Question for Fred M....280 AI Handi??

[quickdtoo]

Fred, what's your opinion on the rechamber of a 24" barreled 7x64 Brenneke Handi to .280 AI, I think it's doable as far as chamber dimensions if my 7x64 is close to spec, I'll have to do a chamber cast to make sure tho. One issue I see is the longish throat on the Brenneke. I have a .280 Rem which is a ballistic twin to the 7x64, don't really need em both. Comments from all are welcome.

Thanks,

http://www.stevespages.com/jpg/cd7x64brenneke.jpg

http://www.stevespages.com/jpg/cd280ackley.jpg

http://www.stevespages.com/jpg/cd280remington.jpg

[Mac11700]

Comments from all are welcome. 

It's like I told you this afternoon Tim...If it were mine...I'd do it in a heartbeat...

The head diamenter is .470"...the case lenght should be ok and should work nicely..a 308/30-06 ejector.. a set of reloading dies......you already know were to get  factory pre-made, with the correct headstamped  brass for it...I say go for it...What's the worry?...Or...sell me the barrel and I'll do it...Heck I'd even trade you back that nice smooth finish 25-06 barrel for it..+$

Mac

[quickdtoo]

 

[Mac11700]

I take it that means no?

Mac

[quickdtoo]

My biggest concern is the deep throat, I measured it tonight, .3.66" COL to the lands with a 165gr Grand Slam!! That leaves ~.200" seating depth.

Tim

[myarmor]

A 280 AI would be awesome.
 I understand your thought of the project from the Brenneke Tim. Sounds like a great idea.
I know this has been discussed before, but what would be the problem with doing this with a factory 280 barrel?
The velcoities with a 280 AI in a 26" barrel should be incredible.
-Aaron

[darat100]

Is there not a current productin barrel the 280 AI could be made from?  I sure hate to see a 7x64 destroyed. 

[nomosendero]

Tim, just send the barrel to me, I know some bullets that would work just fine! 

I can do a report & even pay you for the barrel. 

[Mac11700]

My biggest concern is the deep throat, I measured it tonight, .3.66" COL to the lands with a 165gr Grand Slam!! That leaves ~.200" seating depth.

Tim

It's a single shot Tim...While having super long necks might be better to some...as long as you can get good bullet pull from it...that is all that matters...Heck...there's  a lot of wildcats with shorter necks than this.. ...My books show the Brenneke's neck at .380"....and the 280 AI at .400"....What's the problem?..One other conversion option for you...7mm JRS...but I wouldn't freak over the neck lenght on it...it's .300" and  Sundra recommends a 1/16" leade in it...

Mac

[quickdtoo]

I'll keep you in mind, Rod!

If a .280 Rem Handi would work, I'd do it in a heart beat, but from what little I know about rechambering a conventional cartridge to an AI, the barrel needs to be set back which can't be done on a Handi. But comparing the chamber specs, it sure looks to me like it could be done, the only issue would be the chamber neck would be a tad longer than the brass by .015". My .280 would be a better candidate, it has a much shorter throat with a COL of 3.450" to the lands.

Tim

[Mac11700]

Tim:


Give Wayne a call...and see what recomendations he makes...

Mac

[bajabill]

my unsolicited and unscientific input would be - dont do it.

The Branneke is rare, dont mess with it.  If you dont like it, sell it.  Heck, on ebay, it may grab $225.  Then, get a regular 280 barrel, and to the improvement with that barrel. 

Put me in line for your Branneke, but I wont be willing to pay inflated ebay prices though 

[handi35]

 Tim
 I have three 280 AI 1 from A 280 Rem 26 in. barrel and two from the 7x64 with 24 in. barrels they all shoot good with Failsafe or Hornady Interbonds. the 280 likes lighter bullets the 7x64s shoot heavier bullets better. Most of my handloads are 1/4 of an inch longer than 280 Rem factory loads. All three were rechambered by a tool and die maker friend in Anchorage Alaska.                     

[Mac11700]

Well...there you go Tim...So...do it on your 280 barrel...and ship John's ole Brenneke to me and I'll Get Err Done

Mac

[quickdtoo]

Tim
 I have three 280 AI 1 from A 280 Rem 26 in. barrel and two from the 7x64 with 24 in. barrels they all shoot good with Failsafe or Hornady Interbonds. the 280 likes lighter bullets the 7x64s shoot heavier bullets better. Most of my handloads are 1/4 of an inch longer than 280 Rem factory loads. All three were rechambered by a tool and die maker friend in Anchorage Alaska.

I'd like to assume they're all Handirifles, but you didn't say, are they? If that's the case, I'll just have my .280 barrel rechambered, no need to have a .280 and a 280AI!! A new barrel would be an extractor, I'd just as soon have an ejector.

Mac, I called Wayne, he's not home.

