Or so it is claimed. Heres why: 280 AI shoots 50 fps to 100 fps faster than the 280 Remington with the same bullets in the same standard-length actions. With 200-grain bullets pushed at 2,900 fps or so, the big .30s clearly impact with more visible resulton both ends. How Does the .280 Ackley Improved Compare Against Similar Cartridges? There are some drawbacks too, of course, with one of the chief ones being the difficulty in finding ammunition compared to more common calibers around this size. Recoil is a product of ejecta mass (powder as well as bullet) and velocity. How much less? Handloaded to a sizzling 3,200 fps, its flat and forgiving for shots inside a quarter-mile. Such projectiles drop less and drift less in the wind, even though they do start out a bit slower than light-for-caliber bullets. The cartridge uses the same case as the venerable old .308 Win., but necks it up to accept a .338-caliber projectile. So, yes, its easy to find examples of .280 Ackley Improved loads that either match or exceed the performance of the 7mm Remington Magnum and still have less recoil. This is one of the most interesting points of comparison between the 7mm Rem Mag and .280 AI though. However, while those two rounds are very popular for a reason, they are far from the only high quality choices in that size range. Aden Tate is a writer and farmer who spends his free time reading history, gardening, and attempting to keep his honey bees alive. Mag. When you push past this performance level with a 7 mm cartridge, you do so with diminishing returns as far as velocity goes. and a 175g round about 2,700 fps (just 100 fps shy of the 7mm Weatherby Mag.). Although the .280 Remington is considered to be a very balanced cartridge combining the best attributes of both cartridiges due to the high ballistic coefficient and sectional density, characteristic of 7mm calibers, it did not reach the popularity achieved by the .30-06 and .270 Win. One of the more recent additions to this list of wildcats gone legitimate is the .280 Ackley Improved. Improved Military Rifle IMR 4007 SSC. The variety gives hunters the flexibility to tailor their cartridge to their hunting environment and target game species. The .280 AIs additional case capacity does good things, but it doesnt change laws of physics. ammo can be used. So, if it wasnt bad enough that the management at Remington didnt fully get behind the cartridge and offer it in a bolt-action rifle from the start, they also kept changing its name. It is true that certain factory loads and handloads for the .280 AI can come very close and even exceed the performance of typical 7mm Remington Magnum factory loads. This item: RCBS .280 Ackley Improved F L Die Set $75.99 RCBS Single Stage Shell Holder, Hardened Shell Holder $12.36 Customers also search Page 280 ackley improved brass 280 ackley improved rcbs 280 remington hornady overall length gauge lee precision reloading case length gauge From the brand Reloading Kits Visit the Store POWDER DISPENSERS Youll see similar results when comparing the .280 Ackley Improved with a .270, as the AI will shoot somewhere around 300 fps faster than the .270. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. Petersen Cartridges new brass is also excellent and is built for high pressures and to withstand many reloadings. Some were reluctant to adopt the cartridge, but many American hunters eventually came to appreciate the flat shooting characteristics of the round as well as the fact that it was so effective on thin skinned game. Finally, bullet size is other big distinguishing factor between them. Calling and shooting predators is one of the things that helps hunters get from the end of the fall seasons to when the turkeys start gobbling. As you can imagine though, the name change resulted in a lot of confusion between the 7mm Express and the 7mm Rem Mag, which are NOT interchangeable. The .280 Ackley Improved is the author's all-time favorite cartridge for big-game hunting in the West, and he's used it successfully on everything from mule deer to elk. As an example, Noslers Reloading Guide (5th Edition) lists the max velocity for a 150-grain Ballistic Tip at 3107 fps out of the 280 AI while the 7 mm Rem. With typical hunting factory loads, the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .280 Ackley Improved have a slight advantage over the others in this regard with a flatter trajectory and the most resistance to wind drift. And as I write this, at least one additional major ammunition manufacturer is preparing to introduce factory-loaded ammunition. Still, in the right environment, the .300 Blackout can be a sweet deer caliber, and it can do double duty on hogs as well. Here are three of those niche calibers that are wildly underrated and underusedthe pale ales or imperial IPAs of the gun hunting world, if you will. Walther's new Performance Duty Pistol is ready for both concealed carry and conventional service situations. And this is all with virtually the same ballistics as a 7mm. The original .270 Winchester load shot a 130 grain bullet at a velocity of 3,140 feet per second (2,846 ft-lbs of energy). That bullet should retain 1,500 f-p energy at 600 yards and remain super sonic at 1,600 yards. I have a custom .280 Remington. However, the reduced body taper and sharper shoulder can sometimes cause feeding issues with certain rifles. However, for hunting, there are better balanced options for the .280 AI. Given the rising popularity of long, sleek, aerodynamically efficient bullets, Id go with the 1-8.Rebarreling is a great option if you already have a shot-out barrel on any standard-length action. