I shot a 280 REM for over 30 years. It ended everything I hit. I really like the down range ballistics of the 7 rem mag but it comes at a cost of muzzle blast, recoil, extra reloading components and Magnum action needed. The 280 AI fills the gap and nearly repeats the 7 REM mag ballistics without the mag action, without the 10 to 15 extra grains of powder and without the recoil. I can fire form my 280 Ackley when I'm shooting prairie dogs or practicing on milk jugs. I use my leftover powder and bullets that I wouldn't normally use. It's a win-win
I like 280 AI a lot. I’m a 7mm fan. I have a 7rem mag. I got rid of a 6.5 PRC this year. 7 mag just performs better on game. Looking at a Weatherby Alpine 280 ai for 2025. I’ve got a 22 Creedmore. I like the heavier 22 cal bullets.
There are certain AI cartridges that are more common than others and manufacturers make loads for them. 280 is one of the more common ones. But there are several others that are regularly made in factory ammo.
@@ProcessBasedHunter Ah, but if I want to hand load a cartridge that isn't a popular AI cartridge already, I will have to fire formed brass right? And to do that, I will have to have the barrel already made for Ackley Improved dimensions? Just trying to understand because I don't load my own yet.
30-06ai doesn’t have nearly as much of a velocity advantage over regular version as say 22-250, 25-06, 280, 338-06 ai. Neither does 308ai. You are only going to see around 50-100fps advantage. It will have longer brass life though.
You are incorrect. The AI improvement has to do with the increase in case volume. In the same base cartridge, you will see more gains the smaller the bore diameter since there is more shoulder not occupied by the bullet. Therefore, AI gains in fhe 30-06 family would from high to low 25-06, 270, 280, 30-06, 338-06, 35 Whelen. 30-06 is worth doing. You should expect around 100 fps gain in handloads and about 175 over factory since 06 is loaded to a somewhat low pressure standard. There are readily available dies, which is one of the big limiting factors for ackley-izing some cartridges since custome dies are pretty expensive and make the juice not worth the squeeze.
@@Snailz5 So I am incorrect for saying 50-100 and you are correct in saying 100? You cannot compare factory loads in a standard to handloads in an ai cartridge. There is a reason certain Ackley cartridges are more popular than others. Almost no one does 30-06 ai.
@@DrewEdwardBacklas You are incorrect in saying it will see less gain than a 338-06 AI due to the nature of how ackleyizing changes cartridges. You gain less volume with larger bores. 35 Whelen only gains about 40 fps according to desertdog, who has extensive experience loading both version. I'd guess you get around 60-100 with the 338 and 100-150 with the 30. A particular cherrypicked load may see more gain in the 338 than the 30 in terms of where it will shoot accurately or if the burn rate is too fast so you're not getting max case fill, but like for like the 30 will always see more gain than the 338. The actual numbers are guesstimates. The understanding of what is happening when improving a cartridge is irrefutable and where you seem to have a gap in your knowledge.
@ oh you’d “guess”? Do you have any experience or are you just repeating things you saw on the internet? There is more to case design than purely case capacity. 338-06 ai sees a larger increase in velocity over 30-06ai vs the standard versions. It is not simply proportional to bore diameter .338 tends to be a sweet spot just like .284. If your rational was correct then 270ai would have more gains than 280ai. It doesn’t.
@@mercurysmoothy7050 AI is a waste for the improvement and having to waste powder and rare primers to 'make' brass is unnecessary trouble. I figured folks pondering the AI route would like to know it isn't sunshine and rainbows.
@@brettblose1658 Usually when fire forming you use a factory ammo really as cheap as you would like and then you won’t be using your valuable primers! Plus no one will ever complain about a little bit of target shooting or plinking to do a little bit of fire forming! If the Ai train isn’t for you it’s all good but once you join the AI train you never go back.
