22-250 Ackley Improved

SDCoyoteCaller

SDCoyoteCaller

Active member
I have been toying with the idea of having one of my 22-250s converted to an AI, but was wondering if any factory rifle could be converted? Is this something that most gunsmiths can do or will it take some special equipment? Thanks in advance.
 
Most smiths that rebarrel and chamber can do this. Most times to do it right will require taking off the barrel and moving it back a little to clean up the chamber and throat. At least that's how I used to do it.

The downside is that your still shooting your original barrel and usually putting on an aftermarket barrel will increase the accuracy potential. Another downside is it's much harder to sell a gun converted to a wildcat caliber.

I'd contact some of your local smiths to inquire as to costs. Personally if I was going to put more than a hundred bucks into the conversion I'd really contemplate a rebarrel job unless I had very few rounds thru the original barrel. You can always sell an original barrel to recoup some of the costs.
 
Most any gunblumber could do it...but I'd think hard about the twist of the barrels, especially factory tubes, that you are thinking on having it done to....It's hard to out 22-250 a 22-250...if you are talking fast twist barrels, then you are opening up an whole new ballbark. Even a vanilla 22-250 is a different animal when you twist it 1-8"...I know, I have one...and it's alot of fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I'm curious about this also. As Brad pointed out, twist would be my main concern. Depending on the price to rechamber is it worth it to modify an existing factory and what is the benefit? Shoot out your 1/14 then redo it with 1/8-1/10, whats the answer? Is it worth it to cut a factory? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
If the barrel's in good condition and shoots well, it's worth making into an AI. My first 22-250AI was a good shooting Rem. Varmint. I shot the crap out of that thing with 55's and had a lot of fun with it. Since then there've been a few custom barrelled guns and another rechambered factory 700******, this time a sporter. That gun shot 50's into about 3/8" groups at 4100. I'd say go ahead and rechamber a factory barrel. If it's a good one to begin with it'll shoot just as well only faster. You'll also get a chance to find out how much you really like the cartridge without spending $400+ for a new barrel. You'll probably like it a lot.

******All have been 14" twist, and they've all shot like crazy.
 
Good input Ackman! Did you have to remove any barrel length for the change? Also what is a ballpark $$ for that. I got a figure of $250 from a random phone call to a local smith.
 
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Good input Ackman! Did you have to remove any barrel length for the change? Also what is a ballpark $$ for that. I got a figure of $250 from a random phone call to a local smith.



The first one was about '89 or '90 and I believe it cost something like $50. I think both times the whole shank was removed and complete new threads were cut. Although it's not strictly necessary, most 'smiths would probably rather do it that way. Just plan on paying whatever's charged to fit a new barrel. That should be around $125-$175. Make sure whoever does it has a good reamer. No need for a tight neck but no larger than .255", and NO freebore.
 
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No need for a tight neck but no larger than .255", and NO freebore.



I understand that, but thank you for the info. I figured that a rethread price was in order.
 
While I'm not a huge fan of spending money on factory barrels...punching one out to AI isn't a bad way to go. Like Ackman mentioned, it's a good way to play with something a little different to see if it'll work for you.

Both my 223AI and 22-250 were cut with a .252" neck. It's a tight neck, but still no need for neck turning.

I would also have the smith set the throat lenght to the bullets you plan on shooting out of it. I recently walked out of a pretty decent smith's shop when he wouldn't set the throat to what I wanted. I walked in with a dummy round, my 1-8" twist Rock barreled 22-250, and a pocket full of money. I asked him to punch it out to 22-250AI but he got a little huffy when I handed him the dummy round and told him to chamber it so that would get me to the lands. Guess he didn't need the work. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

Good luck with your project!!!
 
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From reading your post I take it you have several 22-250 rifles. I would suggest that you sell one of them and use the money to buy a new custom pre chambered shilen barrel chambered in 22-250AI, because if you have both the 22-250 and The AI version one of them is going to get left in the back of the safe. I personally do not have a 22-250AI but I hunt with 3 guys that do and they are are shooting a 50 grain bullet at 4000 fps using varget powder. One of the guys I hunt with is a gunsmith and he has chambered all of those rifles Including my 223AI and my 25-06AI. These guys have also figured out how to form factory 308 brass into the 22-250AI case using forming dies without shooting the cases, this saves the wear on the new barrel and the cost of components.
 
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These guys have also figured out how to form factory 308 brass into the 22-250AI case using forming dies without shooting the cases,



Wow, I've never heard of that before. Where do they get the dies?

And in reply to Brad, I have problems getting a gunsmith around here to do anything that requires thinking. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

I was getting some prices for a 22BR build last month and the two guys I went to didn't want anything to do with it.
 
I was mistaken about the 22-250 cases I made a call and found out that they are using 243 winchester cases and The first step is to run these through a 243 full length die that has been modified by cutting .20 Thou off the bottom of the die. The next step is to the cases thru a 22-250 AI neck die and then thru a 22-250 Body the last step is to trim the cases to length.
 
That's an awful lot of unnecessary trouble. Unless a person were determined to use Lapua brass - which isn't necessary either - I can't see any reason to go through all that. The 22-250AI couldn't be simpler to make.....you just work up a good load, then make a bunch of them and go shoot. People have funny notions about "fireforming" AI cartridges. Fireforming isn't wear and tear on the barrel because it's actually done with real honest-to-goodness-use-em-in-the-field type loads. These are the same loads you'd be using with formed brass, only a bit less powder. They're just as accurate and not far from the same velocity. My fireform load was Reloder 15 with 50BT's at 4120 and they were deadly. I shot tons of stuff with that exact load and never could even tell that it was also "fireforming."
 
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These guys have also figured out how to form factory 308 brass into the 22-250AI case using forming dies without shooting the cases,



Wow, I've never heard of that before. Where do they get the dies?



It's easy - run a 308 into a 300 savage FL.

Neck turn (if needed) and trim it.

Anneal it (if you want).

Run it through a 22-250 die.

Shoot it.

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And in reply to Brad, I have problems getting a gunsmith around here to do anything that requires thinking. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

I was getting some prices for a 22BR build last month and the two guys I went to didn't want anything to do with it.



How about a "gunsmith" that says he doesn't need no steeenkin' headspace gauge to fit a barrel, he uses a cartridge from a box of ammo. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


.
 
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That's an awful lot of unnecessary trouble. Unless a person were determined to use Lapua brass - which isn't necessary either - I can't see any reason to go through all that. The 22-250AI couldn't be simpler to make.....you just work up a good load, then make a bunch of them and go shoot. People have funny notions about "fireforming" AI cartridges. Fireforming isn't wear and tear on the barrel because it's actually done with real honest-to-goodness-use-em-in-the-field type loads. These are the same loads you'd be using with formed brass, only a bit less powder. They're just as accurate and not far from the same velocity. My fireform load was Reloder 15 with 50BT's at 4120 and they were deadly. I shot tons of stuff with that exact load and never could even tell that it was also "fireforming."



+1. Kills me that many think of fire forming brass as a waste of barrel. Like Ackman, I load my fire forming loads just shy of velocities I intend to shoot with formed cases. Accuracy is right there, as are the terminal effects. win/win.
 
You can have some good success in a Re-chamber as long as the factory barrel has not been shot a lot.

I had a Rem sporter in 22/250 that I used to fire form Ackley brass in with Bullseye. I fire formed a 1000 cases, then took the barrel off and looked down the barrel and it still looked new. I then worked up a load of 44.5g of Win 760 with a 55g Nosler BT at 3900+ fps with amazing accuracy.
Next, I worked up a fire forming load of 41.5g of Win 760 with a 55g Nosler BT that also had amazing accuracy.

I made up my mind that fireforming a load with Bullseye was a waste of time and powder, so I just kept hunting with the sporter barrel until it quit shooting about 1000 rounds later. I sure killed a lot of yotes with that barrel fireforming brass.

I went through this same procedure with a 22 BR made from a 223 Varmint barrel on a Rem 700, and a 243 Ackley improved made from a 243 Varmint barrel.

After having been through three of these factory Re-chambers, I had rather see a guy save his money and have a good custom barrel installed, minimum spec match chamber with zero freebore, .0005 over dia throat when he is going to shoot lighter bullets. A barrel that is set up this way will make hunting, shooting, and load developement a dream come true. I am very partial to the three groove barrels due to the extra speed that I have gotten from them and the ease in cleaning.
 
One of the problems on using a factory barrel for the Ackley it's no magic cure for that barrel that doesn't shoot good as your not cutting a new chamber your following the old one. My 22-250AI shoots some pretty small groups using a new barrel always + & - when rechambering an existing barrel.

I agree on some Ackleys you can get a good varmit load to fire form cases with. Well good luck
 
Thanks for all the advice and input fellas. It sounds like a custom barrel is the way to go, but re-chambering a factory gun is doable if it hasn't been shot much. I always like trying something different, so this may be a future project down the road. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Thanks again for all the help guys. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif
 
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