Caleb85
Well-Known Member
I have a couple nice rifles offered to me one is a 25-06 sendero special and the other is a remington SS CDL in 257 weatherby..don't know much about these two cases ..any advise?
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25-06 or ??
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MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
I have both a .25-06 AI, and a .257 Wby Mag.
I have always been a huge fan of the .257 Wby......However, after building my Sendero SF .25-06 Ackley Improved 40*, I have fell in love with this caliber. It is smoother shooting, less recoil, less muzzle blast, 10+grains LESS powder, and just as fast as the .257 Wby Mag.
I say go for the Sendero .25-06, and have your gunsmith open up the chamber to .25-06 AI 40*, and stock up on .270 brass.
I use .270 Win brass because during fire-forming, the neck shrinks right about .020" so I take the once-fired .270 Win brass, full-length size it without the expander ball in the die. Then run them through my .25-06 AI full-length die. Then I trim them down to 2.514", then chamfer and deburr the necks, then primer, powder, bullet....And you're ready to form some perfect 2.494" .25-06 AI cases.
Sounds like alot of work, but it's really not, and it worth it. However, you can always just shoot regular .25-06 brass through it, but it once it expands and the shoulder pushes forward, the neck will be about 0.020" short, which still falls within shootable specs.
Here's a picture showing a .25-06 AI brass I formed out of .270 Win brass...And a .270 round next to it.
Here's a .25-06 vs formed .25-06 AI. Notice the just slightly shorter height of the formed case.
I have always been a huge fan of the .257 Wby......However, after building my Sendero SF .25-06 Ackley Improved 40*, I have fell in love with this caliber. It is smoother shooting, less recoil, less muzzle blast, 10+grains LESS powder, and just as fast as the .257 Wby Mag.
I say go for the Sendero .25-06, and have your gunsmith open up the chamber to .25-06 AI 40*, and stock up on .270 brass.
I use .270 Win brass because during fire-forming, the neck shrinks right about .020" so I take the once-fired .270 Win brass, full-length size it without the expander ball in the die. Then run them through my .25-06 AI full-length die. Then I trim them down to 2.514", then chamfer and deburr the necks, then primer, powder, bullet....And you're ready to form some perfect 2.494" .25-06 AI cases.
Sounds like alot of work, but it's really not, and it worth it. However, you can always just shoot regular .25-06 brass through it, but it once it expands and the shoulder pushes forward, the neck will be about 0.020" short, which still falls within shootable specs.
Here's a picture showing a .25-06 AI brass I formed out of .270 Win brass...And a .270 round next to it.
Here's a .25-06 vs formed .25-06 AI. Notice the just slightly shorter height of the formed case.
chad
Well-Known Member
why not just use 25-06 brass and shoot them to fireform them?
speeders
Well-Known Member
I love my 25-06 sendaro. It's a shooter.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
chad
Well-Known Member
I was just asking. I thought you could just use the 25-06 brass.
chad
Well-Known Member
Im still learning here.
Same here. I have a load with imr 4350 and 90 grain blitzkings that will shoot in the .4's at 200 yards.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
You can, and it will work just fine. But once it's formed it will be about .020" shorter than what SAAMI spec for the brass is, which is the same 2.494" that standard .25-06 brass is. So, the only way to achieve a fully-formed .25-06 AI case, that is formed to 2.494", is to use something with a longer neck, and .270 Win and .280 Rem brass are about the only options. Which is why I use .270 Win brass, because I pickup tons of it at the range.
chad
Well-Known Member
I understand that. Thanks. When I build mine I can use all my 280 brass up for that then.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
Make sure you use a 1:10 twist barrel so you can shoot the heavier bullets in the 110-120gr range, which is where the Ackley Improved version really shines with that extra case capacity and sharp shoulder angle.
I shoot the Berger 115 VLD's, backed by IMR 7828 SSC. If you work up using this powder, be very careful, it builds some serious pressure, but the velocities are insane.
I shoot the Berger 115 VLD's, backed by IMR 7828 SSC. If you work up using this powder, be very careful, it builds some serious pressure, but the velocities are insane.
chad
Well-Known Member
at I will do. im getting my 280 Ackley soon and am planning on using the 7828ssc in it. I hope it works.
I get the donor rifle tomorrow and that I will do the 25-06AI on. Also thinkin of the 6.5-06 AI. Havent come to a conclusion on which one I will go with.
What are your velocities with your 25AI?
I get the donor rifle tomorrow and that I will do the 25-06AI on. Also thinkin of the 6.5-06 AI. Havent come to a conclusion on which one I will go with.
What are your velocities with your 25AI?
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
I haven't tested in a while, as I still haven't perfected the node to my liking... So I haven't chrono'd my final load yet. But I can tell you they are atleast +3,300 fps, which is the same velocity I get out of my .257 Wby Mag with the Berger 115's and H1000. But it takes 70gr of powder to reach that. And I'm getting those velocities with the .25-06 AI with around 60gr of 7828 SSC.
DO NOT start at that load. That is a VERY hot load for this caliber. I worked up really slowly from about 55gr and am final node testing between 60.1 to 60.5gr. With that big case full of ultra-slow burning powder, and a little bitty .257" opening in the end, things can go south quick, fast, and in a hurry. So be very careful when working with the big ultra-slow burning magnum powders in the 30-06 based calibers.
chad
Well-Known Member
will do. thanks
