The real advantage of an Ackley

[CBH Australia]

Ugly Betty is a Tikka CTR. They are a medium weight 20” barrel with a steel double stack mag and short stock.
I have a sporter barrel but it too is 20” or I would try it but that means dismantling Betty who is fit for purpose and a travelling companion.

Why don’t I buy the .25-06 of used guns and it has the required mag and bolt stop. I could have some fun with a pack of factory ammo and revert later, Mmm?

If I build a .280, 7x64 or .280ai it would be my only custom build I think, maybe the last rifle I buy,.....

Something setup simply as a hunting rifle intended for carry and possible future adventures.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Ugly Betty is a Tikka CTR. They are a medium weight 20” barrel with a steel double stack mag and short stock.
I have a sporter barrel but it too is 20” or I would try it but that means dismantling Betty who is fit for purpose and a travelling companion.

Why don’t I buy the .25-06 of used guns and it has the required mag and bolt stop. I could have some fun with a pack of factory ammo and revert later, Mmm?

If I build a .280, 7x64 or .280ai it would be my only custom build I think, maybe the last rifle I buy,.....

Something setup simply as a hunting rifle intended for carry and possible future adventures.

@CBH
Chris get the 25 ought six and have fun then later convert to 280AI. If you don't wear the 25 barrel out you can always put it back on when you get old.
Bob

 

[Ray B]

I'm familiar with the 22/30-30 Ackley, 257 Ackley and the 338/06 Ackley. the primary advantage of each is reduced case wear due to reduced brass flow. This is negated if pressures are run higher than normal which increases case wear. Velocity gain is about 5% more than the standard loads, which is generally less than total velocity obtained by the magnum cases. As far as needing special dies, standard cases may be fireformed in the AI chambers, then as long as the case is used in the same rifle and pressures are not run to the point of expanding the web, simple neck dies can be used to reload, for 5 loadings at least. But you'd want to get some AI full length dies for cases fired more than a few times in order to prevent getting an oversize round stuck in the chamber.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have not loaded wildcats, but the loaders at the club have gone the usual up and down on optimising a load for me. Invariably the standard offering proved to be the best all along. How many rounds did the original engineers have to fire to figure out that 2550fps is just right for the 375H&H? An awful lot I bet! I have rebuilt several MGA sports cars over the years and the curse was always the temptation to stretch the power. Out came the cross-flow heads, up went the power and down went the reliability. The takeaway is that the engineers who designed these things originally were not idiots, but we cant resist tinkering.

 

[CBH Australia]

Dear Bob, please explain that in a way that my wife will approve. I’ve put it out there that there might be another rifle in my future, not like it’s another woman right?
@Kevin Peacocke well, why they are valid points and I’m in agreeance, we can’t help tinkering. And a .280ai has been standardised by Sammy, it must be ok. While I think the newer Tikka models are modular and the recoil lug is backward of what I thought was normal I have admitted I am not an engineer and the Tikka engineers could be onto something, the modular bit I might working to my advantage as a have several and I can reconfigure them for the occasion. My .300wm sits in a my Laminate stock with a heavier scope, this is my Bear rifle, Dreaming.
Ugly Betty my 7-08ctr rides with me and her other half is Bob, a blued .308 CTR intended for target work and practice. My .308 Is a Tikka and my .22-250 a Tikka hybrid. My gunsmith put a secondhand Ruger barrel in threaded and set up to suit. hybrid, yes it’s a Ti-Ger.
If I get back to SA, could you take me shopping for a genuine Pith helmet? I’m a bit Old school and like tradition. My best Black Tracker thought my Lilly White legs were funny but I did wear shorts on at least one hunt. It was Africa after all.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Hello CBH, it would be my pleasure, let me know when you are coming. We'll get you a pair of Courteneys too, and a few of their bespoke shirts, rare find. But when it comes to waxed jackets you Aussies are the masters, Driasabone is exquisite. Not to mention Burke Wills waxed ankle gaiters, way better than leather.

 

[CBH Australia]

Thanks Kevin,
I do have a pair of Courteney boots Selous, I gave my son the Patrol pair being a generous fit but suit him.
I have a Courteney belt, something to do with it being Cape Buffalo.
I will look into the Burke and Wills gaiters etc.
Bespoke shirts? These may not be in my budget.
I do like our Australian brand RM Williams and the quality is good but of course much of it is made offshore to offer competitive pricing on some styles.
If I come back I will bring the Bundaberg Rum (Bundy).
If you need anything from Australia or any info message or PM, happy to help out.
And I have another set of custom Courteney on order direct, they should ship soon I’m hoping.

