223 Ackley questions

C

cowpoke

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I am considering having my Rem 700 SPS sporter re-chambered to 223 ackley.

A few questions...

Any ideas what I will gain with it from the standpoint of pushing 50 to 60 grain bullets at coyotes and ground hogs?

If you have or had one, what have been your experiences?

thanks
 
I have one. Just put it together a few weeks ago. I am still working up loads, but you can get over 4000 fps with the 40 grain bullets without trying too hard. I have shot the 50 grain bullets in mine just to see how well they would shoot, and they did shoot well, but did have my chronograph with me. I plan on taking it next trip to the range and see what rifle will do.

With the 50 grain bullet you have about 150 fps more oomph than you do the standard .223 will. My guess is that the 60 grainers will be closer to 100 fps.

Steve Timm? You out there? What say you?
 
I have loaded 40's and 55's but no 50's. Right now I am using 40 gr V-max over a near max charge of TAC with excellent results. Had very good luck with Benchmark also. My 223AI just seems to want to shoot 40's.
Charlie
 
I had a 223 ackley for a couple of years now. Rustydust is right - you'll gain aorund 150fps with 50gr bullets - depending on gun and load. My ackley chronos around 3650 with H335 and 50gr v-max.
 
I prefer the 50gr Noslers. H335 is my favorite powder with federal or rem primers. I think remington is offering their barrels in 12 twist (I could be wrong though, its been years since Ive purchased a Rem). You can stabalize everything up to 69gr bullets if you want but the 69's are very hard on pelts (thats from experience)
About 150-200fps gain in velocities with all bullet weights in mine (Ive got several 223AI's and purchased my own reamer because its a fun lil cartridge to play with and easy on barrels).
 

All three of my .223 Ackley rifles simply adore 40-grain ballistics and H-335 powder.

The 50s shoot really well, but for just plain critter busting and flying parts, the 40s are KING.

Velocity increase? 150 to 200 fps depending on bullet weight. Surely enough to interest a fella.

Good shooting,

Steve Timm
 


I forgot to add something:

My first loading evaluation of a .223 Ackley was a rifle built by Rifles Inc. The barrel was as heavy as the drive-shaft on my Chevy Duramax and it was 27-inches long.

The ballistics of the Rifles Inc gun impressed me enough to have a personal rifle built, but I sure as heck was not going to do a silly 27-inch barrel.

My first sported a 22-inch barrel and the load data that I developed in the earlier test rifle yielded almost identical results.

A few months later, I had a rifle built for Karen and it also has a 22-inch barrel. Again, the earlier data shot the same speeds +25fps.

Later that year, I had a Walking Varminter built as a dedicated predator calling rifle and this time I opted for a 21-inch barrel. Same results, except this barrel is slightly faster than any of the other three.

My personal opinion is that a guy doesn't need a barrel over 21"-22" to attain decent ballistics out of the .223 Ackley. If my sample of four is statistically significant, that is surely the case.

Steve Timm
 
Steve, I came to same conclusions on barrel length. My shooting pard and I have built 5 of them with barrel lengths from 21-26". The 21-22"ers are easily the favorites, matter of fact the one that was 26" has since been chopped back to 22" as well. We too seen no great speed gains over the 21-22"ers. A healthy dose of H-335 over 40 and 50Vmax's really is pretty impressive.

 
I am really interested in having my Savage Predator .223 turned in to a Ackley. Can most competent gun smiths do this? Is there someone out there that I should look into sending the gun to? I am in Southern Nevada. Also what all goes into Ackley improving a gun? Would I just have to send the barrel to have it reamed out or would I have to send the whole gun off?
I know it's a lot of questions but you can't learn if you don't ask.
Thanks guys.
 
There really isnt anything to reaming out a Savage barrel, I do it all the time on a lathe at my work.

All the gunsmith will need is your barrel. If he questions anything just tell him that you want your headspace quage to protrude from the breach of the barrel .131-.135". Once you get it back, just screw it back onto your rifle using the same headspace guage.
 
Originally Posted By: Steve Timm

I forgot to add something:

My first loading evaluation of a .223 Ackley was a rifle built by Rifles Inc. The barrel was as heavy as the drive-shaft on my Chevy Duramax and it was 27-inches long.

The ballistics of the Rifles Inc gun impressed me enough to have a personal rifle built, but I sure as heck was not going to do a silly 27-inch barrel.

My first sported a 22-inch barrel and the load data that I developed in the earlier test rifle yielded almost identical results.

A few months later, I had a rifle built for Karen and it also has a 22-inch barrel. Again, the earlier data shot the same speeds +25fps.

Later that year, I had a Walking Varminter built as a dedicated predator calling rifle and this time I opted for a 21-inch barrel. Same results, except this barrel is slightly faster than any of the other three.

My personal opinion is that a guy doesn't need a barrel over 21"-22" to attain decent ballistics out of the .223 Ackley. If my sample of four is statistically significant, that is surely the case.

Steve Timm




This is only partially true. If your shooting heavy bullets, more velocity can be gained by a longer barrel and slower powders.
Here is a web site that shows what barrel length has for effect on a 223rem barrel.

http://www.accuratereloading.com/223sb.html
 
I called my local gunsmith (pretty much the only one I know around here) today. He sounded like he knew what he was doing. Talked about doing the headspacing. He said for the reaming and doing the headspacing it was going to be $250. Plus he doesn't have any reamers. So he would have to find one to rent and I would have to pay for that too. From what I have read that sounds way to high priced.
 
OWTCH.. Yeah, that is kinda high priced. I think most smiths would go around $100 and re-crown your barrel just because its there and easy to do. Does your rifle barrel have camo on it or is it blued?

For $250, you could just about pick up a brand new (custom) barrel ordered and just swap the barrel out when it gets there.

Ive done a few for other people but Im not interested in doing that anymore. Here is a guy thats very reasonable and does nice work. His wait time is short and is easy going to talk to. Give him a call and talk to him. Tell him Outlawkyote sent ya.

http://sin-arms.com/

605-881-6952
 
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I have a 23" and a 27 Inch Harts, the 27" is exactly 100 fps faster than the 23" with the 50 and 55g Bullets.

You have to remember that you can get fast and slow barrels.

Also, I am shooting 27.5-28.5g of powder. As your powder charge goes down, I suspect that barrel length may have a lesser impact on velocity, but that is only a guess of mine.
 
Originally Posted By: Outlawkyote OWTCH.. Yeah, that is kinda high priced. I think most smiths would go around $100 and re-crown your barrel just because its there and easy to do. Does your rifle barrel have camo on it or is it blued?

For $250, you could just about pick up a brand new (custom) barrel ordered and just swap the barrel out when it gets there.

Ive done a few for other people but Im not interested in doing that anymore. Here is a guy thats very reasonable and does nice work. His wait time is short and is easy going to talk to. Give him a call and talk to him. Tell him Outlawkyote sent ya.

http://sin-arms.com/

605-881-6952

My gun is camo, I got to thinking and was wondering if that would cause a problem. I am not afraid to put a few scratches on it but don't want to ruin the gun.
Will that cause any problems?
 
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