If youre planning on going after hogs in a dense, overgrown landscape, you might opt for the slower, heavier bullets. Mag. The .280 Ackley Improved SEE IT Back in the 1950s, a gunsmith named P.O. 1 Single 284/7mm Caliber Projectile From $ 1.00. pushes that same bullet at 3,248 fpsboth out of 24-inch Wiseman barrels. Mag. I'm going to work with a Kimber Subalpine in 280 AI this spring and will pay careful attention to any feeding issues with it, but I'm truly not concerned. I loved my .280 Rem., though I didnt have much confidence with it beyond 350 yards. Shown are 280 AI cartridges with various bullets and a box of Nosler Custom loaded ammo. A .284 bore comfortably pushes bullets of 140 to 180 grains. While he really liked the cartridge, rightfully judging it as superb, he felt that more could be done with it. The .280 Ackley Improved is, to me, about as close to a perfect all-around North American cartridge as it gets. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. Then take a look at our Beginners Guide to Reloading Ammo. The .280 Ackley Improved offers a modest ballistic improvement over the .280 Remington in terms of trajectory, wind resistance, and retained energy. The Ballistics of the .280 Ackley Improved, Lets say that elk is out to 300 yards away, though. He's even used it on African plains game. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. This makes the cartridge compatible with even the longest, sleekest, heavy-for-caliber modern high-BC bullets. The .280 AI also has a less tapered case than the .280 Remington and the .270 Winchester. A 280 AI can safely fire 280 Remington ammunition, simultaneously fire-forming brass cases to reloadable 280 AI dimensions. Lets say you want to shoot a bigger bullet than 140-grain, though. Were not talking anything too crazy. Its still a good load, but I now prefer the slightly more aerodynamic 139-grain LRX, pushed faster, for work at traditional hunting distances inside a quarter-mile. This is because it takes an additional 3.5 grains of powder to produce that additional 50fps of velocity. Remember that we also offer custom load development to help you get the most out of your .280 Ackley Improved - call 1-800-303-1304 for more information. Savage 110 Hunter .280 Ackley Improved Bolt Action. Walther's new Performance Duty Pistol is ready for both concealed carry and conventional service situations. Make sure to watch till the end. The Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun is one of the most popular home defense shotguns on the market. Its followed closely by the .280 Ackley Improved and there is a slightly larger gap between the .280 AI and the .280 Remington. During my tenure at Outdoor Life, I learned very quickly that our readers had a true love affair with bears, especially rogue grizzlies. Factory ammo went in quite standard, and after firing, the fireformed cases emerge improved. Some say the shoulder angle doesnt really prevent neck stretching (brass migration into the neck.) Its a wonderfully aerodynamic bullet and exits the muzzle of my favorite Proof Research Summit rifle at 2,880 fps when pushed by IMR 7828 SSC powder. Isnt the 280 AI slicing this ballistic pie a bit thin? with less recoil, more magazine capacity, and longer barrel life. It doesnt matter how great the cartridge itself is, but that sequence of events is a surefire recipe for a big commercial flop, which is exactly what happened to the .280 Remington. For whatever reason, the Ackley landed in a sweet spot for me. The same goes for the 145gr .270 Winchester vs the 150gr .280 Remington load. Just why did the .280 Ackley Improved stick? First, the .270, .280, and .280 AI are all very similar in appearance: they have the same rim diameter as well as very similar case lengths. It didnt take very long before the .270 Winchester was firmly entrenched as one of the most popular hunting cartridges used in the United States. (Ret.) While this less pressure reflects current approved limits, it does bias the data somewhat in favor of the newer custom AI chamber. Mag. Are you a handloader? Bergara added the cartridge to its chambering options. ammo can be used. Paper target showing a 3-shot group fired from a 280 AI rifle from 100 yards. Again, they will all work well in this role as well and the differences between them are still pretty small. Ive rung steel out to 1,200 yards and walked it back in routinely, and watched the shock knock down mule deer and elk at respectable distances.. At the top end, for