The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles 280 Ackley Improved vs 6.5 PRCGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Oddly, I have a safe full of rifles, but nothing between 22-250 and 300 Win Mag. I felt a bit over gunned on a pronghorn hunt in August with 300 Win Mag. Most of my rifles or 375 or larger. I'd like to get a new rifle with moderate recoil that would be more pleasant to shoot than my big magnum rifles. I'd also like to put in more practice at the range beyond 300 yards. The game hunted with this rifle would mainly be Texas desert mule deer, pronghorn, whitetails, hogs and maybe some plains game. Range would be out to 400 or 500 yards. I'm researching the 280 AI and 6.5 PRC. I don't have any experience with either round. My son has a nice HS Precision in 7mm-08. This is the closest thing that I've shot in recent times to the 280 AI or 6.5 PRC. I don't handload so I would be buying factory ammo. I'm not interested in an ultra light rifle,...thinking 6.5 to 7.0 pounds empty without scope. What would be the advantages/disadvantages of these two cartridges?? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!! Go Duke!! | ||
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The 6.5 PRC will have more loads available, it is the current darling of the long range hunting crowd. Ballistically it is slightly faster, and will have less drop at long range with similar bullets 140 VLD in the 6.5 and 165 VLD's in the 280. For what you are hunting, it would be slightly better and much more available. | |||
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A 270 Winchester fits in nicely between the .22-250 and the .300Mags. Jack O’Connor really had a lot of hunting experience. Many use it for elk and moose. I have used mine for pronghorns, mule/whitetail and hogs. The .277 Nosler Accubond 140grain sounds like a great combination in the .270 Win. I had great results on antelope,deer and hogs with Nosler 130Grain Ballistic Tips and Partitions. Very little recoil, can be extremely accurate and not finicky, easy to get bullets, brass and ammunition during normal times. I thought I wanted a 280I but just didn’t see a advantage over the .270 Win unless I wanted to shoot 160-175grain and have the 300 Mags to do that.It’s always fun deciding on a new gun and what fits your niche the best. | |||
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why didn't you just use the 22-250 on the antelope hunt? | |||
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I looked long and hard at the 280AI. In the end I found it's a paper tiger with no real advantage over the 270 other than factory rifles have a favorable twist rate for heavier bullets. If you're sticking to factory rifles and ammo, might I suggest; .270 Win 6.5 Creedmoor You'll have a easier time finding factory ammo for either of them than the 280AI or PRC and will do everything you need them to. All We Know Is All We Are | |||
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Because the particular 300 WM rifle that I used is a much better rifle with a better scope, than my 22-250. Go Duke!! | |||
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I understand the want for a new gun, as I’ve succumbed many times to the point where I have silly overlaps. Sometimes it’s the “deal.” My favorite gun for native Texas animals is my 7-08. I don’t think it has failed to bring an animals down. Then I like shooting my .300 H&Hs, my 7 STWs, even shooting hogs with my .375. It’s always a struggle when deciding before a trip. My father has a few .280AIs built by Lex at Rifles, Inc. I know you said you didn’t want ultra light, but he can make it to your liking. I don’t know much about the 6.5 PRC, but do know the .280AI is adequate for most game in the continental US up to elk. I meant to be DSC Member...bad typing skills. Marcus Cady DRSS | |||
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I have hunted with both now. My 280AI has been rebarreled back to a .280 Rem and I have no regrets. I would have been just as happy with the AI but the Rem feeds better. My 6.5 PRC has less recoil and has better ballistics. Feeding can be finicky. Mine is a Fierce Rifle and I had to adjust the magazine to get it to feed properly. This was after a jam on a hunt no less but it all worked out. If I were going to pick one for what you are wanting to do with it I would pick the PRC. But, be aware that loaded ammo AND components are hard to find right now. They are out there but you will pay up for it. I think the same is true for the 280 ackley. And I will also agree with the others, nothing wrong with the 270 other than it is so common, does its intended purpose so well, ammo and components readily available, an accurate round...wait, all of those are plusses! I love my 270 also. Have a look at the Browning x-bolt line. Everyone is raving about how good they are these days. JB | |||
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I like the standard .280 over the AI or .270. **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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https://youtu.be/rCMrI_sHvz0 Might help, but in practice I reckon if its a nice rifle that fits and suits you any of the calibres discussed will pretty much do the same job on pretty much any four legged ungulate this side of what should really be shot with a 375 H&H. Perhaps the ideal solution is to get a faster twist barrel on a 270 win. You can find 130 or 150gn ammo just about anywhere, and if you want to longer BC bullets you can. Or if this side of the Atlantic its the 7x64 which has a 1 in 8.5” twist and works well with long bullets. | |||
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I would also go with the 6.5PRC. It is easy to shoot, the current factory ammo is VERY accurate, it is the current darling of the long rangers and gun scribes (so it is first in line and often in line for production runs), and in a year or so there will be as many factory loaded options as the Creedmoor. Actual performance within the 400 to 500 yard ranges will be very similar on game and bullet selection will be more noticeable than the difference in those two cartridges. | |||
