Ackley Improved

[FEENIX]

Love the design of the Gibbs but just wish it had the neck length of the AI. But I remember you commenting on my post about the cartridge when I was trying to decide on what I wanted to do with my Inherited Brothers 30-06. But I am still very happy with the AI. It's my first one.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the AI.

 

[xsn10s]

Like the idea of the case design, but not a fan of fire forming…just not that beneficial to me for a bump in velocity. Oh well to each of their own.

I used to think that also. But in practice I didn't have much trouble finding a really accurate load. So once I got a good fire forming load I just use that for hunting and range verification. The brass I first started with, which was all that was available during covid, lost primers after about two loadings. I bought Starline which has been good so far, and then I got srp Alpha brass, and recently Sig .277 Fury. IME the load development hasn't been any more difficult than changing any one component. Like you said to each his own.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

I used to think that also. But in practice I didn't have much trouble finding a really accurate load. So once I got a good fire forming load I just use that for hunting and range verification. The brass I first started with, which was all that was available during covid, lost primers after about two loadings. I bought Starline which has been good so far, and then I got srp Alpha brass, and recently Sig .277 Fury. IME the load development hasn't been any more difficult than changing any one component. Like you said to each his own.

Another mind boggling observation of mine has been how surprisingly precise the "blow out" loads can be.
Doesn't make a lot of sense I know, but it's real. I'm talking about 200-300fps under where my velocity ended up.

 

[Hugnot]

I fireform my 6mm AI with dried of coffee grounds, pistol powder, fiber form stuffing, and any kind of primer, usually pistol primers because they were more available. Flying fast at 3400 with a variety of powders & 87 VMax (10 twist) - sort of a cheap bullet.



The rifle is a Ruger MKII, LA with Burris 5-25X50 Sig HD scope. Good for 1/2 gallon size rodents up to 1/2 mile distant despite its unremarkable G1 BC of .4 & meltable red plastic tip. Note - annealing indications on brass.

 

[Ltbullken]

I'm shooting a 7x57AI. I started with a Tikka T3 in 7-08, got the chamber reamed and swapped out the bolt stop and mag for long versions. It'll shoot a 139LRX with RS Hunter at 3020fps sub-MOA. I've used the cream of wheat method to form brass when needed. It's certainly an odd ball, I get some strange reactions at the range with that one!

 

[APDDSN0864]

Or, more likely, Fred Huntington at RCBS. According to Ken Howell, late editor for writer for Wolfe Publishing, Fred came up with a line of "improved" cartridges that had the 30* shoulder back in the 60's and early 70's.
I have a custom .375-06 RCBS that Ken Howell had made as part of the development of the RCBS line. The cartridge has a 30* shoulder.

Ed

 

[earrow]

I have a 20" .260AI. Pushes a 140 Hyb @ 2914 w. Alpha brass & H4350. Tough for a 26" .260 Rem to keep up with that.

Doing the same with 22 inch barrel and haven't really pushed it

 

[358Mark]

I have a 'fleet' of rifles chambered in Gibbs cartridges from the 243 up to 366. These were built in the '70's. All are surplus actions, Mauser and Enfield. Al Pedersen from Riverhurst SK. made barrels from scratch, boring, rifleing, chambering and fitting to action. Al made his own reamers. The Timken steel came from Ryerson in MPLS. My Granddad and I did the stocks. The stocks were kind of crude at first but when my dad got involved they became works of art. All barrels are 10 twist so the 'modern' long bullets are out. The 6mm barrel is shot out,(2nd one) but the rest are still very shootable and are used regularly. I probably have 10k rounds total thru these.I enjoy reading about these 'wildcats' on the forums.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I used to think that also. But in practice I didn't have much trouble finding a really accurate load. So once I got a good fire forming load I just use that for hunting and range verification. The brass I first started with, which was all that was available during covid, lost primers after about two loadings. I bought Starline which has been good so far, and then I got srp Alpha brass, and recently Sig .277 Fury. IME the load development hasn't been any more difficult than changing any one component. Like you said to each his own.

My fire forming load for both of my .260AIs is a 144 Hyb over 42.0gr H4350 @ 2717 in my 20" and 2745 in my 24". Accurate enough to turn golf balls size rocks at 310-340 yards into gravel. I have also shot them out to 1108 on 8" round steel with no problems.

 

[358Mark]

I spent many hr pulling bullets from USGI surplus ammo and sizing the brass. Al made all the dies for the Gibbs as well. Was a different world back then.

 

[Beluebow]

Another mind boggling observation of mine has been how surprisingly precise the "blow out" loads can be.
Doesn't make a lot of sense I know, but it's real. I'm talking about 200-300fps under where my velocity ended up.

Many think that the milder pressure curve has something to do with excellent accuracy while FF. It is hard to replicate sometimes with a full power load.

 

[Dirtrax]

I do not like high-polish chambers. Gunsmiths like the high polish because it keeps their phone from ringing from dissatisfied customers. 320 grit is as high as I will go, and I have even used Scotch Bright on a chamber with no adverse effects.

I like for my cases to be able to grip the wall to cut down on bolt thrust. PO Ackley spoke about this very issue. This issue may be like picking the black specks out of the pepper, so be it.

My results are not scientific, but I have found this to be true for myself as well. It has led me to abandon polishing cases. I now clean cases with 0000 steel wool. Further, I not only keep my chambers clean but I scuff them too. It stands to reason to me that if carbon in a case neck helps prevent "weld" and aids in bullet release it should behave in a similar way with the case/chamber interface. This has been even more evident with the use of suppressors.
Anecdotally this has allowed me to reliably increase performance with lower pressure signs. Obviously not reducing the actual pressure.
I guess I'll keep picking the specks out of my pepper.

 

[FEENIX]

Like the idea of the case design, but not a fan of fire forming…just not that beneficial to me for a bump in velocity. Oh well to each of their own.

It's definitely not for everybody. For some, fire-forming ((COW or hydraulic forming die) is part of fun. For some is a learning process. In my .30 Gibbs, it was both.

 

[Randy Tidwell]

I've posted this before, my 338 Gibbs.

Start out with 35 Whelen cases, neck up to 375, then back to 35 to form a false shoulder, then to 338.

Tried many other methods, most caused split necks or off center necks.

Love the round, but a pain to make for a falling block action.