 

[Ray B]

The problem with any factory cartridge is that it is the result of several compromises, of which automated production is a primary consideration. The compromises that facilitate increased profit for the manufacturer are of little value to the user. The user can make adjustments to the cartridge that increase the cartridge performance but are not feasible for mass production- such things as the nearly parallel sides and the 40 degree shoulder. Such changes also increase the case capacity which enables the user to increase the powder charge and velocity while keeping the peak pressure the same. Over time the changes by users have been incorporated by the ammunition makers and the normal word for this is progress.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thanks Kevin,
I do have a pair of Courteney boots Selous, I gave my son the Patrol pair being a generous fit but suit him.
I have a Courteney belt, something to do with it being Cape Buffalo.
I will look into the Burke and Wills gaiters etc.
Bespoke shirts? These may not be in my budget.
I do like our Australian brand RM Williams and the quality is good but of course much of it is made offshore to offer competitive pricing on some styles.
If I come back I will bring the Bundaberg Rum (Bundy).
If you need anything from Australia or any info message or PM, happy to help out.
And I have another set of custom Courteney on order direct, they should ship soon I’m hoping.

@CBH
Bought the missus an RM Williams shirt and was most disappointed with the the fact it was made in China the same as Blundstone boots.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

Frustrating, I think Redback boots are still onshore
Blundstone has been gone for years.
RM Williams might do a few things here still but most has gone offshore. Maybe some of the expensive line made here.
I buy off a clearance racks cause I still like their gear

 

[C.W. Richter]

'Have the 257 and 757 AIs and they are Winners! 257 yields 3,450 fps w/ 100 grainers and 757 3,050-3,250 w/ 140s-130s (which is actually better performance than the LA 280 AI.) The 6.5 should benefit but I've no experience with it (have a .264 WSM - 3200-3300 fps). Super accurate. No special dies needed-just fireform using factory ammo and neck-size only (I use a 7 WSM neck sizer-any 7 mm NS die will do the job.) The beauty is-you can use factory ammo if need be (it'll be lower pressure, slower, but still very accurate in a pinch.) As said above, not all Ackley's improvements are worth it (many are not-they were just experiments.)

 

[Ray B]

I just came from the sporting goods store- they have no idea when they'll get primers but I did get their last jar of Trail Boss Powder. Packaged in USA but MADE in Australia. Good for Australia!!

 

[C.W. Richter]

Came to me in a dream... These are just averages amongst all hand loads in a database. I'm certain you could find even greater performance disparity for particular loads in a particular bullet weight.

 

[Ray B]

' 257 yields 3,450 fps w/ 100 grainers

WOW!! I've never gotten anything even close to that with 100 gr bullets in the 257AI. How long is the barrel?

 

[C.W. Richter]

WOW!! I've never gotten anything even close to that with 100 gr bullets in the 257AI. How long is the barrel?

26" You really need a longer bbl in 257-264 (and would help in 284 as well-but mine's a 24) with those 50'ish gr cases. Also-a tight chamber by Paul Jaeger and Long Action to seat the bullets farther out (and mag primers). Big mistakes are made when these SA cartridges are AI and built on short (rather than long) actions...I nearly equal my 2 old 257 Wby barrel-burners with it!

 

[Areaonereal]

I can not get close to that with my 25 06 in a 24 inch loaded with a max of 4350. Chrony may be to optimistic.

 

[C.W. Richter]

'makes perfect sense...there's much less efficiency w/ the 06 cartridge over the 7x57 (8x57) case, once improved. 'been down this road many times with people (i think it equals the 2506 AI or poss. superior.) The gun was manufactured by a well-known German gunsmith in PA (Paul Jaeger) who knew precisely what he was doing (with Ackley's improvement of a cartridge he knew so well.) Why I got it in the first place! I'll see if i can find some details (did you see the 757AI vs. 280 AI data shown above? it stands to reason the 757 AI clobbers the std 280) and the 257 AI shows even greater improvement. It's known as his best creation. I know the chronograph is ok, as i've used it on many, many different cartridges (and yes, superformance powder sorely disappointed me as it did not live up to the marketing claims on the label! for 22-250. LOL). The chrony doesn't always display what we wish to see...The 06 cartridge (1903?) is John Browning's copy of Paul Mauser's (1895) 57 design. One is LA and the other SA, but once improved, the SA clobbers the LA in .257-.284).

 

[C.W. Richter]

Why the .416 Taylor (70s gr), .416 Rem (80s gr) and .416 Rigby (100 gr) all arrive at 2,450 fps with a 400 gr bullet (the taylor case is the most efficent, highest pressure of the lot.) At some point, there is no need for a larger case. 'Even got 2550 out of one taylor load, but it's not necessary and was punishing on the shoulder!!!

 

[C.W. Richter]

I can not get close to that with my 25 06 in a 24 inch loaded with a max of 4350. Chrony may be to optimistic.

 

[C.W. Richter]

bear in mind the above data is based upon averages from 250 loads of each cartridge by many other people, using 22-24 in bbl factory p.o.s. rifles. individual loads (such as mine) in individual guns will perform even better! Longer barrels, tighter chamber cuts, magnum primers, the right powder, seating bullets out farther to accomodate more powder (as the small cases can clearly accept more!) etc.....I prefer to use P.O. Ackley's pet handload recipes found in a couple old books (that so many modern mfrs cry about because they know it may not be safe in their black plastic guns sold at wallyworld.) I prefer properly constructed, purpose-built rifles with a lot of forethought built in.