Thread: .280ai on Red Deer

Seems like a dumb question to ask what's the best calibre of my options to hunt deer. I should know enough at this point and think I know enough when I buy a rifle, select a projectile and a load.

Background,
I had a .280ai built because I'm impressed by my 7mm-08 on pigs and in general. I'm mostly a pest hunter.

I used a 7mm Rem Mag in South Africa (Kudu/Wildebeest). The .280ai is expected to get close on the velocity of a given projectile loaded right. Within maybe 150fps pending load/powder.

I have a .308, .300wm and the .280ai setup as hunting rifles, all Tikka.

I have not hunted with the .280ai but have an opportunity to hunt deer with a mate in April. He's a keen Deer hunter and we may encounter Red or Fallow.

I'm leaning toward taking the .280ai for hunting as it's lightweight. Also considering taking the .300wm as a spare or if lowlight hunting comes in play because it has the better scope.

I have a few 7mm projectile options from 120Hammer Hunter (monos) 150gn Nosler BT (also120&140gn) and I think some Woodleigh 150 or a Berger Classic hunter 168gn I've never tried.

What sort of experience do people have with .280ai on deer?

The .280ai has a CF stock and barrel and a Leupold VX3i scope to keep the weight down so it's the same one I would plan to use of I can hunt NZ.

280 will be fine

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The 280 will be perfect. Id load up the 168 bergers and run them if you have time to do a load and verify it. If your concerned about low light, id put the better scope on it and run that as my main hunting setup

A handloaded 280 AI is 95% a 7 Rem Mag, the deer will not notice the difference. Mine runs a 150 LRAB at 3130 and I'm very happy with how it levels deer. If you are going to run into sambar, a heavier premium bullet would be justified and the AI can certainly handle those.

you have 150grn ballistic tips..... long story short,they just work. your 280ai is close enough to the mighty .270 winchester for me to say it will work just fine. STOP OVERTHINKING IT.... The deer arent any harder to kill now than 100 years ago. if you can poke a hole in the right place it WILL FALL OVER. what more do you need??

NZ deer are soft mate, not like back home where we need big guns. if you shoot straight a 243 will do everything you encounter in NZ.
I starter on 308 when i got to NZ, went though 243, 270, 300wm, 6.5cm, 223,22250,22250AI,7mm08,303,7.62x39,12ga slugs. and now im right back after 6 years and many many fallow and reds as well as several 1000 goats on the good old 308 (155gr out to 600 yards), with my 22 250AI (50-55gr) for small stuff but it kills deer well too. so yes your 280 will be heaps.

i would have gone 243 if i wasnt so keen on using subsonics in 308.

I have a 280AI and it’s been my go to rifle for a few years now. It has accounted for numerous Deer, Tahr, Chamios, Pigs & even the odd cat.

It works & the 150g BT will serve you just fine.

Lol the the .280ai grandfather has been knocking over red deer and everything else so short answer year easy.

Oh 7x57 is the Grand daddy was here long before these other young fallas came along!

@keengunNic I see the point of changing scopes but the plan is to leave the light scope on the light rifle. No feild experience with this new scope but it should do ok. But having rolled three pigs on dusk one evening with my other scope I have learned to appreciate a good low light scope. I use an 8x56 for spotlighting.

Another interesting point you say the Berger are ok. I bought them on a whim, bought a few things to try. I see a few comments on Berger bullets having unreliable in their performance on game. I don't buy into all I read. It could be the shooter.

I'm liking many are saying load the Nosler, to date I've always been happy with Nosler in a few calibres and have these on hand.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

you have 150grn ballistic tips..... long story short,they just work. your 280ai is close enough to the mighty .270 winchester for me to say it will work just fine. STOP OVERTHINKING IT.... The deer arent any harder to kill now than 100 years ago. if you can poke a hole in the right place it WILL FALL OVER. what more do you need??

Yeah, just wanted to hash it out. The cartridge is new to me but I read heaps on it after I convinced myself it's a god thing. Haven't hunted the particular cartridge or rifle yet. That should not stop me I shot ok with a hire rifle in South Africa.
I'm traveling 800k to get to the hunting location, my mate has similar distance from his town.
I'm sure the cartridge is capable and also has a bit of range.

Originally Posted by CBH Australia

@keengunNic I see the point of changing scopes but the plan is to leave the light scope on the light rifle. No feild experience with this new scope but it should do ok. But having rolled three pigs on dusk one evening with my other scope I have learned to appreciate a good low light scope. I use an 8x56 for spotlighting.

Another interesting point you say the Berger are ok. I bought them on a whim, bought a few things to try. I see a few comments on Berger bullets having unreliable in their performance on game. I don't buy into all I read. It could be the shooter.

I'm liking many are saying load the Nosler, to date I've always been happy with Nosler in a few calibres and have these on hand.

If you're coming down to the south east of SA for April and hunting rutting fallow in the Mallee knobs your shots will be as close as 10m. Red deer aren't hard to kill so the 280ai with the which ever bullet you have will be fine.

@NewbieZAR I will always have a .308 hunting rifle. It just works but as I got older, nearly 50 I've tried to get a couple of options for specific uses, and better glass.
Of 3 hunting rifles the .308 me ght be the one I would hand my son or loan to a mate. The .280ai was specifically to be lightweight and because as few things fell in place but then I took a job in town again, hence no feild use yet.
Not doubting cartridge or myself but interested in what others have experienced.
I will use the .308 again but I'm hoping to hunt with the .280ai this time.
The .300wm is a heavier rifle, scope and mounts. No big deal but the lightweight was intended to be regular carry

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Lol the the .280ai grandfather has been knocking over red deer and everything else so short answer year easy.

Oh 7x57 is the Grand daddy was here long before these other young fallas came along!

I can't find the like button on your post.

I have the "Ballistic Twin" 7mm-08 in a Tikka CTR. The cartridge impressed me and the CTR has been great from the car.
I've read on the Grand Daddy 7x57 that leads to reading of 7x64 which is very similar to the .280rem Europe vs USA variant.

Then someone on another forum suggests a .280ai, well if I'm gonna build a custom.
Another guy sent me a case and a dummy round. I was fondling those and kept thinking about it.

I have a lead on Sambar with another freind so I've gotta be sure on my projectile choice, I really just want one load so it can be sitting waiting with suitable ammo there when I want it.
Any volume shooting or pest work might be more likely to use a .308

Originally Posted by Dusty Fog

if you were to sell all your rifles and then invest in a xbolt long range in 300wsm cal it would save you a lot of angst as to which rifle to bring out of the safe
there fixed your problem

Where is the fun in that? I'm a gun nut so I like to have a few options.
.308 is versatile and you can get ammo anywhere so you don't get precious about losing a case if you are trying to cleanly roll a few pigs from the same mob.
The ..280ai is intended to be the one lightweight hunting rifle that is my Semi Custom (on a budget) but also something a little more unique, everyone has a .308 etc

If I were limited on numbers or just wanted one dedicated hunting rifle to hunt a few times per year a .300wm might be the chosen one.

The mate I'm planning a hunt with has an X Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed in .308. He does a lot of bush work as O it's .308 for volume and availability and he lets others use it. But he has hunting rifles with better glass for his Deer Hunting.