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. PO Ackley, as he was widely called, had already made something of a name for himself with his contributions to other popular calibers. Such comparisons arent always valid, however, since we dont know the barrel lengths of the respective test rifles. They eventually chose the bolt action 1903 Springfield rifle chambered in the new .30-06 Springfield cartridge. 280 Ackley Improved Modified Case. Going longer gains little; going shorter loses too much. Heres one last thing to consider when comparing these cartridges: magazine capacity. This 1972 classic stars Robert Redford as an ex-soldier who forsakes civilization for a new life in cold, indifferent lands already home to Indian tribes. When you bump up to the magnum .30s, comparisons change. Then take a look at our Beginners Guide to Reloading Ammo. MidwayUSA offers the Nosler M21, but youll find that there truly isnt as large of an offering available in rifles chambered in .280 Ackley Improved as youll find in other common calibers. Ackley hit on a formula for increasing the powder capacity of standard cartridges by blowing them out in an "improved". Despite the above redundant confusion of cartridges shooting .284-inch bullets, that list is not complete. I used Noslers own reloading data published online (available here, here, here, and here). Whether you're considering the range of bullet options or the range of load options, the .300 Win. Savage Arms has announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull rifles, the Impulse Driven Hunter. Ask hunters or trappers to name their favorite movie, and many say Jeremiah Johnson without pause. This plays a significant role in its rising popularity, as well see. Walk into your local gun store, and youll see what I mean. I decided to start with the Berger classic 168 and 4831. 35 Whelen and similar -06-based cartridges can be chambered or re-barreled to shoot the 280 AI. These modifications resulted in added capacity, which increased velocity, and less case stretch, which resulted in longer case life. 280 Ackley Improved Vs. 280 Remington [ edit] Loaded with a 150 grain bullet, the .280 AI shot from a 24" barrel gives a muzzle velocity of approximately 3,060 fps, which is about 100 fps faster than a .280 Remington loaded with a bullet of similar weight. Similarly, by shooting a 280 AI instead of 7mm Rem. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. Remember, ejecta (exploding gases and particulates exiting the muzzle) contributes greatly to recoil. 7mm Remington Magnum, 150-grain 3,250 fps, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, 150-grain 3,300 fps. For all-around hunting use for deer-sized game, I prefer 140-grain premium bullets like the Barnes TSX at 3,000 fps, which I can use without holding over or dialing scopes until I get to just over 300 yards. Its now possible to buy .280 AI brass (Nosler brass is a particularly good choice), but you can also make your own by fireforming .280 Remington brass. Nosler brass has always been my go-to, because its invariably near-perfect and comes weight-sorted and prepped for accuracy, meaning trimmed to length, chamfered, and deburred, and with flash holes uniformed. Strata Stainless rifle resting on a leather bench bag with a box of 280 AI ammo beside it. Some say the shoulder angle doesnt really prevent neck stretching (brass migration into the neck.) Remember: the gap in performance between many .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, and 7mm Remington Magnum loads (especially the latter two) is pretty small. Mag. Nosler used a 24 barrel for the .270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum, but a 26 barrel for the .280 Remington and .280 Ackley Improved in their published reloading data I used above. Are you a handloader? MFG #: 035531283. Joseph Von Benedikt shows his custom 500 and how well it shoots. That being said with proper bullets, and I tend towards the 150 grain in .270 though Ive had good results with the 130s. Over these years it has become my absolute favorite cartridge. Last Shot Ackley and Fred Huntington and known previously by a variety of names such as the .280 Rem. Federal. