed an ungodly number of deer with the round. I love the round and absolutely love what it does on game.

PM me if you need any info on this fantastic round. Will be glad to help.

Thanks.

 

[godogs57]

Thanks.

Or just stop by Leesburg and we could swap some lies as I tell Nick.

 

[SC Hunter]

Or just stop by Leesburg and we could swap some lies as I tell Nick.

We're not far from each other godogs57. I'm right up the road in Ellaville. We need to get together for lunch one day its always nice putting a name with a face.

 

[bullgator]

Having just read this whole thread, the .280 AI really seems like a good fit for your project. In fact it's hard to find any reasons against.

 

[ol mike]

I bought a Rem. 700 ADL 270 from Doug66 here on this forum -it's now a 280AI .

Nathan Dagley of Center , N.D. built it for me several years ago .
Bluprinted -28" 4.1 9tw magnum sporter Broughton barrel -Nathans custom break - rifle basics trigger set at 1.5 lbs. -hs precision stock -burris signature rings with inserts -zeiss conquest 6.5x20-50 scope .

Nosler brass -7828ssc powder -162gr amax & 160 accubond both have shot 1" -3 shot groups at 200 yards on a windless day.

The cartridge is a great choice for any style rifle from a standard sporter to a heavier rifle like mine .
With today's bullet choices ranging from a 100gr. sierra varmint bullet too a 175gr. long range accubond any varmint or game animal in the lower 48 can be taken with it.

Most people -myself included- report the cartridge as being very easy to load for . Mine has shot 140 NBT with H-4831sc great ,160 sst -160 accubond -162 Hornady bthp & 162 amax all group very tight .

Good powders for heavier bullets -reloader 17 H-4831 ssc -imr 7828sc -H-1000 just to name a few.

Good luck with your future build -you will enjoy the 280AI .
Mike

 

[godogs57]

We're not far from each other godogs57. I'm right up the road in Ellaville. We need to get together for lunch one day its always nice putting a name with a face.

Gimmie a shout out sometime....I always get hungry around noon for some reason!

 

[hayseed_theology]

Gimmie a shout out sometime....I always get hungry around noon for some reason!

I'm about 30 miles west of Leesburg. I could make it over there lunch sometime this summer. Where ya like to eat over your way?