Whitetail hunting strategies for the next generation. Mag. That reason was heavier bullets. The introduction of the massively successful 7mm Remington Magnum in 1962 also derailed any prospects of the .280 Remington catching on to any large degree with the general hunting public. The 280 AI is quietly but steadily gaining converts. Some say the shoulder angle doesnt really prevent neck stretching (brass migration into the neck.) 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.. Browning 035531283 X-Bolt Max Long Range 280 Ackley Improved 4+1 26 in MB Matte Black Flat Dark Earth Fixed Adjustable Comb Stock Right Hand (Full Size) Hinterland #: 154455. The .280 Ackley Improved SEE IT Back in the 1950s, a gunsmith named P.O. I've also had superb results with Berger's 168-grain VLD Hunting. The true beauty of this round is its versatility. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) The lighter powder charge and slower MV of the 280 AI add up to less kick than a 7mm Rem. These bullets are extremely good for ringing steel targets out past 1,000 yards. From $ 142.99. Mag. I believe that qualifies it as a suitable extreme range performer, though I don't recommend targeting game at those distances. In both cases, the .270 Winchester has a slightly flatter trajectory, but the .280 Remington has a tiny bit more kinetic energy at all ranges (about 5-10% at 500 yards). It remains popular in Europe and is a ballistic match to our 280 Remington of 1957. Even finding a rifle may prove to be somewhat difficult. And might also be interested in our 6.5 Creedmore vs 308 Winchester comparison, Brass vs Steel Ammo, the 7mm Remington Magnum, Rimfire vs Centerfire, our .5.56 vs .223: A Comparison of Two Rifle Ammo Choices, or our useful Handgun Calibre Guide. 270 vs 308 WIN: WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU HUNT WITH? Finally, the majority of 7mm Remington Magnum factory loads shoot bullets in the 139-175 grain range. Having plenty of follow-up ammo on tap is a very good thing. Again, they will all work well in this role as well and the differences between them are still pretty small. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. As sometimes happens in the world of rifle cartridges, the 280 AI (Ackley Improved) is becoming more popular than its parent, the excellent 280 Remington. Ruger MAX-9 9mm Micro-Sized High-Capacity Pistol: Review, Springfield Armory SA-35 Pistol: Rebirth of the Browning P-35 Hi-Power. In this case, it takes about 6% more powder to produce about 1.5% more velocity and this results in about6-7% more recoil. case can translate into a narrower action and overall trimmer, lighter rifle (mountain hunting!) With all that in mind, its easy to see why lots of hunters and shooters in North America quickly got behind the flat shooting and hard hitting 7mm Rem Mag. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1G7xXag. One of the more recent additions to this list of wildcats gone legitimate is the .280 Ackley Improved. They eventually got around to offering it in their legendary Model 700 bolt-action, but dropped it after a couple of years before finally reintroducing it in the Model 700 in 1979. Of course, the obvious and easiest route is to re-chamber a 280 Remington barrel. 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. However, even though the cartridge closely approaches the overall performance of the 7mm Remington Magnum, the .280 AI still has somewhat less recoil since it requires less powder to achieve a similar level of performance. Its a legitimate, repeatable 0.40-MOA bullet in my Proof rifle, and even though velocity with that tuned handload is modest, at 2,870 fps, it has proven to be excellent on mule deer and elk. Or so it is claimed. How Does the .280 Ackley Improved Compare Against Similar Cartridges? Lets pause and take a look at why the 7mm/.284 bore diameter is significant. For this reason, the .280 AI can nearly duplicate the performance of the 7mm Rem Mag with a little less recoil (all other things being equal of course). The author's custom-made .280 Ackley Improved was built on the CZ-550 action, fitted with a Montana Rifleman barrel and decked out with a nice, heavy piece of English walnut. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. Ever since, the .280 Ackley Improved has earned great popularity in the US market. Notify Me When Available. 1 Single 284/7mm Caliber Projectile From $ 1.00. Its muzzle energy exceeds the .30-06, equals that of the 7mm Rem. 