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Rafe Nielsen of Browning to take a look at a new X-Bolt series rifle. Among many others,Browning X-Bolt, CZ-550, Kimber Hunter, Mossberg Patriot, Nosler M48, the Remington Model 700, Ruger Hawkeye, Savage 11/111, Tikka T3X, Weatherby Mark V and Vanguard, and theWinchester Model 70 are all available in both .270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum. Ive probably taken more big-game animals with this cartridge than any other, mainly because for years my .280 AI was one of the few hunting rifles that I owned. Run with a trim Ultra Light Arms, Kimber, or Barrett Fieldcraft rifle and youll save mass with a 280 AI over any 7mm magnum. Are there other pros or cons of the .280 Ackley Improved that we didnt cover within this article? Mag. Here's why: 280 AI shoots 50 fps to 100 fps faster than the 280 Remington with the same bullets in the same standard-length actions. Ive watched my hunting partner Thomas Provstgaard shoot the 139-grain LRX clean through stout-bodied African plains game, including a steeply angled shot on a massive 55-inch kudu bull. While the .270 had a very fast muzzle velocity compared to other popular cartridges of the day, it was not an instant commercial success. Theres only one question: What are you waiting for? Weatherby included the .280 AI in its shockingly lightweight, top-shelf Backcountry rifle line. The differences between the .280 Remington and the .280 Ackley improved are minimal. Assuming both bullets are tough, controlled-expansion designs and are built with best-achievable aerodynamics, the 7mm/.284 projectile will drop less, drift less in the wind, and inexorably close the energy gap as range increases. The three .284/7mm 140gr Nosler loads all use the exact same AccuBond bullet, just fired at different velocities: the 7mm Rem Mag is 50fps faster than the .280 AI, which is in turn about 150fps faster than the .280 Rem. See also [ edit] 7mm Weatherby Magnum It might seem like Im splitting hairs here when talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the these cartridges. Remington made an attempt at knocking the .270 Winchester off its perch when they rolled out the .280 Remington cartridge in 1957. Remington made a massive splash in 1962 when they rolled out their new Remington Model 700 rifle along with the brand new 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge. However, that comes at the expense of a little more recoil than the .270 Winchester. 280 Ackley Improved .280 Ackley Improved 160 Grain Nosler AccuBond~100% Hand-Loaded!! As is the case with many other cartridges developed in the United States, the story of the .270 Winchester, the .280 Remington, the .280 Ackley Improved, and the 7mm Remington Magnum starts with the .30-06 Springfield. 10mm Firepower: Springfield XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact Pistol Review, SIG Sauer P365 Pistol Now Offered in .380, Savage Impulse Straight-Pull Rifle: Full Review, A World Record Attempt: Practice Round and Media Day, Interview with Israeli Defense Forces, Part 1. The .270 Winchester has by far the least recoil of the bunch. This is illustrated in the table below comparing Nosler Trophy Grade and Hornady Precision Hunter factory ammunition loaded with 130gr AccuBond (.435 BC) and 145gr ELD-X (.536 BC) bullets in .270 Winchester, 140gr AccuBond (.485 BC) and 150gr ELD-X (.574 BC) bullets in .280 Remington, 140gr AccuBond (.485 BC) and 162gr ELD-X (.631 BC) bullets in .280 AI, and 140gr AccuBond (.485 BC) and 162gr ELD-X (.631 BC) bullets in 7mm Rem Mag. Contributor Brad Fenson is back in the kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent. Rounds Per Box: 20 $ 95.99 Add to wishlist Read more Out of Stock: Notify Me 280 Ackley Improved .280 ACKLEY IMPROVED 162 GRAIN Hornady ELD-X~100% HAND-LOADED!! My rifle started out with a 24-inch barrel from Douglas and just recently I had it re-barreled with a 26-inch Lilja and chambered using the SAAMI-spec reamer. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. but this depends on the maker. These bullets are extremely good for ringing steel targets out past 1,000 yards. Ive been a user of this cartridge, in both its wildcat and later in its ballistically identical standardized formats, for just under 15 years. However, the cartridge shoots larger diameter bullets that are generally heavier. Winner: .280 Ackley Improved .280 AI Versatility vs. .300 Win. I have a .270Win on layaway right now with Buds (Weatherby Vanguard Accuguard). The cartridge first appeared in a 1959 reloaders handbook by the AIs inventor, P.O. With regards to bullet weight, the majority of .270 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 120-150 grain range. Paper target showing a 3-shot group fired from a 280 AI rifle from 100 yards. A .280 Ackley Improved simply shoots better over long range than a .30-06. Nearly concurrently, Federal announced it was working on three different .280 AI loads, including a Berger bullet and Federals own Terminal Ascent and Trophy Copper bullets. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. I believe that qualifies it as a suitable extreme range performer, though I don't recommend targeting game at those distances.