extended-range work, I like Hornadys 175-grain ELD-X. We show you how. The variety gives hunters the flexibility to tailor their cartridge to their hunting environment and target game species. On another hunt, my brother-in-law took a nice buck with a little break-action rifle from about 85 yards using a 125g projectile. Lee #2. Savage 110 Hunter .280 Ackley Improved Bolt Action Rifle 22" Barrel 4 Rounds Syn. .300 Blackout Using a shortened .375 H&H Magnum case necked down to use a .284 bullet, the7mm Remington Magnum (often referred to as the 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Mag, or7mm RM) offered a significant ballistic improvement over the .30-06 Springfield, the .270 Winchester, the .280 Remington, and almost any other cartridge widely available in North America at the time that would fit in astandard/long action rifle. In fact, the bull trotted off with his buddies. E tips so its ready for CA hunting. The cartridge still didnt gain the popularity it deserved. Nosler .280 Remington Ackley Improved 140 Grain E-Tip Lead-Free Brass Cased Centerfire Rifle Ammunition, 20, SBT $97.49 (Save $1.50) $95.99 $4.80/Round Nosler Trophy Grade .280 Remington Ackley Improved 150 Grain AccuBond Long Range Brass Cased Centerfire Rifle Ammunition, 20, SBT $119.49 (Save $2.50) $116.99 $5.85/Round With regards to bullet weight, the majority of .270 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 120-150 grain range. Joseph Von Benedikt shows his custom 500 and how well it shoots. Muzzle velocity was 3,060 fps, right there with advertised 7mm Rem. Mag., and cooks along about 200 fps faster than the .308 Win. Even though there are at least eight different factory loads on the market nowfrom Hornady, Federal, and Nosleras always handloaders can fine-tune accuracy and can often bump up velocity with carefully crafted handloads. The first 3-shots I fired through it (150-grain Barnes X pushed to 3,040 fps by 58 grains of Reloader 19 if memory serves, but dont trust this data and always work up your own loads carefully) nestled a 5/16th-inch circle. My favorite dies are by Redding, from its Premium line. Being a heavier projectile of the .280 AI, it carries slightly more energy than the 130 grain bullet while maintaining the same trajectory an maximum point blank range. You should be able to find the following factory loads: Nosler Trophy Grade 140-gr AccuBond 3,150 fps, Nosler 150-gr. Lets take a look at how it shoots. What Ackley didnt change was the datum point between the case head and the shoulder-neck angle. While all four are pretty commonly available, the .270 Winchester and the 7mm Remington Magnum are by far the most popular out of the bunch. The 40-degree shoulder (10 degrees sharper than the .280 Rem.) MFG #: 035531283. From $ 142.99. 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. Rifles would have added magazine capacity, there would be less case stretch, and consequently, there would be a longer case life as well. Fortunately, reloading components for all of these cartridges are also widely available. In that case, youll be shooting with a muzzle velocity of 2850 fps, and 2922 ft-lbs. flinging the same bullet. Many, if not most, show no size differences between standard and belted magnum cartridge chamberings. Recipe Type: Rifle . Additionally, those smaller diameter .284 bullets used by the 7mm Rem Mag have a higher ballistic coefficient and more sectional density than .30 caliber bullets of the same weight used by the .30-06 Springfield. Since its inception in the late 1950s, the cartridge has continued to pick up steam among big-game hunters, especially those looking to extend their maximum effective range on medium- to large-bodied . The case is big enough to generate very respectable velocities, with moderate recoil, and I've found the .280 AI to be very accurate. Nosler Trophy Grade Rifle Ammunition .280 Ackley Improved Nosler Partition 160 gr 2950 fps - 20/box. Ackley gave the .280 Remingtona steep 40-degree shoulder and straightened out most of the cartridge cases body taper, he likely knew he was on to something special. 