243 ackley Improved Question
- Thread starter catbegone
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Ackman
New member
Originally Posted By: catbegoneHow do you reload a 243 ackley improved that the chamber is 25,000 short as regular 243 ai dies will not reload it to go in the gun.
You know for certain that your chamber is .025" short? Did the person who chambered it tell you that? Unless the reamer was spec'd to actual case length, there's something like .025"-.030" of chamber neck length beyond the mouth of a new factory case anyway. It's always nice to know what chamber length really is and Sinclair has chamber length plugs for finding that, every reloader should have them.
Being .025" short simply means there's .025" crush on a new case. There's nothing wrong with that, your riflebuilder didn't screw up. Ackleyman knows...... DON'T rechamber. You want plenty of crush with an AI cartridge. My .22-250AI chambers have .025" crush, which sounds like a lot but works fine. The .243AI's have .015" or .020" crush, I don't remember which, and the other AI's are all at least .015". This just means that you feel more resistance on the bolt handle when chambering a new unfired case that first time.....it's the only time you'll feel it.
Dies vary, a different one could work fine. Even with .025" crush (chamber .025" short) I've never had a die problem. They're all Redding competition. With yours the die itself, or the shellholder, may need only a few thou. removed to work fine.
Since you've resolved the situation don't worry about your chamber, it wasn't done wrong. It would've been silly and unnecessary to have the chamber re-cut. And if/when you need to replace the barrel, have it cut the same way to a formed piece of brass. Easy.
You know for certain that your chamber is .025" short? Did the person who chambered it tell you that? Unless the reamer was spec'd to actual case length, there's something like .025"-.030" of chamber neck length beyond the mouth of a new factory case anyway. It's always nice to know what chamber length really is and Sinclair has chamber length plugs for finding that, every reloader should have them.
Being .025" short simply means there's .025" crush on a new case. There's nothing wrong with that, your riflebuilder didn't screw up. Ackleyman knows...... DON'T rechamber. You want plenty of crush with an AI cartridge. My .22-250AI chambers have .025" crush, which sounds like a lot but works fine. The .243AI's have .015" or .020" crush, I don't remember which, and the other AI's are all at least .015". This just means that you feel more resistance on the bolt handle when chambering a new unfired case that first time.....it's the only time you'll feel it.
Dies vary, a different one could work fine. Even with .025" crush (chamber .025" short) I've never had a die problem. They're all Redding competition. With yours the die itself, or the shellholder, may need only a few thou. removed to work fine.
Since you've resolved the situation don't worry about your chamber, it wasn't done wrong. It would've been silly and unnecessary to have the chamber re-cut. And if/when you need to replace the barrel, have it cut the same way to a formed piece of brass. Easy.
steve garrett
Well-known member
YES you should feel a snugness as you close the bolt on a non formed case. that is intentional. with that said after about 4 firings with fire formed brass I have to push the shoulder back. I use a redding body die for this, mainly because I use wilson dies and neck size the rest of the time.