280 AI vs SAAMI/Nozzler 280 AI
 

Just got my Krieger 7mm match barrel in and am in a dillema on what to chamber it in?? Will be chambering it in a 280Rem, 280AI, or the Saami 280AI that nozzler has ammo for. I do reload so ammo's not an issue. If anyone out there has a 280 AI (either version), i would like to hear the reasons why you went one way or another.

Go with the 280 Rem. My opinion is that 3050 is easy breathing in the 280 and 3100 with 140's in the AI is where you want to stop.

i'm with chuck on this one. having done the ai, i don't feel the gain was worth the hassle of forming, or the feeding problems, lee

but the 280ai matches 7 rm velocities with less powder.... at least that is what I have read many many times here on AO.:rolleye2:

I had no issues with my 280AI rifles, achieving 3140fps with 140gr bullets, but I wouldn't bother going that route again, unless someone other than Nosler was offering factory brass.

Thanks guys, i read that also about the 280AI matching the 7 Rem Mag velocities and after further reading it isn't the case. The 280 they used had a longer barrel. The 280Ai seems to bridge the gap between the 280 Rem and 7 Rem Mag. If you guys were going to go the AI route..would you choose the origional Ackley chamber or the new (2008) Nozzler/Saami Chamber?

I would go with the Nosler chamber, because there is factory brass available, and possible other manufacturers will make brass in the future. And it's Nosler , not Nozzler.:)

280AI SAAMI. Brass is available, although I still haven't opened those packages in a couple of years because the fireformed 280 brass has held up very well. Fireforming was nothing more than using a typical hand loaded cartridge but with new 280 brass. Accuracy with those was close to the post-fireformed accuracy, which is very good in a factory Cooper.

I have a 280AI and use the very good Norma manufactured Nosler brass.
If you intend to shoot 140's I'd do a vanilla Rem. I am using 160 and 168's and it's easy to obtain 2950-3000fps using VV and RL powders with it so it does shine.
If you are going AI do the SAAMI chamber. Nosler brass is worth the price to skip forming and prep.

Stick with the SAAMI one. It will then also chamber factory ammo and if some day you want to sell it, it will be easier.

I build one and is my go to rifle but I wont discuss its ballistics because last time I did, Third world war just about broke out!

CH

Lol- thanks. I'm shooting 168gr Berger Classic Hunters now and plan to keep using them, might even try the VLD's again to see I the new barrel likes them. Good point on the future brass and resale, if I go AI I'll lean towards the SAMMI chamber. Still not sure though.....

Just saw a bunch of nosler brass in stores and it is $99.99 for 50!! Wow- I hope other manufacturer's start making some! I have remington .280 brass now that has been fired once or twice- does anyone know if I will have any issues fire-forming these as they may be a bit weakened already? Mike

Just an update- got the new 25" barrel dialed in and it like the 168gr Berger classic hunters. I have a mild load of 55.5gr H4831SC and the crono averaged 2727fps.

I just built one and I'm working on load devilment now. I went with the saami. Not because of brass because I fire form anyway. But for the reason that in time most will be saami and almost all die manufactures except lee are building the dies to saami spec instead of 40degree unless special order . You can still get away with saami dies in the original ackley but you have to buy the shel holder that is made .014 deeper for this.

Once Nosler standardized the 280AI (although they screwed it up) and SAAMI accepted those dimensions, a gunsmith is sort of obligated to chamber to those specs. This may result in excessive head clearance if one tries to fireform standard 280 but there you have it. A chamber which is properly reamed to fireform factory 280 will probably not accept the Nosler 280AI. So, which is the real AI? I have decided to simply not chamber them anymore unless I do the thirty degree version.
Tikka boom, the disparity in dies is just another part of why it turned into such a mess.
It is difficult to imagine how Nosler managed to screw up when it was a simple calculation but they did it. Leeper

Yes that's true Leeper. I fire formed all my brass with cream of wheat because the possibility of excess head space