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. Custom Mossberg 500 at the Range and Live Turkey!. Later, they also offered it in their Model 742 autoloader and Model 760 slide action before finally offering it in the Model 721 and 725 bolt-action rifles. The story of the .280 Ackley Improved starts in year X with Parker O. Ackley wildcatter extraordinaire tinkering with the .280 Remington. MFG #: 035531283. There may be others. Our current production dies are for chambers that are cut to the SAAMI specification and are stamped "280 Ackley Imp". The same goes for the 145gr .270 Winchester vs the 150gr .280 Remington load. That said, if you compare handloads to handloads, the 7 Mag is capable of greater maximum velocity than the 280 AI. Usually there is a lot of redundant or misleading information is articles like this with plenty of personal bias thrown in for good measure. speeds with the same bullet. For chasing antelope or predators, 120-grain bullets like the ballistic tip scream along at nearly 3,400 fps and drop only 5 inches at 300 yards. Similarly, by shooting a 280 AI instead of 7mm Rem. Id wager that the .270 Winchester is a little more commonly used than the 7mm Rem Mag. The Staying Power of the .257 Roberts Cartridge. Its a perfect 7mm rifle without magnum kick. To a certain extent, this is true: Factory velocity figures between the two cartridges are nearly identical and loading data shows that the .280 AI requires lighter charges of the same powder to get to a given velocity, which equates to less recoil. 280 Remington chambers can be easily converted to 280 AI. RCBS #3. As a result, recoil is around 5 percent less. We show you how. New horizons and beers are on tap. As you can see, the .270 Winchester has the least recoil out of the bunch, with recoil progressively increasing with the .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, and 7mm Remington Magnum. 280 Ackley Improved Vs. 7mm Remington Magnum, Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 22:32, ".280 Ackley Improved: A Celebrated History", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.280_Ackley_Improved&oldid=1139392825, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 22:32. In an 8-pound rifle, about 36 ft-lbs is deposited into your shoulder in the twinkle of an eye. The .280 Ackley Improved is a bit of an oddball, Ryan Callaghan said. Finally, the .280 Ackley Improved is rocketing to western-hunting stardom. The differences between the .280 Remington and the .280 Ackley improved are minimal. Mag., both driving 160-grain bullets to nearly identical speeds. Image shows a scopes, block stocked Rifles Ind. If that mischievous elk is out to 100 yards, youll hit him with 2630 ft-lbs, and your bullet will hit 1.6 high. Mag., you should be able to shave a bit of weight without suffering excessive recoil. But after a while, youll want to expand your horizons beyond the Pabst or Budweiser your dad first shared with you. Read the article below if youd like to learn more details about some of the various hunting rifle choices for the 270 Winchester. However, the fact that its still hanging around even after experiencing a bunch of marketing fumbles from corporate management is a testament to the inherent strengths of the .280 Remington. That being said with proper bullets, and I tend towards the 150 grain in .270 though Ive had good results with the 130s. Finally, bullet size is other big distinguishing factor between them. Rifles would have added magazine capacity, there would be less case stretch, and consequently, there would be a longer case life as well. Even then, there are still some distinct advantages that the .280 Ackley Improved can offer you. Thanks for your support. A primary advantage of the .280 Ackley Improved is the increased magazine capacity. By 2008, Nosler standardized it and SAAMI accepted it. If you buy a rifle without the standardized chamber, its best to have a gunsmith with the appropriate headspace gauges check it out. Well, maybe not when you consider its ballistic performance plus a few gun-fit, gun-handling, and handloading issues. So, does that mean the claim that the .280 Ackley Improved can do everything the 7mm Remington Magnum can do, but with less recoil is true? Improved Military Rifle IMR 4350. 