Howdy,
I am looking for a Good competant gunsmith in or around the OH,KY,IN,or PA area. I want to have a 280 made into a 280AI. Any idea what this should cost?
Thanks
Navigator

Search for info here on the IT&D (?) Gunshop. This is one one that has an ad in the Shotgun News.

About $100-150 for the rechambering if they have the reamer. If not they have to rent one and you have to buy dies. Your looking at a $250 bill by the time your done to gain 50 fps and your barrel won't fit the stock. Resale will be less also on the gun.

It's good clean fun however.

where are you located? I use a guy by the name of John Richie, in Patriot, OH close to Gallipolis. Have always been pretty happy with his work (a little slow sometimes though). If you want I will dig out his phone #. gabe

navigator, email is on it's way to you

We have a great smith here in the NW part of the state. Not sure if he has a reamer for your caliber

Hairtrigger,
Would like to know if you have the gunsmith's number. I am in central ohio.
Thanks
Nav

Navigator,

I had my Ruger 77 stainless rechambered to 280AI by Ray's Gunsmithing in Colorado. Not Ohio I know but very easy to ship the rifle to/from him. You can talk to him on the phone in person. He did very good work and fast turn around but I had it done in the spring so as you get closer to hunting seasons it might slow down. My rifle gives very good accuracy (around an inch for 3 shots in a standard factory quality barrel) with a variety of bullets. He advertises in Rifle and Handloader. I don't think he has a Web site but his address and phone are below. Call for his brochure.
Ray's Gunsmithing Shop 3199 Elm Ave Grand Junction CO 81504 (970)-434-6162

Good luck
Paul

[ 09-05-2003, 05:41: Message edited by: Paul Reed ]

Navigator,

I have used Barthel's in North Canton and they have worked on several guns for me and a few for friends and we all have been happy with their work.

Plus they are excellent people to do business with.
Here is their address
Barthel's gunsmithing inc.
1692 Meadowlane Dr. SE
North Canton Oh.44709
phone number 330-499-4171

Give them a call,Where are you located? I am in Coshocton and it take me about 60 minutes to get there on a good day driving the speed limit.I might be going up this Saturday

muskrat

live to shoot-shoot to live!

Thanks to all for the info. Muskrat, I live south of Columbus, just a bit. Pickerington.
Let me know if you are heading up.
Thanks
Nav

Savage 99,
You been at them dummy worms again! Anybody that would pay $250.00 to have a barrel re-chambered from .280 to .280 Improved would have to be brain dead and why on earth would a re-chamber cause the barrel not to fit anymore. It only has to be set back a couple of threads and thats not going to affect how the barrel fits the channel. And as far as only realizing 50 fps increase in velocity thats a load of crap also!!

jim white,

I figured that the chambering, treading and milling another extractor slot would cost about $100 and maybe more. Then reamer rental might go another $50. So that's how I got to $150. The rest of the $100 is for the special reloading dies so now were up to $250.

Heck Jim lets make it another $100 for the loss of value of the gun on the used market if you can sell it at all. So now were up to $350 if you follow me.

Now turn the pages on Noslers #5 and find that the max load with the 280 Rem is 2942 fps with the 160 gr bullet and 2963 with the so called improved version. Of course they used different barrels. Check it out.

This is a good project for next winter. It will keep you busy fireforming brass. Everone should have owned one improved chamber and one Corvette.

allow me to toss a few morsels your way.

I had a new sako action barreled to 280 AI and it really does add the goat glands to a standard 280 round. I got velo's I will not post because some idiot will try to jump staright to where i was without gradual experimentation. I will say i saw 3410 fps with 140 sierras and backed of a few grains and hunted with 3350 fps.

Okay, there's the magic go fast info. BUT, it isn't worth it. if you want a 7 mag., just buy one. I also owned a 7 rem. mag. and it was a super round and easy to coax into the stratosphere of high velocity.

