243 Ackley

[Seabeeken]

Had my 110E re chambered to 243 Ackley and have been working on load development for the past several weeks. The rifle still has the factory barrel. The last round of tests will be finished today. Ive been slowly working up loads to find the upper pressure limits with a number of different powders and chronographing the loads. I've used the Sierra 85 gr HPBT in the tests. I will post the results here when I'm finished, or interested folks can just email me for the results. Hope I can figure out how to post the spreadsheet here. I have enjoyed working with the Ackley. It is the perfect cartridge for what I want to do and gives the velocities that I wanted to get without being a magnum.

PS. Waiting on a Shilen barrel for my other 110E, formerly a 270, which will be chambered for the 280 Ackley.

[devildogandboy]

what's the length and twist of your barrel?

[Seabeeken]

24" with a 1-9 twist

[handirifle]

You say the 243AI is perfect for what you want to do, what are you planning to do with it?

[Russell D]

What kind of speeds are you getting?

You are using a heavier bullet, but I build my buddy a standard 243 on his remington 700 with a 11 twist barrel, and with the max powder charge I had speeds of 4314 and 4301fps with 58gr A-max bullets! I was amazed at the speeds, iirc that was with 43gr of h414, it was about 105% case capacity.

[acemisser]

Sounds to me like your trying to see how long the barrel will last is all...Making it a hot rod aint gonna do it any good except in your mind..Oh well...Sounds interesting anyway...I have never been sold on the A.I's
I would like to see the results anyway...

[Seabeeken]

HR, I plan to use the rifle as a combination deer, coyote rifle. In the past as a 243 it was used as a deer rifle with 100 gr bullets. I wanted to use 85 gr bullets at 3100fps which was possible but at high pressures. I had the rifle rechambered to 243AI and now 3100fps is easily within normal pressures. I started hitting high pressure signs with most powders tested at around 3200fps. A few powders didn't show high pressure signs at all at 3200fps. The powders I tested were 748,N140,N150,N160,H414,H380,H4350,Re19,Re15,H4831 SC. I accuracy tested most of Hodgdon powders at 3000fps earlier and 748 was the most accurate. This rifle as a 243 and 243ai has always favored faster burning powders. With 100 gr bullets, it printed one hole groups with IMR3031. As an ai, at 3000fps, it printed 1/4" groups with 748 and 3/8" groups with H380. I was looking for the upper limit for pressures in my rifle. Now I'll accuracy test the loads and see what it likes. I was wrong about the twist of my barrel, it is 1-10". I was thinking of the 1-9 of my 280ai.
Russ,
Are you sure about those velocities? The loading manuals I have here show that charge weight producing 3400fps with that bullet weight. I got very erratic results with 414 in my rifle. Large velocity variations with it. The highest velocity I was able to get 3401fps with 48.3 gr of 414 but that really flattened the primer but then you are using very light bullets.

[Seabeeken]

The barrel is fine Ace. It aint no hot rod. If I shoot out the barrel, I'll put a new one on it. It is simply getting 3100fps within safe pressures. In a regular 243, 3100fps is considered hot with sierras 85 gr hp. If you are so against the ai's, don't waste your time reading this thread. I've been loading for 40 years and always wanted to try some of the ai's. There are more than a few benefits of using the ai's. You can certainly shoot whatever you like. Have a great day!!

[acemisser]

The barrel is fine Ace. It aint no hot rod. If I shoot out the barrel, I'll put a new one on it. It is simply getting 3100fps within safe pressures. In a regular 243, 3100fps is considered hot with sierras 85 gr hp. If you are so against the ai's, don't waste your time reading this thread. I've been loading for 40 years and always wanted to try some of the ai's. There are more than a few benefits of using the ai's. You can certainly shoot whatever you like. Have a great day!!

I love reading the threads..Interesting things going on on here as well...I aint knocking it...I just aint sold on the ackley's yet.....Sort of like getting a 257 Roberts and then geting a 257 Weatherby.....Like the 17 versus the 22 mag..I say the 22 is still better and others say different...

[Russell D]

I am 100% positive those were the speeds that I was getting, although I might be off in powder charge, I beleive the loading manual I used had 52.5 listed at maximum powder charge and at that load I had no pressure sign so I increased it to 53gr(I thinking 10gr less because I don't have that manual anymore and that sounded like a lot of powder, I've been loading 223 and 6.5x47 lately). Although I did have pressure signs at that charge, it didn't flatten the primer, it blew them out of the pocket, but it hit those speeds and it shot 1 ragged hole. The reason I can hit those speeds is because I made the groove of the barrel oversize to help reduce pressure. And since I work at a barrel shop I don't care about barrel life, most likely that barrel will get replaced before it's even shot out. I will most likely put an 8 twist on it so it can shoot heavier bullets. That rifle is an ideal prarie dog and coyote rifle, but he wants to use it for deer as well.

I mostly did that as a test, those barrels were made for 6ppc but didn't shoot, but a guy at work told me they would shoot great if you got more pressure behind the bullet, so that's what I did, and it shoots very good! The worst group I had when load building was 1"

[stomp442]

The Ackleys have their place for sure. Take the .250-3000 for instance. Improving that cartridge basically turns it into a .25-06 on a short action with out using as much powder. Granted we also have the 25WSSM these days but that wasnt always the case and may not be in the future.

I also agree that the .22 Mag is a way better cartridge than the .17HMR.

[Seabeeken]

I'm not sure I could even fit 53 gr into the cases. Impressive velocities though. I don't want to go that fast. I like the AI's because like Stomp says, its more out of a small package. The Ai's are right there in between standard and magnum. Its something i have enjoyed experimenting with. I started the thread to help those who are also thinking of working with the cartridge and to pickup any info from those who have already done it.

[Russell D]

The 53gr didn't really fit in the case. When I dump the powder in the funnel it would fill the case and there would still be a little left in the funnel, but h414 being a ball powder I was able to tap the side of the case making it settle enough that I would have a small gap where I could set a bullet for seating, and then I would get some powder crush when I seated it!

I would like to change it to a AI too see how much more speed I could gain, but I don't have a 243ai reamer or dies for loading...

[Apache]

Don't for get to try some RL17 in that cartridge. :p

[Seabeeken]

Thanks Gmac & Apache. I'll try some RL17 when I get some
I'm liking the AI's. Almost done working up loads for the 243 and waiting for a barrel from Shilen for my other savage which will be a 280 AI

[bootsmcguire]

I think the biggest benifit in my opinion to the ackley (besides speed increases) is the major reduction in frequency of trimming. My 243 sporter barrel (sent it down the road) would need to be trimmed every 4 to 5 firings. My 243AI averages 20 firings before needing to be trimmed.

Some cases benifit from the AI shoulder and blown out taper more than others. 22-250 and 250-3000 come to mind as the two that get the biggest speed increases. As you have found there is also the 243AI can see some noticable gains as well.

Some like them and some don't, but if nothing else the reduced number of trimmings is worth it in my opinion.