250 savage
- Thread starter Silverstream
- Start date
If you want to do it for "fun" it's always worthwhile. As for velocity gains??? I found I could get more out of the cartridge than most manuals show quite easily.
If the Ruger shoots well as is, it may not shoot well after the conversion.
If the Ruger shoots well as is, it may not shoot well after the conversion.
It isn't as simple as running in the AI reamer. An AI chamber should accept both factory and fireformed cartridges, with correct headspace. Only way to do this is to set the barrel back and ream the AI chamber so that you can feel the GO gauge when closing the bolt. Set up like this, it is safe to fire factory cartridges; they will be held against the bolt face for fire forming.
Personally, I would leave the rifle as is.
Personally, I would leave the rifle as is.
Yup, but, even if it's done properly, as Tiriac explains, the biggest variable will be to the barrel "harmonics"In other words 'If it shoots well, leave well enough alone" ?
Where that takes the accuracy is anyone's guess, and luck of the draw.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Should you? YES. 250ai is one of the most impressive of all AI cartridges. Who cares on resale value, have something unique !
True, but a 250 AI is a step up over the standard 250. Even Ackley believed it was the cartridge that gained the most from his changes. - dan
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Despite what Ackley said about the 250 Savage AI, it's only true for the time period he did the experiments with those conversions, and if you can duplicate barrel lengths, contour, etc.
I spoke personally with Mr Ackley about the conversions he experimented with and made famous.
He readily admitted, his figures were almost always for stronger firearms than the original cartridges were designed to be used in.
With the powders available now, there is no reason the 250 Savage, when chambered in a strong rifle, such as the Ruger M77, shouldn't be able to be right on the heels of the Improved version.
The thing about most reloading info available, which I've seen, is that it stops with 100 grain bullets.
It's not until you start loading 115-120 grain bullets that the AI version shows any real improvements, and even then, if you load your original cartridge to the same pressures, there isn't enough velocity to make it worthwhile.
Now, if the OP just wants to have the conversion done, to scratch an itch, go for it, but before you do, load your original cartridges up to the same pressures created with 250SavAI, loads, so you have something more realistic to compare to.
I spoke personally with Mr Ackley about the conversions he experimented with and made famous.
He readily admitted, his figures were almost always for stronger firearms than the original cartridges were designed to be used in.
With the powders available now, there is no reason the 250 Savage, when chambered in a strong rifle, such as the Ruger M77, shouldn't be able to be right on the heels of the Improved version.
The thing about most reloading info available, which I've seen, is that it stops with 100 grain bullets.
It's not until you start loading 115-120 grain bullets that the AI version shows any real improvements, and even then, if you load your original cartridge to the same pressures, there isn't enough velocity to make it worthwhile.
Now, if the OP just wants to have the conversion done, to scratch an itch, go for it, but before you do, load your original cartridges up to the same pressures created with 250SavAI, loads, so you have something more realistic to compare to.
The AI version of the .250 Savage in considerably faster with all bullet weights than a factory .250 Savage, a big difference ... it is an excellent choice if you wish to do it. However to get the performance requires you reload for it... thus requiring a set of fairly expensive dies. The chambering to the AI version requires setting the barrel back usually a minimum of 7 thou so the headspace is set correctly. The AI version has a shorter headspace than the standard version. Ackley did this so factory ammo could be fireformed resulting in the strongest fire formed case. I usually turned the printing on the barrel under the stock line so the caliber could be freshly stamped. The barrel work and chambering is not cheap either. Once you have bought the dies and spent the money you usually do not recoup that "investment" when you go to sell... I often found when chambering AI versions accuracy was superb.
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