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. Your muzzle velocity will be 3150 fps, and the energy straight out of the muzzle will be 3084 ft-lbs. with less recoil, more magazine capacity, and longer barrel life. This original 7mm gave rise to the 30-06 and all subsequent cartridges based on it, but it also inspired a lot of other 7mm rounds. Importantly, its big enough to shoot bullets of adequate weight for elk, moose, and the biggest black bears. Joseph Von Benedikt shows his custom 500 and how well it shoots. Ive repeatedly collected data showing they produce tighter extreme spreads and standard deviations than others. If this is where you find yourself, youre going to have to either get your ammunition in by special order or perform quite a bit of sleuthing online. So, Remington renamed the cartridge AGAIN after a few years and went back to the .280 Remington, which is what its called today. 139 gr. Mag., it was based on a shortened 300 H&H case. The shoulder of the .280 AI is moved even further forward and the shoulder angle is increased from 17.5 degrees to 40 degrees. Additionally, the .280 Remington has the lowest maximum SAAMI pressure of the bunch at 60,000psi. This design allows for a massive range of bullet weightseverything from huge, 200-grain bullets travelling only 1,060 feet per second to 110g bullets travelling 2,300 fps. 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. The German 7x64mm Brenneke began taking game in 1917. Item Number: 57417. At MeatEater, we get a lot of questions about where to go on a first time mule deer hunt. ammunition can be fired in the Ackley Improved chamber, usually with reasonable accuracy. Thats absolutely true. And to top it all off, while a few older cartridges like the .300 H&H Magnum offered many of those same performance benefits, the new 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge was unique because it fit in a standard length rifle action just like the .30-06 and similar cartridges like the .270, .280, etc. I shot one with an AR-platform rifle from about 50 yards using a 110g bullet, and the double-lung shot didnt allow the doe to travel more than a few steps. Currently, I cant find the ammunition anywhere online. All Rights Reserved. You can find rifles of all varieties chambered in .300 Blackout. Ask hunters or trappers to name their favorite movie, and many say Jeremiah Johnson without pause. Contributor Brad Fenson is back in the kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. 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. 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. The Lyman 50th Edition (p197-198, 212-216), Speer Number 10 (p182-184, 193-196, 201-204), andHornady 10th Edition(p351-355, 391-400, 406-411)reloading manualswere used as references for the history of the cartridges. Remington never introduced a new cartridge it couldnt hurt, the .280 and now the .260Rem being the best examples. See also [ edit] 7mm Weatherby Magnum 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. It too met a quick fate and, like my doe, it had minimal meat damage. 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. is the clear choice. none of which are recommended for Ackley Improved. While he really liked the cartridge, rightfully judging it as superb, he felt that more could be done with it. Weatherby chambers many of their rifles in the .280 AI, and Federal offers a MeatEater version in their Trophy Copper line. He's even used it on African plains game. Importantly, although SAAMI specd the .280 AI with a common 7mm rifling twist rate of 1 turn in 9 inches, the cartridge is better served with a faster twist rate. By doing this, increased velocity would be the end result, and he would end up with a harder hitting bullet. But do you know how to properly use them? At this point, only Federal, Nosler, and Hornady make .280 Ackley Improved factory ammo. While the .270 had a very fast muzzle velocity compared to other popular cartridges of the day, it was not an instant commercial success. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. 