Sportsman’s Sale - Christensen Arms 6.5 prc, 280AI or 7 rm???

I think the 280 AI is a good cartridge but I'm not sure why people are so interested in it given the ready availability of 7RM. The 280 AI gets close to the 7RM but still falls a little short. I have friends that shoot it but they reload to try to get close to 7RM velocities. I guess you do pick up one round in the mag but most rifles in either caliber weight within a few ounces of each other. The Kimber's are probably the exception there given the 280 AI is chambered in the 84L versus magnum rounds being chambered in the larger and heavier 8400 action. Although I don't think Kimber currently chambers the 7RM. for me the ready availability of ammo in 7RM carries the day. I shoot a lot so ammo cost matters. If the 280AI were super popular I would probably have a different opinion but it's only marginally popular and loaded ammo is harder to come by so that cartridge IMO really needs to be used by reloaders. I would go with the 7RM. It is pretty close the 300WM though.
 
I think the 280 AI is a good cartridge but I'm not sure why people are so interested in it given the ready availability of 7RM. The 280 AI gets close to the 7RM but still falls a little short. I have friends that shoot it but they reload to try to get close to 7RM velocities. I guess you do pick up one round in the mag but most rifles in either caliber weight within a few ounces of each other. The Kimber's are probably the exception there given the 280 AI is chambered in the 84L versus magnum rounds being chambered in the larger and heavier 8400 action. Although I don't think Kimber currently chambers the 7RM. for me the ready availability of ammo in 7RM carries the day. I shoot a lot so ammo cost matters. If the 280AI were super popular I would probably have a different opinion but it's only marginally popular and loaded ammo is harder to come by so that cartridge IMO really needs to be used by reloaders. I would go with the 7RM. It is pretty close the 300WM though.
The main attraction I have to it is that you get that level of performance with less powder and therefore less reocoil. It's a reloader's cartridge. It would make absolutely no sense to buy a 280 AI over a 7rm if you weren't reloading.
My main load for it has been a 120gr TTSX going 3400. I can do that with an average 10gr. less powder than in the 7rm. I also don't have to use magnum primers.

Also, it's just flat out sexy lookin.
 
With the 6.5 you can get up to I think it' a 160gr bullet, you'll need a fast twist probably. In the 280AI I think the best bullet you can get to would be 175gr but myself I would favor the 160gr bullet. Had a 7mm Rem Mag years ago and a coulpe 338's. I'm finished with mags forever. The thing about the cartridges your thinking of is that each will do pretty much anything the other's will do.
 
I bought a Mathew’s V3x 33! I sat back and thought a bunch based on input. I haven’t hunted archery in 10 years. I talked to my wife, and she said hunt more. Shout out to Tanner at Straight6 archery in Missoula. I love the bow. I have a 31.5” draw length so it is fast, accurate and quiet.
 
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