If you want the ability to shoot factory ammo, AI is the way to go
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25-06 Ackley Improved velocities
- Thread starter Koda_
- Start date
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Go 25-06ai. I shoot box ammo first round with good groups then reload for ackley improved next time. It is simple. Never split cases or head separatation yet! But I aneal every firing and only 2 thousands bump on shoulder. Cases don't stretch much at all.
Yes. You can use factory ammo in an AI'd chamber for hunting without a significant loss of accuracy at normal shooting distances. And when you shoot, out pops an AI formed case. Imagine that; productive fun
Best bet to have all the critical dimensions would be to have your smith do a case gauge while he's at it. You could also get the reamer specs from him. Otherwise, trim to recommended length for the standard case.
Factory ammo would be just fine for hunting and accuracy can be excellent when fire forming, just have to find a load that works.
I was told that you couldn't ream a 25-06 into a 6.5-06.....not enough steel in the "trough" of the '06 once you drill it out to serve as "lands" for the .264 bullet. How did you convert the barrel?
Thanks!!
Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
If you want to kick it up a little go to 257-280AI configuration. the only thing is you probable have to get a reamer built for it. The 280AI case is about .01 longer for more powder. I have couple of 25-06's and thinking about it too. I sure would speed up the twist rate. Somewhere around 7 or 7.5. Nothing slower.
Bret GRAVELINE Graveline
Well-Known Member
While I don't have much experience with the 25-06 AI, I am a huge fan of AI cartridges having owned five chamberings In at least nine rifles, a 257 AI has been my go to rifle since 1982, with a 257 AI 've taken over 100 game animal, most with a 120 gr partition or a Barnes 115 tsx at ranges measured in feet to beyond 600 yards and animals as large as kudu and waterbuck, I feel everything I need this rifle to do can be done with either bullet at velocities in the 3000 to 3100 fps range out of barrels 21 to 22 inch, so I don't feel the need to try any of the newer long range bullets, if I need something more I have a 338 lapua AI for that, as for that 06 what are you needing it to do, what is you target velocity, I have found, ( and I would be very curious as to what other shooters have found ) I have two standard 25-06's and have worked up loads on 4 or 5 others, shortly after I became emotionally involved with the 257AI I traded into a very nice custom mauser gorgeous wood fine checkering, I really didn't need it, but I sure wanted it, this was back when H 4831 was about the slowest powder around, and all that was readily available i found 54 grs behind a120 gr slug comfortablly gave over 3200 fps 200 fps faster than my 257, a few years later Re22 came along, being a little slower I found 56 grs to offer trouble free pressures along with better accuracy and clocked in at over 3300fps, a few more years went by and along comes Re25 a few more grs of that added another 100 fps, when all was done both the 110 accubond and 115 gr Nosler produce over 3400 fps, a full case of the same powder pushed the 100 gr BT and a ttsx over 3500, these velocities are exceptional i realize some barrels are faster than others, I've owned 7 different chronographs so it wasn't a faulty unit, nor as it turned out wad my barrel a exception, 20 plus years after I acquired the custom 25-06, a multiple gun trade produced a Browning A bolt in 25-06 that I didn't need or want, but a new gun needs to be shot, it came with several boxs of hornady 117 gr factory ammo that produced horrible groups, I still had a good supply of the old loads for my custom 06, all three loads produced groups in the .700 to .800 range, a few of what i consider nongame bullets cluster bullets under a half inch. Why would anyone get rid if a gun like that, makes a great back up, the Browning was a shooter after all, as long as I stayed away from factory rounds, this gun only has a 22 inch barrel but it still produces velocity over 3200 fps, I haven't purchased a new reloading manual now in over 10 years, prior to that i collected most of what's out there, with a few going back to The 50's, the charges I'm running are in the books, but most of the books these days are claiming around 3100, all of the rifles I've worked with were all faster than that, the 22 in Browning has been the slowest but at 3200 with at least three powders is faster than what the books say I should get, only one of the other rifles had a barrel longer than 24, at 25 inches it was one of the slowest but faster than the 22in, it fell a little short of all the other that were 24 in, the powders that produced the highest velocity were H4831 and 1000, Re 22 and 25, IMR 7828, Vit 165 and 560, discontinued powers like Norma 205, Win WMR and WXR, and H450, I'm tempted to try some of the newer powders like magpro and magnum, I'm sure those and a few other would produce velocity in the 3300 fps range at least in my rifles,
Super helpful... thank you for replying to this.