Thx

Tim

[quickdtoo]

Uh oh, now Mac has apprised me of the 7mm JRS, an interesting wildcat a step above the AI, but no reamer available that I can find. I did find special order dies for $80!!!

Tim

http://t6aluminum.tripod.com/Load7mmJRS.htm

[quickdtoo]

I won't be doing it, my smith is Wayne York, he's done several barrels for us Handiholics, 3 for me alone. I'lll send him a .280AI dummy using Nosler .280AI brass and a 160gr Accubond. If he over does it, he'll have to pay for a  7JRS reamer and dies for me to salvage it!!

Thx

Tim

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Eoregunsmithing/index.html

[quickdtoo]

I discussed this project with my gunsmith this am. In a Handi, an AI rechamber will actually be an AII or Ackley Improved Improved because the barrel can't be set back as in an action with a threaded barrel. What this means is the chamber will be slightly longer and factory ammo can't be fired in it without taking additional case forming/fire forming steps. For me, since I won't be using factory .280 ammo, but will be using Nosler .280AI brass, I will probably need to, but not necessarily, have to seat bullets into the rifling on the first firing to keep the case from being knocked forward when the firing pin hits the primer.

He does .35WhelenAI rechambers for Alaskan hunters that want all the powder capacity they can get, so he doesn't set the barrels back for them, so they end up with an AII chamber.

His recommendation for me, once the brass if fired once, just to neck size when reloading for it.

As soon as I get the brass and dies, I'll make a dummy round up and send it along with the barrel to him for rechambering.

Thanks to all who contributed to this discussion!!

And thanks to Fred's web page for contributing in his absence!!  http://www.angelfire.com/ma/ZERMEL/280AI.html

Tim

[mitchell]

put me on list ! Anybody got a 280 get rid of?  tim incoming pm

[quickdtoo]

tim incoming pm

 

[mitchell]

darn it , it took like an hour to type all that on a psp

[quickdtoo]

Barrel shipped today, he'll have it tomorrow, now the wait begins, Wayne said he should have it done by November or so!!

Tim

[quickdtoo]

The barrel was delivered just over an hour ago, whew!!!! I was sweating there for a while thinking of Mac's stolen barrel. The last scan was an arrival scan in Hermiston at 1 something this am, it should have been scanned as departing there, arriving at Pendleton and then scanned again as out for delivery, as it was there was just the delivered scan at 12:59. Shame on UPS for missing all those scans and terrorizing me!!

Tim

[Mac11700]

Good...Now the wait begins

Mac

[Fred M]

Tim.
Been away and a bit late with the answer. Should be no trouble with the conversion of either the 280 or the 7x64. 2/10 of bullet seating is quite ok. If you can use the 140gr TSX which likes to be loaded off the lands by 20-40 thou the extra bit of free bore should be of no consequence. Seating long adds a bit more case vol. and reduces pressure if that is desired.

The next size TSX may be to long to stabize in a 1-10" twist? The 280 AI is a great cartridge. Although I am not in favor of using the Handi platform for the 280 AI, since the 280 AI likes to be pushed hard otherwise there is no advantage.

I had four 280 imps the last on that got run over by a truck had a a 1-9" twist.

[quickdtoo]

Fred,

I was hoping to shoot the 160gr Accubond, you don't think it will shoot it well in the 1:10" .280, or is that just for the TSXs?

Thx,

Tim

[Fred M]

Tim.
The 160gr Accu Bond is the longest at 1.404" in the Nosler line. Even longer than the 175gr Nos. Partition at 1.320. Neither one is well stabilized in a 1-10 twist.

The Barns 140gr TSX is 1.267" and the 160gr TSX is .1.402".

I have a box of 110gr 25 cal Accu Bonds I tried them in three different 25 cal rifle and found them to be just mediocre, nothing like the TSX bullets.

The 140gr 7mm TSX will outperform the 160gr Accu bond in flat shooting and accuracy and you wont loose any game with a well placed shot from a 280 AI.

The 280 AI is a long range sniper rifle and the 140gr TSX bullet will bring out the best in that rifle, par non.

[quickdtoo]

Hmm. guess I'll have ta order some 140gr TSXs!! Since I already ordered some 160gr Accubonds from the Nosler 2nd store, I'll give em a shot to see how they do, but I'll also work with the 140gr TSX, maybe I can have my cake and eat it too!!

Thx,

Tim

[Fred M]

Tim
The 160gr Accu Bond will have to be driven at 3000 ft in a 1-10" twist for a 1.08 SF( stability factor) which is very low should be 1.30SF. But I don't think you can push that bullet in the 280AI at 3000 ft? I know this because my 7x61 S&H about the same as a 280AI, did not do 3000 with a 160gr bullet.

[quickdtoo]

Probably not, but I'll have the bullets, might as well see what I can do with em, they were only $13 for 50 of em, no big loss!!

Tim

Follow up range report