These barn burners don't kill any better than the factory versions do and they eat barrel throats like a blow torch. get yourself a .270, keep your .280 or get a 308 and just learn to shoot it. you'll kill everything you aim at and it'll be just as dead, just as quick.

Savage99,
Here you go again, sailing in uncharted waters. I'd bet the farm that you have no experience what so ever with any ACKLEY IMPROVED cartridge, yet you continue to offer advise, poor advise at that.
Without knowing what action it is, it needs an extractor groove cut.Ever seen one on a Remington?
And the line about the barrel not fitting after rechambering, how does that change the outside measurement? $100.00 depreciation, I doubt that! unless were talking about a collector gun, and I doubt thats the case. And why would you rent a reamer for $50.00, when you can buy one for $77.00? 50fps gain is pure BS. Your clearly in over your head.

Navigator,
I presently own three rifles chambered for Ackley Improved cartridges, and another on the drawing board. I love them all, and so will you.

Jumptrap,
As far as burning the throat out of your 280AI, well I don't doubt that. Any barrel can die prematurely, when fed red line loads continually.
The numbers you show in your post are above any shown in my manuals for a 7m/m Rem.Mag.
Stepchild

savage9.9,
"Treading" and milling another extractor slot? $100.00 for special reloading dies? Redding sells a 3 die set for half of that which includes a neck sizer, a full length sizer and a seater. The original post asks for recommendation of a smith and cost estimate not your BULLSHIT opinion on the merits of a re-chamber.
Navigator, if you want a .280 Improved do it. You will love it and the cost will be no where near what savage9.9 would have you believe and the velocity gains are real. It is worth it to me to go Ackley on any cartridge just for the increased longevity of my brass. Loss of value? If you try to sell it to someone like savage9.9 you might but if you sell it to a knowledgeable shooter you won't lose a dime. I'm at a loss to understand why you want to part with it in the first place. Jim

[ 09-06-2003, 18:42: Message edited by: Jim White ]

Navigator,

I noticed in another thread that the rifle you might rechamber is a 700 with a detachable mag. Just make sure that the wider shoulder of the blown out case will fit in that mag.

Also while the rifle is apart you might want to have it inspected to make sure the locking lugs are contacting and everything else is square. While this might cost more it's the time to have it done.

There are many on this board who shoot improved cartridges. Perhaps someone could mail you some fired brass to try in that magazine.

I don't think that there is any increase in brass life as a regular 30-06 will go about thirty five reloads.

In general there will be no significant increase in performance of any kind unless the present chamber is defective. But many like personal cartridges and it's only money.

Navigator,

There are good gunsmiths from one end of the country to the other, If you can't find one you trust in your particular neck of the woods, then remember, UPS and FedEx delivers to ALL States...


Good luck huntin'

Malm

savage9.9,
The first three words of the fourth paragraph,in your last post, pretty much sums it up.
Stepchild

Malm,

As to 50 fps when going to an improved version of a cartridge like the 280 Rem I looked at Nosler #5 and they show a 14 fps gain but the barrel on the improved rifle is two inches shorter. So adding 25 fps per inch that gets up to 64 fps. Then there is my experiance with the 30-06 improved and I got 50 fps more and the barrel was bedded tight before in the stock and setting it back ment that it was not tight anylonger.

No improved cartridge has ever seen the commercial light of day. There is just not much to them improvment wise. Perhaps the 225 Winchester is the closest example.

Right now I have three such rifles chambered for improved cartridges. One is a 219 Improved Zipper and I am milking the life out of that barrel. It's a Buhmiller and I think it will last me. Another is the 30-06 improved and it's loaded up with the 200 gr Speer. That rifle shoots most loads well and that one is doing just what it should velocity wise when you look at Speers Handbook for Wildcat Cartridges.

The 30-06 Improved is a nice cartridge and almost as good as the 30-06 Springfield.

stepchild,

I bet you're red headed as well.

Jumptrap,
You are 0 and 2. It's mostly gray,never was red.
Stepchild