284W vs 280AI - barrel life, accuracy + performance?

[Fordnutter]

Hi Guys,
Just tyre kicking both the 284 & 280AI options around at the moment for a long range hunting rig with the 180gr Berger's. The 284 in reality looks like it would do everything I'd need but I'm curious to whether the 280AI would in fact have a better barrel life due to the smaller case diameter & longer neck so potentially gentler on the throat area??? Hopefully someone can answer this question as my "google" searches have not come up with anything.
Any experience or advise is greatly appreciated.

 

[Nomad47]

Mr Ford, I don't mean to be picky, but why would you be concerned about barrel life in a rifle shooting 7mm 180 grain bullets? I assume you will be hunting big game with it. I seriously doubt you would wear out a barrel in either caliber - even with lots and lots of load development AND practice.

 

[ChrisNZ]

Given the respective volumes of powder they burn, there should be less than a 10% difference in barrel life. There's better stuff to lose sleep over than that.

Chris-NZ

 

[Jeffvn]

They are pretty close in volume, so I would agree they should be pretty close in life and rounds down the barrel. My brother has nearly 2,000 rounds through his .284 and its still going strong. It looks like he may be get teh hoped for 2,500 out of his barrel - and he uses his for both F-Class and steel target shooting.

JeffVN

 

[TonyR]

I have an F-Classs barrel chambered for the 7X64 Brenneke which is very similar to the 280 Remington. I only have about 1000 rounds down the barrel, so I can't say much about ultimate barrel life, particularly if the goal is a hunting standard of accuracy, but I think that 2500 is very obtainable given the lack of erosion in the throat. Ballistic efficiency does appear to be higher than with my 284 Shehane. It may be the barrel, 5C Broughton vs 4 groove Krieger, but the Brenneke is giving me 2900 fps with over a grain less powder than I normally see with my Shehane barrels and the 180 VLDs. Since it is the same powder from the same jug, I have to believe that I will get less barrel wear and longer life. It will feed single shoot through my Nesika K, but you would definitiely need a long action for a repeater, but that would also be necessary with a 284 and the bullets seated out in the neck.

 

[Fordnutter]

I'm a one rifle man so tend to shoot 800-1,000 rounds annually on everything from varmints to deer out to 800yds so far. Started with the 6BR, then the 6BRX, now the 7mm08. After experiencing how effective the 7mm is particularly at the longer ranges are looking at something with enough boiler room to get the 180gr Bergers moving at 2,800fps+ from a 26" length sporter barrel. Because my quarry also includes varmints I'm looking for a minimum of 1/2moa accuracy if not 1/4" if the round, gun & shooter allows.

 

[TonyR]

I think you should defintiely go with the 280AI because you would need a 284 Shehane to safely get 2800+fps out of a 26 inch barrel with the 180 grain bullets; and dies, etc are probably much easier to get that they would be for the Shehane. Most of the people I know shooting a straight 284 Win at over 2800 fps are doing it with longer barrels in the 30-32 inch range.

 

[bheadboy]

my 2280AI hart 9twist26" was built to use deer/elk and some target casual, long range open countyr hunting

.300" groups common with 140 sbt and nos bt, 150's in the .350-425, and 160's in the same area groupwise.
I did not do a lot of load work on the 150-160 as they shot so well to begin with.

velocity of th 160's is 2950 with 4831 and rl22, i wouldthink you could get 2800+/- with the 180.

It is a great chamber, easy to load, fire form etc. give it a try.

Bob