Does the 7mmRM just make more “cents” than the 280AI?

MHWASH

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I’ve been thinking real hard about rebarreling a 270 into a 280AI. I wondering if I would be better off just going with a 7RM? Depending on the rifle, I could be about $300 cheaper with a factory 7mm. I already have a good quantity of brass and dies for the 7mm. For me the biggest advantage of the 280AI is the same performance as the 7 mag, but slightly less powder and recoil.

What say you?
 

USMC-40

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Spoke with Jeff Hayes at Rivers Bend Gunsmithing about the same topic. He is a .280AI fan, but they have a tendency to be a touch finicky about loads (according to him). I stayed 7mm and am glad I did.
 
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I dont have experience with a 7RM. I just got a Kimber in 280ai and really like shooting it. Even in a 7lb set up the recoil is not bad. I was pleasantly surprised.

The drawback with the 280ai is ammo. If you are ready to deal with it though then it's not really a drawback. I don't reload so going in I was prepared to deal with expensive ammo and possibly paying for a custom load. It costs more but I got the caliber I wanted and would do it again.
 

DRUSS

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I think it would depend on how heavy of bullets you want to shoot and if you reload or not? If using factory stuff would go 7mm rem mag ( I assume that's the 7mm you are referring too). But I reload and really enjoy my 280AI! I have shot 140gr up to 180gr and happy with it. But really think it performs better in the 140-168gr range. If your wanting to shoot 168s and up I would lean towards the" ol 7 mag"


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DRUSS has it right with the light pills! Not to dump on the 280 but, it wont do anything the 7RM wont do better. Some will say oh but, it is belted, blah...blah... This is of little REAL significance or concern to anyone. Those guys just need to have what they think is a better mousetrap. The Rem Mag has been a top big game cartridge since 1962 and there is a reason for that! At the end of the day, either cartridge is a great choice if you reload.
 

elkduds

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I’ve been thinking real hard about rebarreling a 270 into a 280AI.

What say you?
I would ask why. What more do you want it to do? Is the 270 barrel shot out? What range are you hoping to achieve, and with what bullet weight? Because a 140 gr bullet from 270 win has the same trajectory to 400 yards as a 160 gr from a 7rm. Since I added a light, handy 270 to my elk hunting kit, my 9# 7 mag gets out a lot less often.
 

Wrench

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You're looking at bolt work or a new bolt, which is another pile of cash. All 3 are so close you just pick what you want. A 270 with the right bullets will do 85% of what the 7rm will and 95% of what the 280 will.

The ai should offer one or two more down, which is nice. All 3 are easy to find ammo for.

It all boils down to what you want. If it's all out performance, there's some nasty 7's out now that throw those pills with bc that look mighty slick.

There's not enough difference in the 3 of them inside 700 yards to make a bit of difference.
 

2five7

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In a factory spec chamber, the 280ai and the 7 are very close. With a longer throat, the 7 will pull away with the 180 class of bullets.
 

Wapiti1

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More case capacity will ALWAYS win. That said, practically, it's a wash between the two. Both are long action rounds, both shoot the same range of bullets, both will get those bullets moving fast enough. The only difference between them is in how you configure the rifle. Twist, magazine capacity, barrel length, weight, exhibition grade walnut, etc.

I'd personally go mag if I were getting another 7mm, but I already have two 7mm Mausers, a 7mm STW, and a 28 Nosler, so my stable is full.

Jeremy
 
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Be completely honest with ya I have no real world experience with either but that won’t stop a guy from chiming in will it...

That’s not totally true I culled a few reds with my mates 7mag and shot a chamois with it.

If I handloaded i’d Look into a cartridge that has Lapua parent brass. Neck down -06 brass for a straight 280 makes a lot of sense. A hundred ft sec makes no difference in reality.

That said it’s hard to find an off the shelf 7mag that’s “bad” whereas even finding 280 or 280ai ain’t happening in a lot of areas.
 
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MHWASH

MHWASH

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From the research I’ve done, my 6.5 CM and 270 are pretty much twins energy wise. The only real advantage starts when you get 160s to 3000 in the 7mm. The 7RM and 280AI can both accomplish this. I’m thinking about just pushing the easy button and getting a Tikka 7RM. I want a round that will take anything other than trophy bull elk out to 700.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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When you talked cost it was rebarreling to 280AI (presumably with a premium after market barrel) vs a factor 7mag, cartridges aside I would tend to prefer having a competent gunsmith put on a better barrel at my chosen twist rate (lots of factory barrels are slow twist for longer bullets these days).
 

Rob5589

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7RM, 8.5 twisted tube throated long can sling 180's @ 3000 without sweating it. It will hammer anything you point it at out to distances you decide.
 

Comerade

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For my uses , a rifle must not be long barreled, it is to cumbersome up in the rocks. The 270 and .280 do fine with a 22"barrel . A 7 mm magnum won't do anything a .280 Rem won't do with a shorter tube. My opinion.
 

Wrench

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Give the 150's and rl26 a run in your 270. It makes my 270 a serious 700 plus yard player. This is dope that I've confirmed to 1200.....here's 900 with respectable numbers. Screenshot_2019-05-26-15-06-19.png
 

Comerade

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Yes, I use RL 26 in my .270 wcf's also. I chrono over 3000 fps / 22" barrel/ 150 partitions. No pressure signs and extract the case easily. Rocket fuel
 
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From the research I’ve done, my 6.5 CM and 270 are pretty much twins energy wise. The only real advantage starts when you get 160s to 3000 in the 7mm. The 7RM and 280AI can both accomplish this. I’m thinking about just pushing the easy button and getting a Tikka 7RM. I want a round that will take anything other than trophy bull elk out to 700.

6.5 creedmoor needs a lot of distance for the higher BC 6.5 pills to catch up to a 270 energy wise.

Think about it, you’re comparing a necked down 30/06 case to a case with less capacity than a 308 (or 260) case.

I like the idea of 280AI to use a standard bolt face, possibly fit another round in the mag, and avoid shoulders. Not sure it’s worth the lower brass/ammo availability though.
 
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MHWASH

MHWASH

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Give the 150's and rl26 a run in your 270. It makes my 270 a serious 700 plus yard player. This is dope that I've confirmed to 1200.....here's 900 with respectable numbers. View attachment 101969

I’d like to know what bullet this is and the BC. I would love to just use my 270 as it’s the first big game rifle I got.
Lately I’ve been using IMR 7977, because RL 26 has been non existent for the last couple of years.
 

Wrench

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I’d like to know what bullet this is and the BC. I would love to just use my 270 as it’s the first big game rifle I got.
Lately I’ve been using IMR 7977, because RL 26 has been non existent for the last couple of years.

It's the 150 LRAB. I had to use a factory crimp die to get it to all come together. I've since switched to a Lee collet sizing die and it gives me the neck tension I needed.

The lrab can be a pita to get to shoot. I found after many discussions with nosler that it's all in the entering of the leade that makes it shine. These bullets will shoot best if they have a lot of neck tension.

I didn't have the bergers handy to try, but the lrab is good enough for me. I'm pushing it with rl26 to get those numbers. I've field validated this to 1500+ and the numbers match.
 
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