I have been wanting a new rifle for a while, and I am stuck on .270 (I LOVE .270 WIN). Most of the rifles I have been looking at are offering some fairly new chamberings (.280 AI, 28 NOSLER, 30 NOSLER, ETC) and I have been Intrigued by the .280 AI Specifically. I almost bought a rifle in .280 before covid hit, but I decided not to due to my lack of knowledge of the .280 at the time. Now with Covid behind us, I'm wondering if it is even worth it to get into a fancier cartridge like the .280 AI, or if just sticking to what I know is the better option. I am open to opinions. As I said, I love the .270 Win and I'd be open to adding one more to the gun safe, but I also like to explore options, and it seems like the .280 is very popular right now. I think one of my biggest concerns is finding brass for it as it is pretty $$$. Is it worth it? Or is it just a fad that will die off? I have also read that fire forming .280 Rem brass in the chamber is in option for procuring cheaper brass, is that even worth the trouble?? All input is appreciated.
DOES ANYONE SHOOT OR LOAD A .280 ACKLEY IMPROVED???
- Thread starter Triggerpull
- Start date
There are two parts of choosing a caliber, functionality and "appeal".
Functionality is about delivering the right construction of projectile and the game you plan to hunt within the distances that you plan to shoot. This can also be availability of reloading components and gear.
"Appeal" is that emotional side that makes you like something just because. This is more personal preference because of various things.
280ai is extremely functional in north america and great to distances further than most of us should be shooting at game. Brass and reloading components can be found, just might have to wait a few months. I owned one and really liked it, it shot 140 AH bullets at 3300 fps in an extremely light weight setup.
At this point, I am pretty sure that my next rifle will end up being the 7 PRC....which i would build out of my older tikka action. Seems like they designed that cartridge around the tikka t3x platform.
Functionality is about delivering the right construction of projectile and the game you plan to hunt within the distances that you plan to shoot. This can also be availability of reloading components and gear.
"Appeal" is that emotional side that makes you like something just because. This is more personal preference because of various things.
280ai is extremely functional in north america and great to distances further than most of us should be shooting at game. Brass and reloading components can be found, just might have to wait a few months. I owned one and really liked it, it shot 140 AH bullets at 3300 fps in an extremely light weight setup.
At this point, I am pretty sure that my next rifle will end up being the 7 PRC....which i would build out of my older tikka action. Seems like they designed that cartridge around the tikka t3x platform.
Last edited:
Yeah it was officially "released" today but it has been floating around for a while.
Honestly if price is an issue i would just buy the 7 rem mag. It is hard to beat
It's not that price is or isn't an issue. I guess I still get sticker shock with certain things. I started reloading back in 2012 when getting ammo was just as hard to get as it is now, and it was sooooo much cheaper. These days, reloading is getting so damn expensive.
I have considered 7MM Rem Mag. I think I want to try a new caliber for sure, but I definitely want to stay in the 7MM category. Thanks for your input
Looks like midway has nosler brass and redding dies in stock for the 280ai
www.midwayusa.com
Reloading Brass for Sale: 308 Brass & More | MidwayUSA
Shop reloading brass or brass cases for reloading at MidwayUSA. We carry 308 Brass and more calibers for reloading ammunition. Save on brass today.
www.midwayusa.com
I also have a .270 that I love. I just picked up a 6.5 prc because I needed a backup (its my primary now) and its an absolute shooter. If I were buying today I would grab the 7prc without hesitation. Those rifles arent going anywhere and that 7prc seems like the perfect north american big game cartridge. From what I understand those prc rounds are basically perfect.
I just bought a 280ai to shoot for practice. I took all my 270 brass and resized it. Now I am loading and shooting to fire form brass. Once all the brass is fire formed I will work up a good target load. I shoot a 7 sherman max for hunting. The brass is expensive for the max but I love it. For me the 280ai made sense because I had hundreds of 270 brass.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
It's funny you mention that, I have been curious about resizing .270 Brass as I have a bunch of it. Most of my brass (about 450 pieces) are twice fired by this point.
I don't have touch input on brass life yet. Out of 150 rounds fire formed I have only lost 1 peice of brass so far. I loaded the bullets to the lands to hopefully eliminate some stretch at the base of the case and keep all the brass movement in the shoulder.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk