# Ackley Improved......



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Who has em? Which ones? Why'd you take the leap? -----------SS


----------



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

.257 Roberts AI. Had it for 30 years. Wanted a .25 cal on a short action rifle. Performs like a .25-06. Great rifle.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> .257 Roberts AI. Had it for 30 years. Wanted a .25 cal on a short action rifle. Performs like a .25-06. Great rifle.


Ditto, I purchased it that way along with 1000 rounds of brass and reloading dies. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it is on a WWII Japanese Ariska action, but it is a shooter.


----------



## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

My brother was just talking to me about these last night. You guys that have them mind going over the pros/cons for those of us novices that dont know chit? They sound cool as heck.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I like them because they allow me to get similar performance as the standard versions loaded much lighter. In other words your red line hot load in a 30-06 is a light load in my 30-06 Ackley. As my age has gone up, my load pressures have gone down. I like performance without the pressure. If you want to redline the Ackley cartridges you can get significant performance increases with them. As a hand loader, the brass design is a benefit as it doesn't stretch and lasts forever. Lastly, they are just cool looking cases and seem to make sweet shooters. I personally love the 22-250, 6MM, 257, 25-06, and 280 versions the best.--------SS


----------



## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

One of the "Magic family guns" is a 300 Ackley that my grandpa built, it is a monster. We were sighting it and my 7mm in for an elk hunt one year and a dude shooting a 50 came over and mentioned how loud it was. He did let us each put a round through that 50, it was probably more comfortable to shoot than the 300.


----------



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I have multiple AIs. I just liked the idea of it. The guys I work with always say "if you want more speed just buy the next caliber up" Most likely I already have that caliber and besides what fun would that be? I like to tinker and fuss with odd cartridges. The AIs fit that for me.
If I want blistering speed I'll take my 22 CHeatah out and spin the jackets off a few Noslers.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

huntn30inchers said:


> One of the "Magic family guns" is a 300 Ackley that my grandpa built, it is a monster. We were sighting it and my 7mm in for an elk hunt one year and a dude shooting a 50 came over and mentioned how loud it was. He did let us each put a round through that 50, it was probably more comfortable to shoot than the 300.


Is your rifle a 300 Weatherby Improved?----------SS


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

huntn30inchers said:


> One of the "Magic family guns" is a 300 Ackley that my grandpa built, it is a monster. We were sighting it and my 7mm in for an elk hunt one year and a dude shooting a 50 came over and mentioned how loud it was. He did let us each put a round through that 50, it was probably more comfortable to shoot than the 300.


It would be fun to find out which one it is. It is my understanding that there were 3 or 4 different 300 Ackleys where they used different shoulder angles and cases. One style of a shoulder had a 35 degree and the other was a 40 degree. Some were based on 300 Winchester along with 300 Weatherby and then there was the 300 Hart.

I have to find that book on Ackley Improved Cartriges.


----------



## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

These have really caught my attention, how cool.


----------



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

USMARINEhuntinfool said:


> My brother was just talking to me about these last night. You guys that have them mind going over the pros/cons for those of us novices that dont know chit? They sound cool as heck.


"Improved"= a case that has been modified, most commonly the shoulder is reset to a sharper angle and usually straightening body.. This is done for many reasons, improved efficiency, increased case capacity being the most common. Improved rounds are created by "fire forming"..taking a standard round and firing it in the reamed "improved" chamber". In a pinch, you can always shoot a standard round in the rifle.

"Wildcat" = a case that is completely new in design. They can only be fired in a rifle chambered for them and are created by a reworking brass...chopping, lengthening, shortening, actually about anything you can imagine that can be done to a round has been done. Most factory rounds are wildcats tailored to there own specifications and are very close, but not quite like some wildcat that has become so popular that the factories think they can sell a few of thier own.

Read up on the history and development of modern rounds...interesting stuff.
Of course there's more to all this but this is a primer.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

the big problem with wildcat development is you need a machine shop to make the new chamber. From there then you need to make the custom resizing dies (probably can repurpose another caliber's FL die to just neck size).

Years ago, it was pretty cool... so many people have built so many wildcats there really isn't alot of new ground to cover.


-DallanC


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I thought that every shooter had a small machine shop in their basements. 

I read a article a few years ago which stated that just about every conceivable wildcat has been built. Some with great results and a lot that don't do a thing that a commercial cartridge can do. Years ago I got into the .30 Herrett craze and then the .357 Herrett, I also got tired of trimming, cutting, and fire forming 30-30 cases to make these two rounds. I still have all the stuff for the .357 Herrett but I should of sold that one and kept the .30. Right now the only fire forming that I do is with a 7-30 Waters where all I have to do is size and shoot a 7mm bullet out of a 30-30 case and it is ready to go. 

I do remember back in the late 50's reading about the 338/300 Weatherby mag which ended up being the .340 Weatherby in the 60's along with reading about the 30-378 Weatherby when shooters were playing around with it in the early 70's, and now it is a factory round along with the .338-378. 

If it wasn't for wildcatters we wouldn't have a lot of rounds that are out there today and if they are popular enough they will become factory rounds. Just how long a lot of them stay around is up to debate. Two of the most popular ones are the .22-250 and the 25-06.


----------



## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

You forgot the 243 Winchester.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Loke said:


> You forgot the 243 Winchester.


I left a lot of them out. It is surprising what popular cartridges that you can find that are based on either the .30-06 or the 308.


----------



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Don't forget the all time most popular of all wildcats... .270Win


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> Don't forget the all time most popular of all wildcats... .270Win


I don't think that the .270 Win was ever a wildcat. It was based off of the .30-03 which didn't live too long before it was converted to the .30-06, the .270Win came out in 1925 but in those few years it may of been a wildcat.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

It's funny, I had a conversation similar to this a few years ago and agreed that the spectrum of cartridges was basically covered. Since then several new cartridges have been created that are very useful. The Creedmore and a few of the AR cartridges come to mind......all very useful. Who would have thought that we needed such things? 

Back to the Ackley topic. I can see a <6lb 257 Ackley in my future. But I'll have to deal with the 280 that's on it's way first. It's a rough life.....---------SS


----------



## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

Critter said:


> I thought that every shooter had a small machine shop in their basements.


Are you kidding? I don't even have a basement.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

How come all the new wave cartridges that are breaking records are all straight walled cases with steep shoulders? Maybe Parker was on to something?------SS


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Springville Shooter said:


> How come all the new wave cartridges that are breaking records are all straight walled cases with steep shoulders? Maybe Parker was on to something?------SS


It makes you wonder what Roy Weatherby would of came up with if he based his cartridges on the 404 Jeffery instead of the 300 H&H


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

My new 280 AI is done. What a beauty. Blueprinted 700 action, 25" #4 Shilen Match, Bob Hart Accublok stock, 2lb trigger. Just hope it shoots as good as it looks and feels!-------SS


----------



## Mtnbeer (Jul 15, 2012)

Springville Shooter said:


> My new 280 AI is done. What a beauty. Blueprinted 700 action, 25" #4 Shilen Match, Bob Hart Accublok stock, 2lb trigger. Just hope it shoots as good as it looks and feels!-------SS


C'mon SS,
You know the rules!!!


----------

