Your All Around Rifle and Cartridge Combination

[MudRunner2005]

Actually, based on 1K benchrest wins in the .30 cal class, I'd say the .300 Ackley is THE .30 magnum to have for competition.

I know I love mine, and accuracy is exceptional.

 

[Danehunter]

Hmmmmmmm...

.300 Ackley Improved is great at 1K competition...

I'll have to look into the ballistics and compare it to the .300 Norma mag. An interesting evening's diversion. I just may get schooled as well.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Mine is a hunting rifle, I don't shoot any comps (wish I did, that would be fun). I know mine shoots remarkably for being as lightweight as it is, compared to a benchrest gun. Mine is nothing more than a Remington Sendero SF .300 Wby, that has had the chamber opened up to .300 Ackley, and had the action trued up and worked-over, while he had the barrel off. It's not a big 70 lb. heavy-gun class BR setup. But I havne't even finished load development yet, and it's already shooting around 5/8 to 3/4 MOA on the first go-round of ladder testing (with fire-formed brass), and I haven't even finalized any powder charges yet.

Basically, it is the easiest Ackley caliber to form brass for. You literally buy new .300 Wby brass, and load a light powder load, and shoot it, and it forms the walls from the round Venturi shouldered Wby cartridge, into a straight-walled 40-degree shouldered cartridge. It's that simple.

 

[Jud96]

Jud96,

Thanks for a very interesting post. And thanks to all for thoughtful, insightful, and above all "civil" responses. Quite often these can get ugly, just shows to the class of folks we have here!!
This is a topic that's been an interest of mine since I was in my teens. I grew up in Louisiana, loved hunting deer, small game, and critters. I bought a Model 88 Win.(.308 Win.) when I was 14(1967), and started hand loading soon after with a $10.00 Lee Loader. At sixteen I got a S&W Mod. 28, with hand loading being the only way I could afford to shoot it. Casting bullets came along soon thereafter. Within a few years, I thought that it would be good to have a "one gun, do it all rifle"! This is when I first starting casting bullets for the .308 Win. Summer time found me shooting snakes, armadillos, turtles, and general "plinking". In the fall, it was squirrels and rabbits (you quickly learned – head shots only)! In the early '80's, with dreams of Alaska and Africa, I bought my first .375 H&H. Developing cast bullet loads for it, seemed to be a "natural" progression!
I would like to add another response to your topic. I told you what my wife and I use. Another viable option (IMHO) would be one of the .358 cal.(.358 STA, Griffin& Howe, Norma, ect.), for those who do not cast their own. Handgun bullets at reduced loads in these rifles provide, inexpensive, low recoil, and effective practice or small game loads. memtb

Thank you memtb, this question has always floated around my head and in addition to asking the family and friends what they believe is the best all around cartridge I would ask you guys. I'm really happy how everything is going and how everyone is getting along. This isn't a "my round is better than yours" type of thing and I'm happy it isn't escalating into that. Everyone has different experiences, skills, and equipment so there really isn't a correct answer like others have stated. I like how everyone is taking their own outlook on the question and no answers have been irrelevant or nonsense, all are solid. Thanks guys, lets keep this thread going, it's really interesting.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

A very good friend of mine has a 300 AI that he made when his pre 64 model 70 in 300 H+H kept creating head separations in around 1967 . He just had the chamber reamed to the Ackley Improved chamber. The smith did a great job and didn't have to touch the headspace. I developed a hunting load for it with 7828 and 200 gr X bullets. As I remember I kept the velocity at just over 2800 fps and it was printing less than 3/4" groups. He had restocked it himself with a nice blank from Fagen. As a general rule I Hate 30 caliber rifles. But I really like that rifle. It is just a safe queen but some day I think he will hunt it again. I know that I could have got more velocity from it but that was good performance and he could shoot it OK. He is not as recoil insensitive as I am. I think it will make for a great rifle for moose and if he gets a bear after him it is about as good as you can get from the 30 cal.
He hand filed the dog knot off the visible side of the barrel and hand filed a concave in the bolt handle to clear the scope bell. He is a real craftsman and did beautiful work.