i've been shooting a quarter bore for nearly 30 years and the 85gr- 92gr bullets are are you need. They kill anything from cow elk down. 34-3500 fps is devastating on most animals.
just my .02 cents
Betarider
Well-Known Member
Many of the AI calibers show that 200fps increase that is enough to make me take that as worthwhile. Unfortunately the 25caliber is not one of those that see a significant increase by AI so if cost has any increase I wouldn't AI mine. Instead look to increase the twist to accept longer and heavier bullets as that's what we need.
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
Velocity is just part of the 2506 ai there are other benefits such as longer brass life which results in being able too load hotter without trimming every other time fired.
based on what I'm reading elsewhere and this thread this is what Im finding too. When i run some muzzle velocity estimates thru shooterscalculator.com and compare just a 100fps difference its not a significant improvement downrange. (Although this is where my reloading experience is new, I don't really have a benchmark with different projectiles and starting muzzle velocities and still wont really know until I reload for it. )
Im just at a junction with getting a new barrel to decide if I want to improve this, even if its a little bit but I dont have a way to know the possibilites it could offer me as I learn to shoot better Im just hoping the AI would at least increase the terminal velocity of the projectile by even 100yds would be nice for upcoming pronhorn hunts.
@Koda_ anytime I've dealt with a long action cartridge I always went with an ackley. Reason is for the cost of dies you can gain that extra fps that we all chase. I've done it before with a fast twist 270 win 1-8" and I find myself pushing it to the limits trying to squeeze every bit out. Now if I went with a 270 AI which I thought "it's only a 100 fps or so" I wouldn't be popping my primers looking for that "extra fps" that you don't need right now but you will be seeking it in the future for sure. I'm not telling you to do it, I'm just sharing my personal experiences, maybe if I had more selection of powders I would be happier.
Am I going to buy a new barrel, chambered in 270 AI, 2" longer barrel, 1-7 twist and new dies all for $1400 to gain maybe 200 fps? You darn right I am!!! If I did it in the first place I would have had a $300 die set up charge.
For my tikka I went with a preferred barrel 25-06 AI 40*, 26" @.670", Redding die set and I don't regret it one bit. Can I get faster velocities? Of course I can!! But I settled on an accurate node and I don't stress out my brass even my Hornady brass has 5x on some, I switched to Winchester and Norma with zero issues. In my opinion for the cost of dies the extra fps is worth it. No matter what you are going to look at your chronograph and want to hit the next 100 fps and so on. That's why I have a 257 wby to take me to the next level and a special 25 cal project to take me on another level as well. This is just "my opinion" and two cents. Am I correct? No!! To each it's own brother but maybe you can learn from my mistakes.
Like a drag car racer, once you hit the 10's in the quarter mile, you will seek 9's, then 9.5's, then let's try 8's just once, then 8.5's, then ok just 7.99 just once and next thing you know your in debt with a promod chasing 5's. That's why we now own over a dozen cars that my sons and I race and enjoy on the street and a bunch more "projects"… I cannot keep well enough alone. It will never stop no matter what you think now. We only live once!!! Enjoy your time here and don't settle for anything less than you seek!! Aloha
This is the crossroad I am at in life with my hunting and shooting path. My 25-06 is old and now needs a new barrel, but has been an incredible caliber for me and been a workhorse putting game on the table so I am sticking with it. Ive been wanting to hunt and shoot farther with it as my shooting skills are improving, and your right without the option Im limiting my potential to the standard cartridge even if its just a little less. What I am seeing with ballistic calculator estimations a minor 100fps advantage translates to an additional 100yds terminal velocity range. Generally speaking and all other things being equal of course.
I dropped my rifle off at my gunsmith this weekend and went over my options. I still have time to change my mind as he begins to see what blanks he can get for me for him to finish, (we are hoping in time for fall). I did tell him to go AI but yeah part of me is cautious if Im making things more difficult for me since Id be committed to learning to reload for it with virtually no load data available.