So this is absolute clickbait garbage. Cool. How is $200 doing any of this? Literally never covered in the video. You either need a smith willing to recut your chamber to AI or have a new barrel spun up. You need new dies and new brass or a bunch of standard ammo or non formed brass with minimal firings. So IF you know a smith who’s even willing to recut the chamber, and IF you already have a bunch of brass or factory ammo lying around that you don’t count as part of your cost or IF you don’t count any of the component costs to fireforming, and IF you choose one of the few popular AI cartridges that have cheap dies available, THEN you maaaaayyyyyy be able to squeak out under $200. In reality moving to an ackley is much closer to $500 on the low end and is typically going to run more like $800-1000 since you’re likely just going to spin up a new barrel, need to install it, need new dies, and need to burn components fireforming.
$200 to have your chamber recut. You're what we call an over thinker. Good on you though, you are a winner because you obviously like Ackley with how much you know about the process.
@@ProcessBasedHunter And you're what we call an amateur youtuber making boring videos with misleading clickbait titles with poor explanations and demonstrations. Explain the "process" better, have a real script, make loads that actually demonstrate the points you are wanting to make, and get a better understanding of cartridges and ballistics before putting out bad information on your channel. Or stick with what you know and keep the channel content in line with its mission of helping people develop the core skills for hunting.
You are correct, I'm not really a TH-camr, I'm an outfitter that enjoys teaching people the basics of hunting and shooting. You are a very passionate soul and you seem to have an in depth knowledge of cartridges. My goal is to teach budding hunters the very basics of ballistics. You may not meet that criteria. If you don't like it don't watch it.
Good Lord what did that poor mouse do to y'all 😭
NGL halfway expected you to have a rifle with a 2" longer barrel...
I shot a 280 REM for over 30 years. It ended everything I hit. I really like the down range ballistics of the 7 rem mag but it comes at a cost of muzzle blast, recoil, extra reloading components and Magnum action needed.
The 280 AI fills the gap and nearly repeats the 7 REM mag ballistics without the mag action, without the 10 to 15 extra grains of powder and without the recoil.
I can fire form my 280 Ackley when I'm shooting prairie dogs or practicing on milk jugs. I use my leftover powder and bullets that I wouldn't normally use. It's a win-win
Do you guys sell guided mouse hunts?
Yup, $1.50 per day plus trophy fees.
I like 280 AI a lot. I’m a 7mm fan. I have a 7rem mag. I got rid of a 6.5 PRC this year. 7 mag just performs better on game. Looking at a Weatherby Alpine 280 ai for 2025. I’ve got a 22 Creedmore. I like the heavier 22 cal bullets.
Am I coming to Mouse Bootcamp in June or Elk Bootcamp? 👀
So...like...how do i make my .45-70 ackley improved?
Lol got eeemmm
I fire from 30/06 to 280 with a false shoulder and a light load
So I had only ever heard of the 280 AI until recently when i heard about a 30-06 AI on Ron Spomers channel. So can any cartridge be made AI?
Yes almost any cartridge can be Ackley Improved unless it already has characteristics of an ackley cartridge.
@LandonBassett22 I see. Now, does all the brass have to be fire formed or do manufacturers sell AI brass?
There are certain AI cartridges that are more common than others and manufacturers make loads for them. 280 is one of the more common ones. But there are several others that are regularly made in factory ammo.
@@ProcessBasedHunter Ah, but if I want to hand load a cartridge that isn't a popular AI cartridge already, I will have to fire formed brass right?
And to do that, I will have to have the barrel already made for Ackley Improved dimensions?
Just trying to understand because I don't load my own yet.
@@jmc041071 yes that is correct you use an AI barrel to fire form then you can hand load with the factory brass that you have fire formed
If getting into reloading, does it makes sense to AI whatever you have? Are there any down sides to AI (accuracy, etc?)
Ackleyize the 7 PRC please,
Thinking any Ackley improving my 30-06. Not sure though.
30-06ai doesn’t have nearly as much of a velocity advantage over regular version as say 22-250, 25-06, 280, 338-06 ai. Neither does 308ai. You are only going to see around 50-100fps advantage. It will have longer brass life though.
You are incorrect. The AI improvement has to do with the increase in case volume. In the same base cartridge, you will see more gains the smaller the bore diameter since there is more shoulder not occupied by the bullet. Therefore, AI gains in fhe 30-06 family would from high to low 25-06, 270, 280, 30-06, 338-06, 35 Whelen.