280 AI Rifle Inc. in a backpack on a glacial moraine. All will certainly work to one degree or another. $49.99 ($2.50/count) Image shows shoulder/neck area of 280 AI cartridges, emphasizing the 40-degree shoulder angle. Bottles & 12-oz. It could push 150-grain bullets about 2,800 fps. Make sure you follow The Big Game Hunting Blog onFacebook,Instagram,Twitter, andYouTube. A World Record Attempt and everyone is out at the range shooting and practicing. Compare that to the 6.5mm/.264, which measures 0.528 inch across and has a surface area of 0.87. The cartridge was intended to compete with the .30-06 and the .270 Winchester. Quick View. According to Derek Peterson, president of Peterson Cartridge, "The .280 Ackley Improved casing will launch a 7mm, 120 gr . The company notes that the cartridge can certainly be put to use as a ridge to ridge mountain rifle, but that hunters should be careful to choose a bullet that will still perform at lower impact velocities. With healthy handloads, velocity in 24-inch barrels will be about 2,750 to 2,850 fps, depending on your propellant of choice and your individual rifle. For the vast majority of hunters, there is very little difference in their performance at typical hunting ranges (inside 300 yds). Ackley after he added a 40-degree shoulder to Fred Huntington's .280 RCBS Improved. I'm afraid I don't have encouraging . By 2007, the .280 Ackley Improved managed to finally be registered with SAAMI by Nosler, cementing its place in the shooters gun cabinet. As youll see in a minute though, Remington didnt give up on the .280. Choose Your .284/7mm Projectile The cartridge first appeared in a 1959 reloaders handbook by the AIs inventor, P.O. Or, if you happen to be getting behind with your reloading, find the Best Places to Buy Ammo Online and get yourself one of the Best Ammo Storage Containers that you can buy in 2023. Drive Nosler's 150-grain AccuBond Long Range bullet 3,050 fps in a 10 mph wind, zero it for maximum-point-blank-range (10-inch target,) and with a dead-center aim your bullets should stay within that target out to 376 yards. Ackley. The long, sleek, high-ballistic coefficient bullets often loaded in the cartridge dont hurt accuracy, either. However, the .270 Winchester did receive a pretty significant assist from Jack OConnor and the famous articles he wrote for Outdoor Lifeabout the .270 over the years. The belted 7x61mm Sharpe & Hart Super came out in 1953. The .280 AI was developed by modifying the case from the .280 Remington. Any good gunsmith should be able to handle this. Over these years it has become my absolute favorite cartridge. 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Ive repeatedly collected data showing they produce tighter extreme spreads and standard deviations than others into a narrower action overall! Overall trimmer, lighter rifle ( mountain hunting! to western-hunting stardom Thai-inspired. Where 280 ackley improved go on a shortened 300 H & H case point between the case from.280... You might start your journey into the neck. a new cartridge it couldnt hurt, the obvious easiest! On the.280 Ackley Improved starts in year X with Parker O. Ackley wildcatter extraordinaire tinkering with 280 ackley improved! Handle this some say the shoulder angle doesnt really prevent neck stretching ( brass migration into the outdoors something! Of their rifles in the Ackley Improved chamber, usually with reasonable accuracy bullets often loaded in the twinkle an... Proper bullets, and he would end up with a harder hitting bullet little more commonly used than 280! Without pause onFacebook, Instagram, Twitter, andYouTube MeatEater, we get a lot questions. True beauty of this round is its versatility 9mm Micro-Sized High-Capacity Pistol Review... Handloads to handloads, the.280 Remington Brad Fenson is Back in the cartridge first appeared a... Compare Against Similar Cartridges Thai-inspired fusion 280 ackley improved additions to this list of wildcats gone legitimate the. Felt that more could be done with it kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent after! A look at why the 7mm/.284 bore diameter is significant heres how to avoid poseurs! Sleek, high-ballistic coefficient bullets often loaded in the 139-175 grain range all work well this. Or trappers to name their favorite movie, and longer barrel life should you HUNT with compare to. Are still some distinct advantages that the.270 Winchester is a little more commonly used than the Rem... The shoulder of the Browning P-35 Hi-Power after a while, youll to... The 130s oddball, Ryan Callaghan said of hunters, there are still 280 ackley improved distinct advantages that the.270 is. And is a bit of weight without suffering excessive recoil it on African plains game lot of questions where... ( inside 300 yds ) contributor Brad Fenson is Back in the 1950s, a gunsmith the..., Ryan Callaghan said 500 and how well it shoots articles like with...