Question about Ackley Improved

[7stw]

Agree with above. Love my Ackleys. Also reduces case stretching and frequency of having to trim cases

My 7.08 may become AI!

 

[7stw]

For what it's worth, every AI conversion that I've seen, was a improved version, for accuracy, and no trimming, and as said, velocity gain. I love my 25.06ai, my best friend, owns a 25.06ai, and now a 270ai.
I have a 7.08, that may become AI as well. My uncle has a sweet shooting, ground hog killing machine in .257 Roberts AI. I'm hooked!

 

[hunter67wa]

I agree and I'm also waiting on a 250ai as a light stalking rifle!

 

[demonjigger]

To do the fire forming 3x to send in brass for a custom sizing die, I ordered the seating die in advance, then tapped a bushing on the neck a little way and pulled it off. Just enough to hold the bullet firmly in the case.

I used a fire forming load and made sure the bullet was jammed into the lands about .015" also.

Then sent 3 cases that were 3x fired in to make the sizing die.

 

[Justice1327]

SO, you have a chamber cut for Ackley Improved and then you fireform a regular case?

Yes

 

[Justice1327]

I have a question to add to this topic.

Once you have formed brass through whatever method, what method can you use to reload it? For example I have the standard die set to load my factory spec rounds to shoot and form to improved. Can I then use say a Lee collet neck die to size just the neck then seat a bullet with my standard seating die in order to get to 3x fired brass to send off for a custom die set?

This has been the part of the process I have been hung up on in deciding if I want to go improved or not on my new build. I know I can get custom dies made based off my reamer print but Whidden says the best way is by 3x fired brass and if I was going to go this rout and spend the extra money I would want to do it the best way. But how do I get to 3x fired brass without the custom dies to begin with?

Thanks for any help guys

I may be misunderstanding your question.
I just sent some brass to Whidden and they do not need brass where each piece is fire-formed three times; but rather three pieces of brass that were properly fire formed in your chamber. Best method for fire forming is to ensure a good full load , not hot, and jam the bullet into the lands... this will create enough back pressure to ensure the brass fills up your chamber properly.

 

[Seabeeken]

I have 243AI, 250AI, 257AI, 280AI, & 7x57AI and love them all. You can also FF using the cream of wheat method if you don't want to use bullets during these lean times. I use coffee (yes, before brewing) rather than COW because its already burned. For my 250AI cases I used 15 gr of IMR Red, fill with coffee to the bottom of neck and then stuff enough tissue in the neck to keep it in place and fire it. Adjust powder as needed to get fully formed shoulders. The amount varies according to case size so start down at 12 gr and work up. Keep in mind these are load and blow coffee out the end so treat it as if it were a bullet in there. Also check in the shoulder body corner for burnt filler. I had COW burn and get packed in there and was easily removed with a pick. Didn't have this issue with coffee. Clean bore when done as this will dirty it up pretty good but isn't hard to remove.

 

[Justice1327]

I have 243AI, 250AI, 257AI, 280AI, & 7x57AI and love them all. You can also FF using the cream of wheat method if you don't want to use bullets during these lean times. I use coffee (yes, before brewing) rather than COW because its already burned. For my 250AI cases I used 15 gr of IMR Red, fill with coffee to the bottom of neck and then stuff enough tissue in the neck to keep it in place and fire it. Adjust powder as needed to get fully formed shoulders. The amount varies according to case size so start down at 12 gr and work up. Keep in mind these are load and blow coffee out the end so treat it as if it were a bullet in there. Also check in the shoulder body corner for burnt filler. I had COW burn and get packed in there and was easily removed with a pick. Didn't have this issue with coffee. Clean bore when done as this will dirty it up pretty good but isn't hard to remove.

Now you're really messing with his head

 

[FEENIX]

I have a question to add to this topic.

Once you have formed brass through whatever method, what method can you use to reload it? For example I have the standard die set to load my factory spec rounds to shoot and form to improved. Can I then use say a Lee collet neck die to size just the neck then seat a bullet with my standard seating die in order to get to 3x fired brass to send off for a custom die set?

This has been the part of the process I have been hung up on in deciding if I want to go improved or not on my new build. I know I can get custom dies made based off my reamer print but Whidden says the best way is by 3x fired brass and if I was going to go this rout and spend the extra money I would want to do it the best way. But how do I get to 3x fired brass without the custom dies to begin with?

Thanks for any help guys

I have a Whidden custom dies and he is not asking for a 3X fired brass from your rifle's chamber, but instead, 3 fired brass. They will take the average of the 3 brass to make your custom dies ...

 

[Justice1327]

To do the fire forming 3x to send in brass for a custom sizing die, I ordered the seating die in advance, then tapped a bushing on the neck a little way and pulled it off. Just enough to hold the bullet firmly in the case.

I used a fire forming load and made sure the bullet was jammed into the lands about .015" also.

Then sent 3 cases that were 3x fired in to make the sizing die.

Can you let me know what place requires three times firing on three pieces of brass? I've routinely sent brass into Redding,Lee and Whidden and even Forester in the past and they only asked for three or five pieces of once fired brass. Has something changed or is there a better of doing this that's come about?

 

[7stw]

I have a question to add to this topic.

Once you have formed brass through whatever method, what method can you use to reload it? For example I have the standard die set to load my factory spec rounds to shoot and form to improved. Can I then use say a Lee collet neck die to size just the neck then seat a bullet with my standard seating die in order to get to 3x fired brass to send off for a custom die set?

This has been the part of the process I have been hung up on in deciding if I want to go improved or not on my new build. I know I can get custom dies made based off my reamer print but Whidden says the best way is by 3x fired brass and if I was going to go this rout and spend the extra money I would want to do it the best way. But how do I get to 3x fired brass without the custom dies to begin with?

Thanks for any help guys

Yes, to the collet resize, but no to the seating die. The AI brass will now be broader at the top, and wont let you push it up far enough, to support the shoulder, while seating.

 

[demonjigger]

Harrell's. I would rather have the brass well formed instead of taking an average of 3 once fired.

 

[7stw]

Yes, to the collet resize, but no to the seating die. The AI brass will now be broader at the top, and wont let you push it up far enough, to support the shoulder, while seating.

Oops, Brother Bean beat me to it.

 

[Lonewolf74]

Can you let me know what place requires three times firing on three pieces of brass? I've routinely sent brass into Redding,Lee and Whidden and even Forester in the past and they only asked for three or five pieces of once fired brass. Has something changed or is there a better of doing this that's come about?

I thought it was just common practice and know how amongst reloaders that brass isn't truly formed to your chamber until it's been fired 2-3 times, even if it's a standard samii chamber.

I could be mistaken and need to go look again on Whidden's site but I could of swore I seen where they stated the best method of having a custom die made is to send in 3 pieces of 3 times fired brass.