30-06 is worth doing. You should expect around 100 fps gain in handloads and about 175 over factory since 06 is loaded to a somewhat low pressure standard. There are readily available dies, which is one of the big limiting factors for ackley-izing some cartridges since custome dies are pretty expensive and make the juice not worth the squeeze.
@@Snailz5 So I am incorrect for saying 50-100 and you are correct in saying 100? You cannot compare factory loads in a standard to handloads in an ai cartridge. There is a reason certain Ackley cartridges are more popular than others. Almost no one does 30-06 ai.
@@DrewEdwardBacklas You are incorrect in saying it will see less gain than a 338-06 AI due to the nature of how ackleyizing changes cartridges. You gain less volume with larger bores. 35 Whelen only gains about 40 fps according to desertdog, who has extensive experience loading both version. I'd guess you get around 60-100 with the 338 and 100-150 with the 30. A particular cherrypicked load may see more gain in the 338 than the 30 in terms of where it will shoot accurately or if the burn rate is too fast so you're not getting max case fill, but like for like the 30 will always see more gain than the 338. The actual numbers are guesstimates. The understanding of what is happening when improving a cartridge is irrefutable and where you seem to have a gap in your knowledge.
@ oh you’d “guess”? Do you have any experience or are you just repeating things you saw on the internet? There is more to case design than purely case capacity. 338-06 ai sees a larger increase in velocity over 30-06ai vs the standard versions. It is not simply proportional to bore diameter .338 tends to be a sweet spot just like .284. If your rational was correct then 270ai would have more gains than 280ai. It doesn’t.
Yo! Take the cardboard out of your hat😂
I have no desire to fireform brass and to get a new barrel or chamber reamed I would want more improvement that the AI offers.
Yet you had the desire to write a completely useless comment?
@@mercurysmoothy7050 AI is a waste for the improvement and having to waste powder and rare primers to 'make' brass is unnecessary trouble. I figured folks pondering the AI route would like to know it isn't sunshine and rainbows.
@@brettblose1658 Usually when fire forming you use a factory ammo really as cheap as you would like and then you won’t be using your valuable primers! Plus no one will ever complain about a little bit of target shooting or plinking to do a little bit of fire forming! If the Ai train isn’t for you it’s all good but once you join the AI train you never go back.
Meh.
22” for a 22-250 AI?
Interesting.
So this is absolute clickbait garbage. Cool. How is $200 doing any of this? Literally never covered in the video. You either need a smith willing to recut your chamber to AI or have a new barrel spun up. You need new dies and new brass or a bunch of standard ammo or non formed brass with minimal firings. So IF you know a smith who’s even willing to recut the chamber, and IF you already have a bunch of brass or factory ammo lying around that you don’t count as part of your cost or IF you don’t count any of the component costs to fireforming, and IF you choose one of the few popular AI cartridges that have cheap dies available, THEN you maaaaayyyyyy be able to squeak out under $200. In reality moving to an ackley is much closer to $500 on the low end and is typically going to run more like $800-1000 since you’re likely just going to spin up a new barrel, need to install it, need new dies, and need to burn components fireforming.
$200 to have your chamber recut. You're what we call an over thinker. Good on you though, you are a winner because you obviously like Ackley with how much you know about the process.
@@ProcessBasedHunter And you're what we call an amateur youtuber making boring videos with misleading clickbait titles with poor explanations and demonstrations.
Explain the "process" better, have a real script, make loads that actually demonstrate the points you are wanting to make, and get a better understanding of cartridges and ballistics before putting out bad information on your channel. Or stick with what you know and keep the channel content in line with its mission of helping people develop the core skills for hunting.
@@Snailz5Check the brain cells on this guy 😆
Has anyone got a tldr for the sperg? 😂
You are correct, I'm not really a TH-camr, I'm an outfitter that enjoys teaching people the basics of hunting and shooting. You are a very passionate soul and you seem to have an in depth knowledge of cartridges. My goal is to teach budding hunters the very basics of ballistics. You may not meet that criteria. If you don't like it don't watch it.