I like odd ball stuff that I can't just go buy ammo for. Not sure why, grew up around wildcats so i guess it's just ingrained in me. I also like the thought of getting all I can out of as little powder as possible.
I was sure it wouldn't be a huge increase in capacity, but what about with a long action and a COL of, say 3.3 inches with a 140 grain bullet. What is your COL and what kind of velocities are you getting? I believe (with only my experience to go on, no scientific proof) that the shoulder angle has a lot to do with the efficiency of a cartridge. That is in terms of fps per grain of powder. Is your rifle a long or short action. I work up all of my loads with the base of the bullet no deeper than the base of the case neck in my 6.5s. All I have are 2 6.5-284s and 3 6.5x55s. I am toying with making one of the 6.5x55s an ackley as it has a 27 inch barrel and I could make use of the extra capacity. It is a homemade custom on a turkish large ring small shank 98 mauser action with a turned down model 96 barrel on it. The thing shoots 1/2 inch groups with wolf gold 139 FMJ ammo. I have not done a lot of load development with it but I can tell that they took some of the length off the 29 inch barrel from the rear to recut the chamber to much tighter tolerances. probably an inch off the front and an inch off the rear. Has a nice target crown and the guy was a cabinet maker who built the stock with a Weatherby deluxe as a model. it has a cherry forend, no checkering, again a cabinet maker. but it feels great. Got it at a gun show for 300.00 scope and all, rifling was deep and shiny, all metal parts were sprayed with flat black engine enamel, except the bolt and had a bold trigger with a 700 style safety. Figured I was taking a chance but it looked like it may have potential, the seller knew little about it and the original owner had died, it was to help pay funeral costs. Not sure if it was a steal, but I wasn't taken. Just looking for something to do with it and make it "Mine"