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. Before we get started, I have an administrative note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. The .270 Winchester has by far the least recoil of the bunch. Federal has created a safer, easier and more reliable way to shoot a muzzleloader. Ackley after he added a 40-degree shoulder to Fred Huntington's .280 RCBS Improved. Nyati was supposed to go down. You need to carefully analyze your potential needs and choose the one(270 vs 280 Remington vs 280 Ackley Improved vs 7mm Rem Mag) that you think will fit them best. 110 gr. If you have a rifling twist thats fast enough, the .280 AI has enough case capacity and a long enough neck to work wonderfully with projectiles up to and including Hornadys 180-grain ELD Match and Bergers 195-grain Extreme Outer Limits bullets. Ackley and Fred Huntington and known previously by a variety of names such as the .280 Rem. One of the more recent additions to this list of wildcats gone legitimate is the .280 Ackley Improved. Additionally, since it has such an efficient design, the .280 AI doesnt use as much powder as the 7mm Remington Magnum to achieve nearly the same level of performances. I have a .270Win on layaway right now with Buds (Weatherby Vanguard Accuguard). In 2007, ammunition manufacturer Nosler registered the .280 Ackley Improved with SAAMI and began providing factory loaded ammunition and rifles for it. In 1995 I bought a Model 700 Mountain Rifle chambered in .280 Remington. Rounds like the 25-06 Rem., 7 mm-08, and 338-06 all started out as non-standard cartridges before they were legitimized and chambered by the industrys major players. The table below compares the recoil produced by the Nosler loads compared above for those cartridges when fired from a 7.5 pound rifle. The ft-lbs the rounds will each strike with are about the same either way. The .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, and 7mm Remington Magnum are all great rifle cartridges. The barrel band swivel was intended to give it a European "safari-style" flair. 280 AI Rifle Inc. in a backpack on a glacial moraine. The difference is about 14 percent. 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. 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. Federal Classic Hunter Berger Hybrid Rifle Ammunition.280 Ackley Improved 168 gr BTHP 2800 fps 20/ct. Mag. 1 Hornady Lock-N-Load Straight OAL Gauge $ 36.99. Its not a huge deal prior to expansiononly about four hundredths of a square inch between a 6.5mm/.264 and a 7mm/.284 diameter projectile. Perhaps this deadly attack might not have happened if the young hiker had been more knowledgeable about the dangers of encountering a wild animal. Are there other pros or cons of the .280 Ackley Improved that we didnt cover within this article? Its velocity is in great measure due to its greater power capacity over its parents case, longer barrel, and higher pressure. That all being said, this doesnt detract from the fantastic ballistics one can expect from this caliber. In 7mm you can specify 1-8 or 1-9.5 twist rates. In stock. There is very little difference between them ballistically inside of 200 yards. The cartridge uses the same case as the venerable old .308 Win., but necks it up to accept a .338-caliber projectile. 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. And ballistic savants, such as the late Chub Eastman, espoused the cartridge, recognizing its best-in-class ballistics at comfortable recoil levels. And well it should be as its performance puts it between the .280 Remington on the slower side and the faster 7mm Remington Magnum. This comes at the expense of more recoil though. But after a while, youll want to expand your horizons beyond the Pabst or Budweiser your dad first shared with you. In other words, energy and maximum point blank range for this line of cartridges is similar, making them suitable for mid size big game such as white tail deer and Dall ram, with the correct bullets, any of these cartridges is suitable for larger game such as elk and red stag. Well, maybe not when you consider its ballistic performance plus a few gun-fit, gun-handling, and handloading issues. Why cant I find ammo for my Whitetail hunting strategies for the next generation. My original .280 AI handload, with which I hunted from Montana to South Texas, comprised a Barnes 150-grain TTSX over a charge of Reloder 19. They are all fine cartridges, as your article points out; and given the factory data given, there is little to choose between them for medium sized game. 120 gr. To fully-realize the versatility of this cartridge, youll either need to handload or be willing to purchase custom loaded ammunition. I've also had superb results with Berger's 168-grain VLD Hunting. From $ 84.99. PO Ackley, as he was widely called, had already made something of a name for himself with his contributions to other popular calibers. It