280 AI vs SAAMI/Nozzler 280 AI

[Highlander44]

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.

[Pathfinder76]

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.

[duceman]

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

[Bolete]

Originally Posted by chuck

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.

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

[elkhunter11]

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.

[Highlander44]

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?

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Highlander44

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.

[tikka boom]

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.

[Leeper]

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

[tikka boom]

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