280 AI

[ismith]

Dang it. Now y'all gone and made me post a picture of my 280AI again.
I hate this place.


View attachment 368348

This would make a wonderful oil painting.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I truly think that the 280AI is one of the most “balanced” rifle cartridges out there. If I didn’t already have a few other rifles in cartridges on either side of it (270Win and 30-06), with abundant components, dies, etc, I would own one. If I ever build a “one rifle to rule them all” custom then it will be a 280AI. It really seems to be the sweet spot in so many ways, and still has strong roots in some history that gives it panache

I like how it was created by a guy genuinely trying to improve cartridge performance for hunters/shooters within the limitations of his time and available resources rather than seemingly being created out of thin air to market to modern hunters.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

This would make a wonderful oil painting.

Actually had to look twice because at first that’s what it looked like.

 

[bluegrassdan]

I sure love the one I just built for a Moose hunt in NF in 2026. That scope will NOT be on that rifle, its about as useful on a hunting rifle as a boat anchor.

 

[kodiakisland]

This would make a wonderful oil painting.

Thanks, I've thought of having a jigsaw puzzle made and glued to a board for my gun room. It was quite a beautiful morning on the mountain above heavy valley fog.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I sure love the one I just built for a Moose hunt in NF in 2026. That scope will NOT be on that rifle, its about as useful on a hunting rifle as a boat anchor.

How heavy is that rifle, without the scope?

 

[kodiakisland]

How heavy is that rifle, without the scope?

Looks heavier than I prefer for a backpack rifle, but looks can be deceiving.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Looks heavier than I prefer for a backpack rifle, but looks can be deceiving.

Mine is just under 7.5 pounds scoped. I like that for carrying.

 

[kodiakisland]

Mine is just under 7.5 pounds scoped. I like that for carrying.

View attachment 368768

Yeah, that’s about where my Kimber is.

 

[bluegrassdan]

How heavy is that rifle, without the scope?

About 7.5-8lbs due to the laminated stock. I am waiting on the AG Composites stock to get through production, so this works for now. We typically build light weight hunters with AG/Manners stocks and CF barrels but since this one was for me and I already had a flutes SS barrel in stock, that's what I used.

 

[ImBillT]

The only 7mm cartridges that can out perform it don’t outperform it by much, but they have more recoil, they’re louder, they wear out barrels faster etc.

The 7mm Backcountry may give it a run for its money, but it’s mighty new.

 

[mtmuley]

The only 7mm cartridges that can out perform it don’t outperform it by much, but they have more recoil, they’re louder, they wear out barrels faster etc.

The 7mm Backcountry may give it a run for its money, but it’s mighty new.

And "shooters" flocking to the 7 PRC. mtmuley

 

[2Die4]

The .280 AI was one of the better AI wildcats. Significant increase over the factory offering.

Basically a 7mm Rem with more shells in the magazine.

 

[squirrel_hunter]

I love my 280AI rifle.