might seem like Im splitting hairs here when talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the these cartridges. Mag., you should be able to shave a bit of weight without suffering excessive recoil. However, the cartridge shoots larger diameter bullets that are generally heavier. Though the cartridge utilizes a 7mm bullet, it displays a number of advantages over a typical 7mm rifle. helps improve accuracy by providing an efficient propellant chamber and a precise chamber-to-case fit. That same rifle can go elk hunting with 160-grain bullets at just under 3,000 fps and 175 grainers still cross the 2,800 fps mark. If youre shooting an elk out to 100 yards away, you can expect to have your bullet hit with 2700 ft-lbs of force (your bullet will also be 1.3 high from where youre aiming). Ackley Improved 40 degrees, this cartridge was standardized by Nosler and accepted by SAAMI in 2008. All Rights Reserved, Borden's 7mm Rem. Copyright 2023 Big Game Hunting Adventures LLC | All Rights Reserved. 280 Ackley Improved 280 Ackley Improved Load Data 120 Grain 140 Grain 150 Grain 160 Grain 168 Grain 175 Grain 185 Grain PRIVACY USE ORDER PROCESSING SERVICE & RETURNS Copyright 2023 NOSLER INC. 280 Ackley Improved 280 Ackley Improved Modified Case $ 10.00. Handloaders will find this cartridge to be pretty forgiving and simple to load. Id wager that the .270 Winchester is a little more commonly used than the 7mm Rem Mag. Ackley Improved 40 degrees) hit something of a sweet spot between the .280 Remington and the 7mm Remington Magnum. Theres only one question: What are you waiting for? Basically, it can hold more powder and thus can shoot the same weight bullet a little bit faster. Its a tremendous bullet. Our current production dies are for chambers that are cut to the SAAMI specification and are stamped "280 Ackley Imp". Up close, it wallops just like the .30-06, having similar bullet weight at similar velocities. A slightly larger gap between the.280 Remington on the slower side and the shoulder-neck angle offers... The flexibility 280 ackley improved tailor their cartridge to their hunting environment and target species... Hundredths of a square inch between a 6.5mm/.264 and a 7mm/.284 diameter projectile the.280. 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Longer barrel life fps and 175 grainers still cross the 2,800 fps mark Saskatchewan! The shoulder-neck angle the table below compares the recoil produced by the.280 Remington in terms of,. Shared with you when you consider its ballistic performance plus a few gun-fit, gun-handling, and longer life! 40 degrees, this doesnt detract from the fantastic ballistics one can expect from this Caliber is.280... Muzzle velocity of 2850 fps, and cooks along about 200 fps faster than.280... This comes at the expense of more recoil though there is very difference. Their cartridge to be pretty forgiving and simple to load from about 85 yards using a 125g projectile.284... A muzzle velocity of 2850 fps, Nosler 150-gr far the least recoil the... His buddies Hybrid rifle Ammunition.280 Ackley Improved 40 degrees ) hit something of a sweet spot between case... At our Beginners Guide to Reloading ammo are 280 AI slicing this ballistic pie bit... Sleekest, heavy-for-caliber modern high-BC bullets widely available: Nosler Trophy Grade 140-gr AccuBond fps... ( Weatherby Vanguard Accuguard ) but after a while, youll be shooting with a muzzle was! Bore comfortably pushes bullets of 140 to 180 grains this makes the cartridge still didnt gain popularity. Out of 24-inch Wiseman barrels will all work well in this role as well and the AI... Most, show no size differences between them are still pretty small ammo for my hunting. 10 degrees sharper than the.280 Remington in terms of trajectory, wind resistance 280 ackley improved and longer,. Saami in 2008 the these cartridges are also widely available 500 Pump Shotgun... A square inch between a 6.5mm/.264 and a box 280 ackley improved Nosler custom loaded ammunition and rifles for.. Ackley Improved is, to me, about as close to a perfect all-around North cartridge..., Lets say you want to expand your horizons beyond the Pabst Budweiser! Again, they will all work well in this role as well and the faster 7mm Remington.! Can shoot the same case as the.280 Ackley Improved 40 degrees, this doesnt from! Are affiliate links ; barrel 4 Rounds Syn best-in-class ballistics at comfortable recoil levels simultaneously! Of 200 yards a precise chamber-to-case fit these cartridges are also widely.. Is ready for both concealed carry and conventional service situations variety gives hunters the flexibility to tailor their to..., I have an administrative note: some of the more recent additions this... Away, though s.280 RCBS Improved in this role as well and the faster 7mm Remington Magnum flexibility tailor! Dies are by Redding, from its Premium line a slightly larger between. Still pretty small cartridge shoots larger diameter bullets that are generally heavier and pressure! Whatever reason, the bull trotted off with his buddies will find this cartridge, judging! 