I need to re-barrel a m98.
...or do I go with the 280 Rem.
Hunting deer, hogs...up to elk and not past 400 yds.

Go!

Perry

If you have the bug to have one then you better get one!
With that said I have one son with a .280 the other son has a .284, identical field performance. At the distances you are talking about 130, 140 and 150 grain bullets are very deadly on Mule Deer and Elk sized game. My kids have killed dozens of animals with theirs and never wished for more velocity.
A .280 would suit you well but if you have that bug maybe you better get the AI....

Go .280 and don't look back

Dropped my 11pt this year at 200y. 140gr Nosler Solid Base out of my Ruger #1B. About to rebarrel a LH Ruger M77 to be its "twin"

From what I have read the gains you get from the AI version aren't enough to be worth it. Now if you do the AI and push the shoulder forward a bit to add more powder room you can get very close to the 7mm Rem Mag.
Lust my $.02's worth.
Leo

if you go to a true Ackley and not that mess saami approved you'll get something out of it.
the biggest advantage is the simplicity of dealing with the cases.

I really like the Ackley cases but I wouldn't bother with the 0-6 family.
use real loads for a bolt gun and forego the ones meant for the Remington sliding actions and you'll have all the speed you need.

I had one but sold it to another guy as I found for me that I could do everything I needed with my 7X57 AI. I think I still have the 280 AI dies though.

if you are a reloader, it's all the same - the 280 AI, while gorgeous, gets most of it's gains over the standard 280 by ....

loading to higher pressure, as the 280 was designed for remington autochuckers and pumps

then again, if you really want, just do a 7x64 for cool --

but no critter or target will know the difference of what's' graved on the barrel

My 24" .280 (non-A.I.) whips a 150 grain Nosler out at 3050 fps pushed by a proper load of IMR7828SSC. I can't see gaining much with the A.I. version.

BTW, all of my cases are .30-06 run into the .280 FL die just far enough to allow them the chamber with a slight crush fit on the false shoulder. I find absolutely no difference in velocity or accuracy on the first "fire forming" firing vs. subsequent firings with cases formed to the chamber.

I have played with quite a few ackleys, but today I would just go with the std .280 or 7x57..the ackleys improvement isn't all that great from a hunters stand point IMO...and dies, brass, cost of fireforming, isn't as exciting as it used to be..and any hit with a 280 or the Ackley will result in the same end..I caught myself hunting with 8mm/06s and fireforming those cases, and liked the 8mm/06 results..Its just an option that one has to make on his own..

My primary 280 AI hunting loads are:
160 Nosler AB 59.0 RL-23 Fed 210 WW 3032fps 3267ft-lbs
160 Nosler AB 63.0 RL-25 Fed 210 WW 3085fps 3382ft-lbs

As good as these loads shoot, I'd still like to try some RL-26 in the rifle.

Add 5% powder for the Ackley, go figure..or you can load the 280 to the same pressure as a Ackley and wow!! As you can see Im off on wildcats those days are over unfortunately, the bases have all been covered IMO..

I have a 280AI on a Sako Finbear L61R I built up 20+ years ago.

Great rifle with 24 inch barrel. Very well balanced and fits me so well I have taken so many instinctive snap shots and even a running fallow deer at 25 meters.

Great for shots to 400 meters.

Yes 140 & 150 gr bullets go fast. But I found the 160 gr Accubond a great load even at 400 meters. Nosler book load with VV N560 gives me 3000 fps. I get 10 reloads. My friend with his 7mm Rem Mag cannot believe it.

PM me if you want my loads.

I'm a pretty big fan of the 280 AI, it's been a great all-around rifle for me and although the FPS gain isn't huge it's there as well as long brass life. It's seems of late it's easier to find 280 AI brass then 280 rem.
If you're a handloader I don't see any drawbacks to going the with AI.

I have an AI on a VZ24; it gets about the same velocity as my 7mm rem mag. Brass and dies are readily available too. Yes, easier than regular 280.
As hand said; no drawbacks to it.

