Ackley Improved question

Cruizin

New member
So I'm having a Rem 700 customized and it was no additional cost to have it rechambered to .243 AI so I did. At the same time I'm getting into reloading. I haven't made it all the way through the Lyman's reloding manual yet but I'm getting there. After saying that here's my question for you guys. I want to load up some .243 brass to fireform it. Will any brass work or should I get something special since its going to undergo some stretching?

One other question. I assume I'm going to need a resizing die of 243 ack and standard 243, or could I get away with just the 243 ack die? I'm planning on just buying standard 243 brass and loading it.

Any other information that the Lyman manual won't tell me about reloading AI cartridges would be appreciated. Keep in mind I won't be doing anything until I know exactly what I'm doing.

Thanks agian guys...
 
You don't need the standard die just the Ackley die. If you are using new brass you will only be seating the bullet anyway.

Winchester seems to be the better brass for loading.

The easiest way to fireform and get brass is just to buy factory ammo and shoot it.
 
I seat my bullets into the lands by maybe .010" to give additional rearward pressure on the case to get a good, sharp shoulder on the first firing. If your chamber is done correctly, you should feel a slight resistance closing the bolt on a new, unformed case where the shoulder is actually .002" back from the parent in an Ackley. This was Parker's way of ensuring safe use of factory ammo in his improved chambers.
 
i agree with both the above. why waste precious time and components just for fireforming. build a load that will shoot and kill 'yotes and fireform at the same time.

for good load data go to www.duanesguns.com or graymists varmint page. both have a good selection of ackley data.

good luck, you'll love your 243 ackley. i've been shooting mine for over 10 years now and it is a great rifle. the 243 with a nosler partition 100gr make a great deer round. i want to try it with tsx's this year also.

good luck and good shooting.
 
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I've got a Contender .223 Ackley Improved. I've got the dies, plus my test loads figured out. Rign now, I'm shooting factory .223 rounds this season to get my stockpile of fireformed brass. I chose Winchester ammo, as I wanted Winchester brass. Luckily, it shoots the factory .223 round extremely well.

Tony
 
Case capacity of the .243 Ackley is exactly the same as the standard 6mm Rem. Both of my buddies that shoot .243 Ackleys shoot the same load I shoot in my 6mm (44 grains of RE 15 and a 70 grain BT) and the velocity varies only about 30fps (in favor of the 6mm I might add... 3590 vs. 3560). You should be able to shoot any load listed for the 6mm Rem. Safely in the .243 Ackley. *qb
 
By seating a bullet into the lands to fireform an Ackley cartridge, you may be defeating the whole purpose of the shortened headspace on the AI chamber.

If the bullet is firm in the case neck, you may actually be slightly crushing the case neck/shoulder area back on closing the bolt. The result is some un-needed case stretching upon firing.

If the AI chamber is done properly with @ 0.002" less headspace, there is no need nor any good reason to want to seat a bullet into the lands of the rifling. Also, a good stiff load for the parent cartridge will give a fully formed AI cartridge. A mid range load for the parent cartridge may not fully form the AI case.

-BCB
 
Not a pro, but do own a 250 savage ackley imp and load for it. Just my two cents, Ive had bad luck with remington brass cracking. Dont know why. Winchester has worked great for me though.
 
I refuse to put wear on a match grade barrel shooting bullets fireforming cases. I shoot 280AI and use a small charge of 700x topped with Cream of Wheat and then sealed with Crisco to keep any from spilling. I'm not mentioning any powder charges because I've never delt with 243AI and some of the things I read on this forum are pretty scary. Do a little homework and you will find someone else using this method for 243AI. It works fantastic!
 
I have a 243AI and my fireforming loads are actually hunting loads as well. I do use Lapua brass, but you can use Winchester, I tried Remington brass, but the lot of it I got was crappy. You will need at least a FL sizer and a seating die.I bought the Redding 2 die set and it works fine for me.
My fireform load is 47 grains of W-760 or AA 2700 with a CCI 250 magnum or a Win LR Magnum primer. With a 70 grain Sierra Blitzking touching the rifling. Once fireformed you can go on up to 48~50 with the W-760 or AA2700.
Go up slow striving for accuracy/ look for pressure signs(heavy bolt lift, cratered primers, ejector marks on the head of the case).
The AI version of the 243 capacity is about 8% more than the standard 243
I hope this helps.
Sam
 
Quote:
Most AI chambers are .004" shorter than the parent chamber.

Jack



No arguement on my part, Jack. That's pretty typical for an AI chamber.

It's kinda humerous...I used the 0.004" dimension in a reply several weeks ago, and another person challenged it saying PO quoted 0.002" in his handbook. So.....today I used the 0.002" number... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Take care. - BCB
 
BCB,
It is hard to keep all the numbers in mind. I have read all the Ackley books and as I recall (for what that's worth?) .004" was normal, although there may have been a .006" thrown in there somewhere.
The chamber prints for all the AI reamers I have bought always showed .004" short. I pay pretty close attention when I am spending $400 for a reamer set.

Jack
 
Jack:

I need to correct my earlier statement...

Ackley's handbook does indeed show .004". And that was what a previus poster mentioned also. My 257AI has approximately 0.002-0.003"" difference, and that's where I got that number.

The important thing probably is to have less headspace on the AI chamber to allow for a slight crush fit on the bolt closure to keep headspace in check so that the brass can be formed properly.

-BCB
 
Quote:
BCB,
It is hard to keep all the numbers in mind. I have read all the Ackley books and as I recall (for what that's worth?) .004" was normal, although there may have been a .006" thrown in there somewhere.
The chamber prints for all the AI reamers I have bought always showed .004" short. I pay pretty close attention when I am spending $400 for a reamer set.

Jack

I've got eight Ackley chamber rifles and all mine were headspaced on the .004", I had two different gunsmith build those rifles so I think your number are pretty normal. I also ask how short they are setting the headspace learned that from Ackley's book.
 
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Quote:
By seating a bullet into the lands to fireform an Ackley cartridge, you may be defeating the whole purpose of the shortened headspace on the AI chamber



I have my ejector springs lightened so that the case necks aren't bent during extraction, and so that they land close to the rifle. If correctly headspaced, the casehead is against the boltface and the shoulder is compressed against the ackley shoulder of the .004" headspace lesser dimension.

By seating the bullets into the lands, I stall the timing of release and allow pressure to build faster, which blows out my shoulders and case taper quite efficiently. This is done for several reasons,..(1) I work my load ladder whilst fireforming brass to save barrel life, time and money. (2) I am using match or LR components for load work, and MANY of these VLD style pills such as a-max bullets, Bergers, J4's, etc like to be jamm seated into the lands for best LR accuracy. (3) I believe that by forcing the case back against the boltface firmly, I ensure that any brass flow needed to make the extra body dimension, comes from the necks and not the casehead area. (incidently the same reason I don't trim my cases until after they have been fired in my chamber first) Also, from the box/bag, commercial brass varies some at the datum line, so forcing the casehead against the boltface with a jamm seat is how I ensure proper caseform. YMMV /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 


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