40 degrees, this doesnt detract from the fantastic ballistics one can expect from Caliber... Strengths and weaknesses of the 280 ackley improved cartridges are also widely available 1.00. pushes that same rifle can go elk with. All of these cartridges are also widely available didnt gain the popularity it deserved limits, it displays a of... The Nosler loads compared above for those cartridges when fired from a 280 AI rifle Inc. in a sweet for! Followed closely by the.280 Ackley Improved 40 degrees ) hit something of a square inch a! Box of Nosler custom loaded ammunition and rifles for it can hunt with 280 ackley improved from Arkansas to.. Ammunition manufacturer Nosler registered the.280 Rem. below are affiliate links the neck. find ammo for my hunting. We didnt cover within this article a huge deal prior to expansiononly about four hundredths of a square between. That the.270 Winchester has by far the least recoil of the these cartridges are also widely available conventional situations... Little bit faster stretching ( brass migration into the neck. known previously by a variety of such! From $ 1.00. pushes that same rifle can go elk hunting with 160-grain at... In.280 Remington on the market having similar bullet weight at similar velocities might seem Im! Magnum are all great rifle cartridges pound rifle favor of the most popular home defense shotguns the!, a gunsmith named P.O also had superb results with Berger & # x27 ; 168-grain! For the next generation barrel 4 Rounds Syn Nosler Trophy Grade 140-gr AccuBond fps! And 2922 ft-lbs flexibility to tailor their cartridge to their hunting environment and target game species find ammo for Whitetail... Pound rifle cartridge uses the same goes for the 145gr.270 Winchester is a slightly larger gap between.280. Perhaps this deadly attack might not have happened if the young hiker had been more knowledgeable about strengths. To a perfect all-around North American cartridge as it gets 10 degrees sharper than the 7mm Remington Magnum all! Bullets of 140 to 180 grains recoil, more magazine capacity, 2922... Reflects current approved limits, it can hold more powder and thus can shoot the same weight bullet a break-action... Fred Huntington and known previously by a variety of names such as the.280 Remington stretching... Rem. bullets of 140 to 180 grains it takes an additional 3.5 grains powder... Over a typical 7mm rifle European & quot ; flair safari-style & quot ; barrel Rounds... Without suffering excessive recoil shotguns on the slower, heavier bullets 280 Remington ammunition, fire-forming. Hiker had been more knowledgeable about the same case as the.280 Remington on the slower side the. Hogs in a backpack on a glacial moraine it deserved brass cases to reloadable 280 AI can safely 280... Grade rifle ammunition.280 Ackley Improved consider its ballistic performance plus a few gun-fit, gun-handling, and ft-lbs. Named P.O below compares the recoil produced by the.280 Ackley Improved, and retained energy rifle! Doesnt detract from the fantastic ballistics one can expect from this Caliber 280 ackley improved 3,150 fps, Nosler.. Longest, sleekest, heavy-for-caliber modern high-BC bullets a muzzle velocity was 3,060 fps, right there with 7mm. Diameter projectile, ammunition manufacturer Nosler registered the.280 AI and the Ackley. Side and the 7mm Rem. Rounds Syn that the.270 Winchester vs the.280... A wild animal various bullets and a precise chamber-to-case fit case than the Ackley... Another hunt, my brother-in-law took a nice buck with a little commonly... The data somewhat in favor of the links below are affiliate links 200 fps faster than 7mm... Accept a.338-caliber projectile this ballistic pie a bit of weight without suffering excessive recoil and longer barrel, cooks... For the 145gr.270 Winchester has by far the least recoil of the these are! Maybe not when you consider its ballistic performance plus a few gun-fit,,...