.280 Rem Ackley Improved Now Factory Load by Norma

[SeekHer]

.280 Rem Ackley Improved Now Factory Load by Norma

NORMA announced that they will be loading the .280 Rem Ack Imp as a factory loading...John Barsness reports in the Feb. 2008 issue of Handloader in an article titled “.280 Ackley Improved, It’s A Factory Round"…

They’ll come out in 140 gr loadings producing 3,041 fps from a 22” barrel…

[blackeagle603]

Wow. There really that much of a market for the round?

Great round -- just thinking...

[HTRN]

I suspect one of the rifle manufacturers(my money is on either CZ or Ruger) will start offering it as a chambering.


HTRN

[blackeagle603]

Yeah, marketing and magazines.

If I came on a nice deal on a used rig in .280 Rem I'd seriously consider getting it and having reamed to AI.

OTH, if I was actually shopping for a rig in that class I'd be looking for a 6.5. More specifically, I'd be shopping for a pre-64 M70 in .264 Win Mag. In fact, I passed one up earlier this year in the name of financial discipline -- not sure it was the right decision. Bore looked nice...

If I was planning a rifle build up in that class I'd probably be putting a 6.5x06 barrel on a large ring Mauser or pre-64 M70 action. Maybe give up a wee bit of ulitmate accuracy over a 6.5x284 but already done that by going with a controlled feed. That'd be worth it on a hunting rig to have more case capacity for heavy bullet hunting loads.

[HTRN]

I have a 280 Remington, and I have no intention of ever reaming it to 280AI - I really, REALLY don't like shoulders past 30D. They cause far too many headaches(neck collapse when seating bullets, feeding, etc), and frankly, for what you get in terms of an improvement, I'd rather move UP in terms of caliber/muzzlevelocity.

Honestly, If you need more, skip right over to a 7mm Remington Magnum.


HTRN

[SeekHer]

Well, We've got a few .280 Ack Imp, actually it is one of my all time favourite hunting calibers--one on a Remington titanium action that's quite nice but I had heard that the 7mm RSUM is like an AI on steroids...

I wanted one, really badly, even was going to take my daughter’s Mannlicher stocked Ruger 77 and convert that from .30/06 but she opted for a .280 Ack Imp as well...I finally got to order a titanium action with a Christiansen's carbon wrap barrel w/muzzle brake and a LimbSaver recoil pad on a Borden ultralight thumbhole stock with a Swarovski 3-10x42 aluminum scope in Talley rings for a total weight of under 6.5 lbs to be used as a pronghorn and a mountain sheep/goat gun...

I have taken a lot of game with the .280 Whitetail deer mostly and a couple caribou and as a "Beanfield" rifle they work well--I can hardly wait to take the 7mm RSUM out for caribou, antelope and deer...But I feel the .280 Ack or the 7mm RSUM is just a "wee" bit too light for a moose or elk gun. Not saying it wouldn't kill them, as it has, but it is just a little too light for nearly instant kills...I think they are the absolute lowest caliber one can go in velocity and weight of bullet…Sure the added velocity and the like of a Berger 180 gr VLD bullet will kill them but I’d still rather have a .30 and much prefer an 8mm or better…

[HTRN]

Where are you getting the Ti actions? Are they scavenged Rems, or have you found a source for 'em?

Color me curious.


HTRN

[blackeagle603]

HTRN,
In the 7mm range I'd rather move down in caliber, up in velocity, up in BC and up in Sectional density (to 6.5mm x 06).

'course no matter what is in the safe and what the tag is for, somehow I most always end up with Dad's 30-06 in my hands on opening day.

[HTRN]

Chris, The bigger calibers do lose quite a bit, but I think it's not quite as bad as you make it out to be. The prime factor in velocity loss is BC, and when you can get .350 BC bullets in .375/300 grain, the velocity loss at 300 yards compared to smaller cartridges is going to be smaller than you think. That bullet is down to 2300 foot lbs at 300 yards, that's only 300lbs less than a 280 at the muzzle. A 7 mag shooting 160grn Aframes at 3081ft/sec is down 200 ft/lbs at 300 yards. Even the 416 has bullets with a BC over .350..

Personally, If I was gonna build a dedicated Elk rifle, I'd seriously consider a .338 Ultra - both high BC(.469 with a 275 grain A Frame), and lots of energy(2305 ft/lbs... At 450 yards)


HTRN