I have a couple of 280AIs. One is the "original" chamber and the other is the "factory" chambering. I have to be careful with the reloading and ammo because the headspace dimensions are different. That being said I like the caliber.

The only negative I have noticed is the feeding from the magazine on is not as smooth as my 280 Ruger was. The feed is functionally fine but there is a noticeable hitch as the sharper shoulder comes out of the magazine.

I built a couple 280AIs on VZ24 actions, both with the original AI chambering. They shot well and worked great for hunting. A while back I sold both of them just because I thought I needed to thin the herd.

Not long ago I ended up building a standard 280 because I missed the 2 280AIs I sold. I don’t really feel like I gave up much not going the AI route. The deer and pigs will never notice. AI or standard 280, they are both fine with me!

Loading mine it blew primers with 63 gr rl23 and the 139lrx, new nosler brass and fed 210’s! I would be careful going too quickly to johnl loads noted above. Lack of info on this powder for sure be careful. Am now down to 60 gr with the 139 lrx.

Beware.

Based on my research, the 280 AI seems to be flattest shooting cartridge out of the 06 family when using factory ammunition of a similar sectional density.

-25-06 Hornady ELDX 110 grain: 3140 FPS

-270 Nosler Accubond 130 grain: 3075 FPS

-280 Rem Nosler Accubond 140 grain: 3000 FPS

-280 Ackley Nosler Accubond 140 grain: 3150 FPS

-30-06 Nosler Accubond 165 grain: 2800 FPS

-35 Whelen Nosler Accubond 225 grain: 2750 FPS

quote:

Originally posted by muygrande:
Loading mine it blew primers with 63 gr rl23 and the 139lrx, new nosler brass and fed 210’s! I would be careful going too quickly to johnl loads noted above. Lack of info on this powder for sure be careful. Am now down to 60 gr with the 139 lrx.

Beware.

Cartridge : .280 Ack Imp
Bullet : .284, 160, Nosler AccuBond 54932
Useable Case Capaci: 64.303 grain H2O = 4.175 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.330 inch = 84.58 mm
Barrel Length : 23.0 inch = 584.2 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-23

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 86 49.60 2375 2003 31649 10306 97.5 1.549
-18.0 88 50.84 2434 2105 33907 10559 98.3 1.508
-16.0 90 52.08 2494 2210 36333 10789 99.0 1.469
-14.0 92 53.32 2553 2316 38944 10993 99.5 1.422
-12.0 94 54.56 2612 2424 41754 11172 99.8 1.376
-10.0 96 55.80 2670 2534 44781 11323 100.0 1.332
-08.0 98 57.04 2728 2644 48044 11447 100.0 1.289
-06.0 101 58.28 2785 2756 51566 11563 100.0 1.249
-04.0 103 59.52 2842 2870 55348 11675 100.0 1.210 ! Near Maximum !
-02.0 105 60.76 2898 2984 59391 11783 100.0 1.172 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 107 62.00 2954 3100 63735 11888 100.0 1.136 ! Near Maximum !

Great info John and thanks for the informative post.

Very helpful.

perry .. farmer56 here . shooting times did an article on the 280 ai in their april 2011 issue..article by joseph von benedikt , editor in chief ..the mag. also has a pullout by layne simpson , senior field editor .. after reading that i though who wouldnt want one... almost bought one .. farmer out.. if you cant find a copy i would mail you mine .. IF you mail it back when done

quote:

Originally posted by farmer56:
perry .. farmer56 here . shooting times did an article on the 280 ai in their april 2011 issue..article by joseph von benedikt , editor in chief ..the mag. also has a pullout by layne simpson , senior field editor .. after reading that i though who wouldnt want one... almost bought one .. farmer out.. if you cant find a copy i would mail you mine .. IF you mail it back when done

Here’s the article: https://www.shootingtimes.com/..._ackley_031511/99165