Having Trouble Fireforming 25-06 to 25-06 AI

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xminerat

New member
I recently had a Tikka T-3 25-06 Remington rechambered to 25-06 Ackley Improved. I'm having problems with the fire forming process, in that the 25-06 Remington fire forming loads won't fire. I'm seating the 87 grain Hornady spire point bullets well into the lands...3.25" OAL, when the OAL as measured is 3.175". I'm using Winchester factory unfired brass (passed through a regular 25-06 Remington sizer die), and CCI 200 large rifle primers.

The primers are dented, but don't fire.

Any suggestions?
 
Take it back to whoever chambered it. It's not done right. Factory rounds should work, without any special bullet seating depth.
 
Originally Posted By: ninehorsesTake it back to whoever chambered it. It's not done right. Factory rounds should work, without any special bullet seating depth.

Yep take it back, someone did something wrong..

Jason
 
Ooops---I should have added that he shot 2 25-06 Remington shells in it---reloads---and they worked perfectly, and were formed like the cases for my other 25-06 AI. I have those 2 cases.

I suppose that I could fire the 25-06 Remington cases in the other 25-06 AI, and then fire form them in the Tikka 25-06 AI. Just another step, I guess.
 
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I don't think so, but I'll recheck for sure.

I checked the 2 fired cases that the gunsmith provided---one was a R-P factory brand, and the other was Lake City 30-06, necked down to 25-06. Both have what appears to be R-P LR primers.

I'm using Win cases with CCI #200 LR primers. Maybe my primers are seated too deeply?
 
Stop sizing new brass, load and shoot.

And stop messing with the primer pockets, they're fine and you won't gain anything prepping them.
 
Originally Posted By: xmineratI don't think so, but I'll recheck for sure.

I checked the 2 fired cases that the gunsmith provided---one was a R-P factory brand, and the other was Lake City 30-06, necked down to 25-06. Both have what appears to be R-P LR primers.

I'm using Win cases with CCI #200 LR primers. Maybe my primers are seated too deeply?

It is very common for gunsmiths (and I use that term loosely) to screw up Ackley chambers - half of them need false shoulders to fire form cases
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If you are willing to use 30-06 brass to start, then use the 25-06 FL die, and back it off the shell holder enough that you have to work hard at closing the bolt - you will be making a false shoulder and the cases will form perfectly.

1 - The other guys were right - DON'T size 25-06 cases, if that is what you are going to use.
2 - Seat the bullets deep into the rifling and crimp them.
3 - The "Gunsmith" screwed up
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The chamber should be cut so there is sufficient "crush" that you can fireform factory 25-06 without effort.
 
Seat primers all the way to the bottom, every time, or you can get bad ignition.

You could also use a .270 mandrel(expander ball) on the neck, following it up with partial neck sizing with your 25-06 die.

Make your guy re-do it, the right way, and avoid all these headaches. He will need to set the barrel back, and re-chamber.
 
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That's BS I would take it back, he did a piss poor job you should be able to take factory 25/06 ammo and fire it in that gun. That's kind of the point, that's why Ackleys are nice cuz you can make the brass so easy no have to do this or that. Take it back.
 
Ya my buddy had the same thing happen to a styer 25-06. The just cut the chamer with out leaving the crush. I've heard you need about 30 thou crush? Is that right, seems like to much. Idk
 
Originally Posted By: nastynatesfishYa my buddy had the same thing happen to a styer 25-06. The just cut the chamer with out leaving the crush. I've heard you need about 30 thou crush? Is that right, seems like to much. Idk

Some guys claim you only need 3 to 4 thou crush... but that is not true if you want a rifle that will not rip cases apart.

SAAMI has not accepted Ackley cartridges because they are not reliable and often have headspace and head separation problems, and more than half of the Ackley's I have had contact with, had headspace problems - 0.004 crush is not any crush, when you consider that the tolerance for factory brass is maximum chamber -0.014"... and if you look at your caliper opened to 0.004" and think that space will hold a case... nevea happening. With 4 thou "crush", you can actually have a +0.010" headspace, and slowly pull the head off of cases.

SAAMI accepted an Ackley chamber for the first time a few years back, when Nosler wanted to list the 280 Ackley - but SAAMI would not let Nosler list the "normal 280 AI", they required Nosler to move the chamber shoulder back 20 more thou.

So, when you chamber a factory 280 case, you have to work to close the bolt for the first time... but the cases last forever (unless you are stupid!!)


 


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