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Pick the bullet weight you want to shoot and then decide on the cartridge. 130-140 I'd go with a 6.5 PRC 150-160 Id go with the 280 AI. I've shot the 280AI for years and I find it curious that the guys who don't shoot them are the ones who say they don't perform better. That's just not true but choice is a wonderful thing and opinions are part of that personal choice. I've also shot a couple Creedmoors for a few years now and they're what the "honest" claims say they are. They don't measure up to the wild-ass claims. I shoot a 6.5 x 280AI and achieve 264 win "book" velocity and performance so I actually hunt with that and use the Creedmoors for target and LR trigger-time. There really isn't one correct answer since the choice is up to YOU and they'll both kill well given the correct bullet choice and placement. Zeke | |||
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I do the same, I built a creedmoor so I could shoot cheap factory ammo. Then.....well you know the rest. Eather way it saves wear and tear on my primary hunting rifle. | |||
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I had a shooting buddy that shot a 6.5X55 for years and I always admired the long sleek .264 bullets he shot. I like speed so never went with the Creedmore. When the PRC came out I had to give it a try and have shot it extensively for a year. It is a fine round. 143 gr. Hornady ELD-X ar 3063 fps, 130 gr. Barnes TSX at 3155 fps, 120 gr. Barnes TSX at 3240 fps. Still working to get that one hole group but very close. Some here have mentioned the .270 Winchester with good reason. Let me mention the 270 WSM that my pastle of grandsons shoot at Deer sized animals plus the odd Elk. 130 gr. Northfork at 3460 fps specific to that bullet other 130 grainers 75 fps less. 140 grain BARNES TSX at 3247 fps. 160 grain Nosler Partition at 2950 fps for the Elk. My bunch likes the .270 WSM so much we shoot four rifles, all Model 70 Winchesters, each with it’s own personality. They all shoot the one holers meaning three shots touching at 100 yards when the shooter does his part. Just wanted to mention a great round when compared to others talked about in these posts. Good Shooting. phurley | |||
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Just buy a 25-06 and be done with it. | |||
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Or a 257 Weatherby and take the guess work out at 4-500 yds. | |||
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I think you would be more than pleased wit the 280 Ackley..I havn't bought the 6.5 cool aide as a big game rifle at long range..Actually my choice would be the old dog in my battery a 30-06, and I like the 7x57 somewhere in that gun cabinet, Ive used it a lot over the years and it or the 06 has never let me down. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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280ai. I feel like it can handle anything you want to in Texas out to 400-500. 6.5prc ammo...most of your factory ammo choices would be Hornady. ELDX/ELDM are not my favorites. I'd rather have the regular partition or accubond. 280ai is available today on Midwayusa. Nosler Trophy Grade 160gr Partition or 150gr ABLR. I feel like you will have a better chance finding .280ai factory ammo in the next 4 years...or at least 280 Remington over the 6.5PRC. Everyone in my area that jumped on the PRC/Nosler/Creedmoor wagon has been buying the ammo up like crazy. Haven't seen any of it for a few months. Can still locate 280 Rem at gun shows. 280ai is kinda like 7x57 Mauser...you'll find it on the shelf when the other stuff has sold out. I like owning obscure cartridges...and the 280 Remington is one of my favorites. "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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My most used guns are 300 H&H, 280 AI, .270 win and 6.5 CM. If your new rifle was to be used on elk as well I'd say 280 AI as I love mine, but for what you've listed I'd pick the 6.5 CM, easy on the shoulder, kills great and cheaper to feed than the 6.5 PRC. | |||
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From a pure economic value and performance standpoint you'll be better off with a .270 Winchester. Since you don't reload the .270 will give you all the velocity of either the AI or the 6.5 PRC with a 130 or 140 gr over the counter box of ammo. And do it cheaper. I know its a boring choice and not with the "in crowd" at the moment. But it will get the done inside 400 yards as well as either of your choices. People can claim the others are better suited to long range.... OK. Maybe. But if you don't know your come-ups with ANY of them beyond 400 yards you are gonna miss. So its really a moot point. A novice to long range shooting will squeal the other bullets give him more confidence. In my long range shooting career I never bought a box of bullets that gave me confidence. You get confidence at long range with lots of range time and experience. In spite of what some think you can't buy it. | |||
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Personally, I wouldn't get anything bigger than the 270, because you have the 300 Mag. You indicated that was a very good rifle with a good scope. If you are really going to shoot longer range on an animal bigger than pronghorn or whitetails, why not use that? Same with elk, ordinary distances or farther. The 6.5 PRC would be fun, I'm tempted by that one because rifle loonies do that, but as others said, if you don't reload, your bullet selection is pretty limited at this point. The standard 280 is a fine round, but factory ammo isn't that common and it is not loaded to the full potential of the cartridge. Back in the day when it was introduce, it was marketed with Remington's autoloader (was that the 742? I always get that and the 760 mixed up). Anyway, that started a trend of loading it to more modest pressures. I'm not sure if that's still true, however. The 270 has always been loaded hotter than the 280, and the bullet selection in factory ammo is broad. You might consider rebarreling something to a 270 with a little faster than usual twist. The "6.8 Western" was recently announced, and there are going to be heavier, high BC bullets for that caliber that were not previously available. Not sure if they will be factory loaded for the 270 Win, but they might. | |||
