Been on the rail about it for some time now but went ahead and ordered a new Stainless barrel. 6mm Rem Ackley Imp, 8 twist, 5R, 23". Will be mainly for varmint but no doubt will be used for deer also. Already have dies, HS gauges, bullets, etc. Looking forward to it
6 Rem Ackley Imp build
- Thread starter Seabeeken
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I did the same with a 240 Bee. Can't go wrong with a good 6mm for deer, always fun to shoot.
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
I've been wanting to do one for a while, but sourcing good brass is a problem. Where are you getting yours at?
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
I am real olde & have had 3 6mm AI's and now am shooting a 10 twist with 87 VMax bullets.
Yes, 6mm Rem brass is impossible to find but 7mmX57 brass will work with neck turning in addition to the required fire forming (dry coffee grounds, fiberfill, pistol powder & pistol primers). I turn necks down to .268 - .269 after necking down using 6mm Rem. dies so I get a nice slip fit of bullets into fired brass (neck wall .012-.013). Midway & Graf have 7mmX57 PPU brass and quality appears to be equal to Norma which is real pricy & tough to find.
I don't shoot deers any more and I only shoot 87 Vmax bullets at rodents from my 10 twist. VN165 & SW4350 are used now. I also have some RL 16 & RL 23. My barrel is a McGowen, 26 inch, Douglas #4 contour, 5R. I get velocities just under 3,500 fps with the 87 V Maximums. I have shot many rodents up to about 1/2 mile distant. Expansion is authoritative. I use some kind of Burris 5-25X50 scope that has a funny looking reticle.
I have enough brass to load enough ammo to wear this barrel out.
I shoot targets with an 8 twist, 6mm CM using small rifle primers & SW4350 & 108 H ELDM bullets, much cheaper & easy to get small rifle primers & better barrel life.
Yes, 6mm Rem brass is impossible to find but 7mmX57 brass will work with neck turning in addition to the required fire forming (dry coffee grounds, fiberfill, pistol powder & pistol primers). I turn necks down to .268 - .269 after necking down using 6mm Rem. dies so I get a nice slip fit of bullets into fired brass (neck wall .012-.013). Midway & Graf have 7mmX57 PPU brass and quality appears to be equal to Norma which is real pricy & tough to find.
I don't shoot deers any more and I only shoot 87 Vmax bullets at rodents from my 10 twist. VN165 & SW4350 are used now. I also have some RL 16 & RL 23. My barrel is a McGowen, 26 inch, Douglas #4 contour, 5R. I get velocities just under 3,500 fps with the 87 V Maximums. I have shot many rodents up to about 1/2 mile distant. Expansion is authoritative. I use some kind of Burris 5-25X50 scope that has a funny looking reticle.
I have enough brass to load enough ammo to wear this barrel out.
I shoot targets with an 8 twist, 6mm CM using small rifle primers & SW4350 & 108 H ELDM bullets, much cheaper & easy to get small rifle primers & better barrel life.
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del2les
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the club! I think you will find the 6RemAI to be a great cartridge for LR varmint and deer. Using the VLD type 103-108gr and up really puts it into a different realm on LR deer sized game.
Idaho Trecker
Well-Known Member
Love my 6mm Ackley! I'm on my second barrel now. I'm running a 24" Krieger 7 twist this time around. Definitely a screamer and fun to shoot. Mine is built on a Sako 85 hunter. I've ran mine out to 1450 yards with unreal accuracy shooting 115 grain nosler rdf for targets. I've also loaded 101 grain hammer hunters but I have only taken one doe whitetail at a 100ish yards.
I apparently have too much time on my hands when it comes to forming brass. Over the years I've cut down and neck turned 30-06 Lapua and Bertram brass then fireformed. That was way to much work and I would imagine less case capacity since it was shortened so far into the original case body. The easiest and best brass source, if available, is Norma 7x57. Not to bad to neck turn and neck down and fireform. I was able to pick up 150 pieces of PPU 6mm rem brass a couple years ago from Grafs but never used it since my dad is going to use it for his 244 rem build (yes my dad is having it engraved 244 rem to be old school). The most recent batch of norma 7x57 brass I bought a couple months ago had an unbelievable neck thickness of .019"! It still amazes me that Lapua doesn't make 7x57 since they are European.
Seabeeken, what are your build specs? I'll be interested to follow your results.
I apparently have too much time on my hands when it comes to forming brass. Over the years I've cut down and neck turned 30-06 Lapua and Bertram brass then fireformed. That was way to much work and I would imagine less case capacity since it was shortened so far into the original case body. The easiest and best brass source, if available, is Norma 7x57. Not to bad to neck turn and neck down and fireform. I was able to pick up 150 pieces of PPU 6mm rem brass a couple years ago from Grafs but never used it since my dad is going to use it for his 244 rem build (yes my dad is having it engraved 244 rem to be old school). The most recent batch of norma 7x57 brass I bought a couple months ago had an unbelievable neck thickness of .019"! It still amazes me that Lapua doesn't make 7x57 since they are European.
Seabeeken, what are your build specs? I'll be interested to follow your results.
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Did the .243AI in an 8 twist and loving it.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
I did the 243AI also, mainly because I had Lapua brass that required no prep work to form.
The 6mm Rem is obviously bigger, but I got 6-06 AI and 6-300 WSM 40* reamers from PGT in case I feel the need more more overbore
Love me a hot 6mm.
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
Same here. I think I get just as much out of my 6 mm/.284 Win as I would a 6 Rem. But again the only reason why I went that route was because I couldn't find Brass. All my 7×57. Brass will used for my 7x57 Ackley.
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Have my 6Creed 7 twist at the GS and hope to run 101Gr hammers hard and fast at some whitetails and varmints when it returns.
I have plenty of Hornady and PPU brass. Bought it yrs ago when I built my 257AI. If this 6mm will shoot as good as the 257, I'll be happy
I also have a 243 AI. A 250AI too
I also have a 7x57AI and its awesome. I have an AI problem. It has taken a number of deer
I did my 243AI in 1:10 twist. Them lighter bullets scream out there.
87g V max are running on the fat side of .2437-.244 and they are not working in my various chambers with a throat dia of .2435. I tried them last week in a new dasher, and the bullet was just pushed back in the neck.
I have some older 87g bthp I am going to measure, hope they work...I am bummed out over it.
Seebeeken, I shot 95g Nosler ballistic tips at 3500 with R#19 in a 10T Douglas a few years back, and 80g Sierra bltiz at 3800 in a Shilen 14T with very short freebore, Rem and Win brass.
I have some older 87g bthp I am going to measure, hope they work...I am bummed out over it.
Seebeeken, I shot 95g Nosler ballistic tips at 3500 with R#19 in a 10T Douglas a few years back, and 80g Sierra bltiz at 3800 in a Shilen 14T with very short freebore, Rem and Win brass.
