I am curious about this caliber. Is there anyone with this caliber. I read it gains around 50-60 fps, not a big increase but that may get it closer to the factory specs. I would be hand loading, so I guess I would have to fire form the brass. What do you think?
30-06 Ackley Improved
- Thread starter tilo
- Start date
closer to factory specs? factory specs for a 30-06 are easily attainable from a 22 inch barrel with a dozen or more different powders, in any weight bullet from 125 to 220 grain. In most cases if not all, they can be surpassed by up to 100 fps.
only advantage I see the Ackley having is less case stretch and giving another 100 fps over the regular 30-06
only advantage I see the Ackley having is less case stretch and giving another 100 fps over the regular 30-06
ramhunter
CGN Regular
use heavy bullets
the 50 fps thing is pretty close when you use bullets of 180 gr or less. but if you want to shoot 200 gr stuff then you will get about 100 fps + more velocity. for its day it was a great way to magnum like performance when you couldn't afford a weatherby. anyone with a good 30-06 ackley is good to go for almost everything in north america.
i'll have another some day..
ramhunter
the 50 fps thing is pretty close when you use bullets of 180 gr or less. but if you want to shoot 200 gr stuff then you will get about 100 fps + more velocity. for its day it was a great way to magnum like performance when you couldn't afford a weatherby. anyone with a good 30-06 ackley is good to go for almost everything in north america.
i'll have another some day..
ramhunter
What Ramhunter said. Yes, I do have one. - dan
True. Moving the shoulder ahead gives you even more case capacity. The Gibbs line has about as much usable case capacity as you can get from the -06 based cases. - dan
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Case capacity of the Gibbs and similar wildcats are within spitting distance of the RSAUM family. If both are run at the same pressures in equal effective length barrels, you get the same performance.
I have used a 30Gibbs with excellent results. However, this was not at 30-06 pressures
Jerry
I have used a 30Gibbs with excellent results. However, this was not at 30-06 pressures
Jerry
Is there an animal out there that would know the difference between a well loaded 30-06 or a Ackley?
That said, I have a couple other Ackley rifles and the improvement in performace was significant. These are target rifles where I wanted more powder capacity. I don't have a 6.5x55 AI, but every time I look at that tapered case I think the Ackley would be a big improvement.
That said, I have a couple other Ackley rifles and the improvement in performace was significant. These are target rifles where I wanted more powder capacity. I don't have a 6.5x55 AI, but every time I look at that tapered case I think the Ackley would be a big improvement.
I have one. The only reason I have it is Bill Leeper didn't have a good 30/06 reamer at the time but did have the Ackley. And hunting season was nearly here.
Good thing. If I'd have gone that route hoping for a significant improvement, I'd have been disappointed. It's a really accurate rifle, like all of Bill's jobs, but it really doesn't do anything the standard ol' 30/06 doesn't do.
Why not just go 300 Winchester. Or the .300 Hawk if you're toying with the idea of needing a wildcat. The .300 Rem. SAUM, .300 Winchester Mag, and .300 Hawk have almost identical ballistics.
A chamber rebore on a 30/06 to 300 Hawk to get more performance kinda makes sense. However, it may be that after you buy the reloading dies, brass, and pay for the rebore, it might have been just as cheap to simply get it rebarrelled to 300 Winchester.
Good thing. If I'd have gone that route hoping for a significant improvement, I'd have been disappointed. It's a really accurate rifle, like all of Bill's jobs, but it really doesn't do anything the standard ol' 30/06 doesn't do.
Why not just go 300 Winchester. Or the .300 Hawk if you're toying with the idea of needing a wildcat. The .300 Rem. SAUM, .300 Winchester Mag, and .300 Hawk have almost identical ballistics.
A chamber rebore on a 30/06 to 300 Hawk to get more performance kinda makes sense. However, it may be that after you buy the reloading dies, brass, and pay for the rebore, it might have been just as cheap to simply get it rebarrelled to 300 Winchester.
The few cartridges where the increase is noticeable, e.g. 30/30 and 303 Brit, all have readily available substitute standard cartidges that will match the improvement - ironically for the 30/30 AI that would be the 303, and for the 303 the 30-06. You should only do an Ackley for the "Cool Factor" - they make no economic sense. The marginal increase in performance comes at the cost of rechambering, more expensive dies, and a general decrease in value of the firearm. Anyone who says that they recoup the cost in extended brass life needs to take Grade 5 Math over again. That having been said, the Cool Factor is a worthy objective - it puts your stamp on your firearm.
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Well, I think that's true of any cartridge, really. The "most improved" Ackley I've ever personally dealt with was the 250-3000, which really gained a lot from the process. - dan