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I will go back to the original question. Pros and cons of each compared to the other. The 280 AI rifles will have more cartridge capacity typically unless you go detachable mags. Easier to find bullets at the moment and loaded ammo though it is scarce for both. You are not a handloader anyway...so good luck finding ammo. You can shoot standard 280 ammo if you can't find 280 ai ammo. 6.5 PRC- less recoil. Hornady ammo when you do find it typically is very good as in accurate but this will likely be true for the 280 as well. Slightly better ballistics past 400 to 500 yards...(at the distance you plan on shooting there isn't much advantage). Probably a better choice if you desire to extend your range out to a 1000 yards and beyond. So, splitting hairs really. May come down to liking one rifle over another. Maybe someone can expand on this list. Or correct it if I missed something. | |||
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I built a 280 AI on a Sako Finbear L61R about 22 years ago. Beautiful caliber and I shoot very well with it. I have developed several loads from 140 gr to 160 gr and shot deer out to over 400 meters (finishing shot) and 324 meters measured shot on a fallow deer dead in its bed. 160g Nosler Aaccubond with VV N560 powder give me the Nosler book result of 3000 fps. That is 7mm Rem mag territory! My 7mm 08 in a Kimber Montana is also great - I have taken deer at 300 meters. "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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If I was going for a fast .284, rather than the 280 Ackley, and if I wanted the advantage of easy components and factory and a proper head stamp for use in other countries Id take a long hard look at Remingtons 7MM Magnum..I like the 284, 280 Reminton and the ackley version, but they all have certain drawbacks and are less than the old 30-06, The factory 7 Mag is at the top of the sales list and probably todays most popular caliber Im told..Its an all around caliber.. Ive never used one, why that is I have no idea but I know what it can do and its an awesome caliber.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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The last thing I would by is a 280AI or 6.5 PRC if you don't handload and you want to get in more practice as you describe. I would get either a 270 or a 7mm-08 and would probably lean towards the the 270. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I agree with Mike. For what you indicate you’re interested in hunting, a .270 may be an ideal choice. It also works fine for most elk hunting. | |||
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They both will do the job and between the two, aren’t really worth discussing in terms of end results. If you are comfortable with ammo availability, have at it. Personally there are a stack of cartridges I’d choose over those two first just based on ammunition choice alone. 6.5 CM, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 7mag. For a person who does not handload, the 7 Rem Mag has a shit ton of ammo choices, is widely available, and the recoil is still reasonable as does the 270 win. I am back from a long Hiatus... or whatever. Take care. smallfry | |||
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Just buy a 270  Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | |||
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To answer the original question I would pick the 6.5 PRC because I am shooting one extensively now and have never shot the 280 AI. That .264 bullet is fantastic to work with for the 6.5 chamberings. Many here like the .270, I would suggest the .270 WSM because I along with my bunch of grandsons shoot four of them. It does wonders with that .277 bullet of all sizes. It is a shame he does not reload because reloaders can greatly enhance any round and not worry about the restrictions of the factory offerings. Just my .02 worth. Good Shooting. phurley | |||
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Me too. I have all of them and shoot the .280 Rem as my first pick. | |||
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MIke,s right, if you don't load the 270 will serve you just fine, its and outstanding caliber and damn near as good as the 30-06, took me a decade or two to figure that out!  Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Its automatically assumed that all antelope are killed at 400 to 500 yards when it fact its more accurate to say many are shot AT at that range.. I ranched several ranches that had good populations of antelope in far West texas, in the Big Bend area More antelope were killed at under 200 yards for sure, and many were killed with the 30-30 as a matter of fact, as most ranchers had one in the pickup..Hunters mostly used the 243, 270 and 30-06, according to my records, and did well indeed. Id feel comfortable hunting antelope with any caliber, they are much easier to hunt than Mule deer or whitetail IMO.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Browning/Winchester just brought out their 6.8 Western. Check the ballistics on this before you decide. | |||
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 "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles 280 Ackley Improved vs 6.5 PRC
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