Thread: 284 win vs 280ai

I have a 280ai on a M52 Cooper 3 lug action. It feeds perfectly and there is no catching on the case when drawing the bolt. The sako may have a different lug position though. The benefits of seating bullets longer are overstated generally and If i was in your position I wold throat the chamber so the loaded round would fit the magazine. Im still shooting whats left of my 162 Amax supply. Seated with a .040 jump at 3.380 OAL and running 2950 from a from a 23 inch barrel. The only time you will see any real gain in seating long is if it gives you enough room to drop a burn rate but modern powders like RL 23 largely negate that.
@Puffin your comparison on the other thread is flawed in that by using 2209 you have picked a burn rate the suits the 284 but is faster than ideal for the 280ai putting it at a disadvantage. . I would also add that of all the combinations Iv run through QL over the years the 280ai consistently showed the the largest discrepancies.

Originally Posted by sneeze

I have a 280ai on a M52 Cooper 3 lug action. It feeds perfectly and there is no catching on the case when drawing the bolt. The sako may have a different lug position though. The benefits of seating bullets longer are overstated generally and If i was in your position I wold throat the chamber so the loaded round would fit the magazine. Im still shooting whats left of my 162 Amax supply. Seated with a .040 jump at 3.380 OAL and running 2950 from a from a 23 inch barrel. The only time you will see any real gain in seating long is if it gives you enough room to drop a burn rate but modern powders like RL 23 largely negate that.
@Puffin your comparison on the other thread is flawed in that by using 2209 you have picked a burn rate the suits the 284 but is faster than ideal for the 280ai putting it at a disadvantage. . I would also add that of all the combinations Iv run through QL over the years the 280ai consistently showed the the largest discrepancies.

The chamber will be throated to saami spec as I had always planned to mag feed. It will also have rl 26 or 23 behind it so should hum along. Will wait and see how if mag feeds and go from there