30-06 Ackley Improved?
- Thread starter blueoval56
- Start date
It is a useful caliber, easy to fire form. In my rifle it only gets 100-150 fps over my regular 30-06 loads with various bullet weights. The shoulder sometimes requires massaging of the magazine to feed properly. I still like it though, but if you want more from the -06 case look at the Gibbs line or the slightly longer Hawk cases. - dan
If you maintain the same pressures as you use in the 30-06, you'll see a 50-75 FPS increase. It certainly does not transform it into a 300 Win Mag.
The same applies to all cases based on the 7X57 (e.g. 308, 8X57, 30-06) as they have little taper to start with.
Where you see significant gains are in rounds with lots of taper, the ones that come to mind are rimmed cartidges like the 303 Brit and 30-30.
Ackley cartrdges are always cool, but given the expense, for most the payback is mostly on the coolness category.
The same applies to all cases based on the 7X57 (e.g. 308, 8X57, 30-06) as they have little taper to start with.
Where you see significant gains are in rounds with lots of taper, the ones that come to mind are rimmed cartidges like the 303 Brit and 30-30.
Ackley cartrdges are always cool, but given the expense, for most the payback is mostly on the coolness category.
stevesummit
CGN Regular
- Location
- spruce grove
My 338 lapua is AI , and I see huge gains with it . 300 gr Bergers at 3050 fps in a 28" bbl
From my experience, the improved 30-06 gives an improvement yes. But it seems that the improvement on the 30-06 ackley modification gets the least amount of improvement of all the ackley line.
This tells me that the 30-06 is pretty well maximised as it is.
If you like the idea of performance enhancement, even if its not allot, go for it! They are fun to tinker with.
This tells me that the 30-06 is pretty well maximised as it is.
If you like the idea of performance enhancement, even if its not allot, go for it! They are fun to tinker with.
Thanks for all the opinions and info guys! I've been in a camp with no Internet for a bit.
I would be using it in a single shot Savage action, so no worries for mag feeding. After a little more research I am definitely leaning more towards a 7mm. Either a 280AI or straight 284... the research continues. But I appreciate the info and first hand experiences.
I would be using it in a single shot Savage action, so no worries for mag feeding. After a little more research I am definitely leaning more towards a 7mm. Either a 280AI or straight 284... the research continues. But I appreciate the info and first hand experiences.
My buddy is currently having one built. He has so much .30-06 range pick-up brass that he decided to have a .30-06 target rifle built. I said to him that it is just as well to AI it, so he did. He is expecting to get near 300 WM performance out of it, so he is having a muzzle brake added too.
The Sierra reloading manual has comments about several of the AI cartridges, some favourable, some less so. The general impression is that the 30-06 AI is not worth the effort. However some people just like different things, no problem with that.
Basically the more taper the original case has the more improvement (increase in case capacity) there will be. So the 250-3000 gains a lot, the 30-06 a little, the 243/308 family very little. There is no magic involved here, you are simply making the case bigger so it holds more powder. There is even a rough formula I recall reading years ago where 10% case capacity increase nets you 2.5% gain in velocity, all other things being equal. If you are getting 300 Mag velocities from a 30-06 AI you are running it way over pressure. FWIW. - dan
I had a 30 Gibbs for a while. It was good for around 2900+ pennies with the 180 grain fodder.
Considering I got 2835 with the standard chambering, I felt it was not really worth the effort.
However, my 6.5x55AI delivers a gain that I feel is worthwhile.
Regards, Eagleye
Considering I got 2835 with the standard chambering, I felt it was not really worth the effort.
However, my 6.5x55AI delivers a gain that I feel is worthwhile.
Regards, Eagleye
I have had two 30-06 AI rifles. One a rechambered 22" factory barrel, and the other a 24" custom. I was hoping that the longer barrel would really make a difference, but neither rifle would get much beyond 2900 fps. The factory rifle got well over 2800 before the rechambering, so less than 100 fps gain.
I fully expected the longer barrel to do much better, but it was barely fifty fps faster than the rechambered 22" barrel. I would not build another one.
Ted
I fully expected the longer barrel to do much better, but it was barely fifty fps faster than the rechambered 22" barrel. I would not build another one.
Ted
