New 257 Ackley Improved

[DanielSon]

I just had a custom 257 ai made up for me and now I'm trying to work up a load for it. It's a proof carbon barrel 1x10 twist. I bought 115 vld bullets for it but I also have a pile of the old 85 barnes x I was gonna start with IMR 4350 as I have it, and then seat the bullet a bit past the lands and then close the bolt to get it seat the bullet back. The copper bullets are not all the same length and I don't understand the bullet comparator tools so I was gonna run with the jam method. Even with 7 loaded right now, they all don't measure the same col. But the ogives all touch the lands.

 

[Pdvdh]

I think you're expecting the impossible, if expecting the lands in your bore to set back bullets to an identical depth, for identical measured COAL, in your cartridge cases.

That is never gonna happen, even if your LOT of bullets are all identical clones of each other, with exact manufactured tolerances.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

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Nice Rig!

 

[BEEMAN]

Be careful jamming a copper bullet into the lands. Can create very high pressure. I wouldn't do it.

 

[AZShooter]

If the neck tension was very low the bullet can be seated consistently. It is called soft seating. I knew 1000 yd BR shooters that used that method.

Whidden and others use it too:

https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/soft-seating-john-whidden.3943048/

As to pressure....if the handloader carefully works up the load beginning with the bullet into the lands then he should be fine.

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

I just had a custom 257 ai made up for me and now I'm trying to work up a load for it. It's a proof carbon barrel 1x10 twist. I bought 115 vld bullets for it but I also have a pile of the old 85 barnes x I was gonna start with IMR 4350 as I have it, and then seat the bullet a bit past the lands and then close the bolt to get it seat the bullet back. The copper bullets are not all the same length and I don't understand the bullet comparator tools so I was gonna run with the jam method. Even with 7 loaded right now, they all don't measure the same col. But the ogives all touch the lands. View attachment 668009

Very Nice Rifle.
And I keep looking at the Lincoln Welder in the background, that's a BEAUTY.

 

[std7mag]

Congratulations to a good looking rig, and an excellent cartridge.

I've found that, yes the 115gr Berger VLD like to be up close and personal with the lands. I'm running mine 0.005" off the lands.
It is a hunting rifle and I don't need to have a bullet pulled and be cleaning powder out of the gun.

Monolithic (all copper) bullets like a jump. Barnes and most of the other manufacturers recommend starting at 0.05" off the lands.

 

[David_h]

Are you trying to fireform brass to the AI chamber? Edit your thread title and you'll get a lot of good responses from knowledgeable people on ways to do that safely, maybe even with the pile of Barnes X bullets. Nice rig!

 

[VinceMule]

Barnes, start by jumping them .050 off the lands, never into the lands. The bergers may like to be jammed to barely off the lands.

 

[stx]

Barnes, start by jumping them .050 off the lands, never into the lands. The bergers may like to be jammed to barely off the lands.

I know this is an old thread but just ran across it….. completely agree with you on seating depths of Barnes and VLDs……been shooting them both for a long time! As you stated, I always start Barnes at .050 off and VLDs at .010 off . Here are a couple of 3 shot groups from a Cooper 257 Ackley I recently picked up off Gunbroker! Didn't have to tweak the depth on either load….