March 17, 2011
By Joseph von Benedikt
There are actually two ".280 Ackley Improved" chambers, and RCBS supplies dies for both.
By Joseph von Benedikt
Schematic Courtesy Of Nosler
There are actually two ".280 Ackley Improved" chambers, and RCBS supplies dies for both. The version with the pedigree that harks back to Ackley himself has a 40-degree shoulder, while the other is a modified version with a 30-degree shoulder said to feed better. I don't buy it, and judging by popularity ratio, neither do most others.
As an aside, when Nosler presented the 40-degree .280 AI to SAAMI for standardization, the base-to-shoulder length was shortened by a few thousandths. As a result, some variation from older .280 AIs exists in chambering reamers, dies, etc. Be aware of this condition and safely load for your rifle accordingly. Consult with your gunsmith or rifle manufacturer if you need help sorting it out.
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Joseph von Benedikt
Raised in a tiny Rocky Mountain town 100 miles from a stoplight or supermarket, Joseph von Benedikt began shooting competitively at age 14, gunsmithing at age 21, and guiding big game hunters professionally at age 23. While studying creative writing at the university he began publishing articles about firearms and hunting in nationally distributed magazines, as well as works of short fiction about ranch life. An editorial job offer presented an open door into the industry, along with an eye-opening two years stationed in the Petersen Publishing building in Los Angeles.
A position serving as Editor in Chief of Shooting Times magazine took von Benedikt and his young family to Illinois for four years. Homesick for the great Rocky Mountains, von Benedikt swapped his editorial seat for a position as a full-time writer and moved home to the West, where he's been writing full-time ever since, along with hosting the Backcountry Hunting Podcast.
Favorite pursuits include high-country elk and mule deer hunting, safaris in Africa, deep wilderness hunts in Alaska, and wandering old-growth forest in Europe for stag, roebuck, and wild boar.
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