25-06 Rem to 25-06AI

konamtbiker

I need to fire-form some 25-06 remington brass to 25-06 Ackley Improved. The question is how do i do this? I have read some info on the matter. Some sources say that i need to work up a pretty warm load, and seat the bullet into the rifling to get a good formed case. I plan on forming with Remington brass, Federal 210 primers, and Nosler 115 Ballistic tips. Anybody know what power should I use? Also how many grains should I use? If you have experience with this or other Ackley improved chambers please let me know. Thanks in advance!

Tailgunner1954

Standard procedure for forming ackley brass is to simply fire a factory round, or as your handloading to use a load that's about 3/4 of the way to max.

sandwarrior

konamtbiker,

You don't need to do anything special with a handload to fireform for the AI. The shoulder/neck junction(where headspace is attained) on the AI is .004" shorter than the standard case. So, you get a positive hold on the standard cartridge in the AI chamber. Do what tailgunner said and load a cheap 3/4 max load (meaning from starting load to max load of the standard case). You won't get too much pressure because there is so much let-out while the case forms.

JustC

as a owner of 3 different AI's,...all I can say is that if you don't feel resistance when closing the bolt,..the chamber is NOT cut correctly. If you feel the .002" resistance then all you need to do is fire the factory rounds in the new chamber and the sace will form. I load my new brass (unformed) with a stout charge and seat the bullet into the lands by .010" at least, and the first firing forms the case perfectly.

mrbruce

Exactly like justc said, if you don't feel resistance when you close the bolt on a loaded cartridge it ain't right... and you'll have a hard time perfectly forming the cases that way...
H-4350 is a good powder to use if you have it, otherwise the fastest you have in that same range. Load one at close to max for the parent cartridge and you'll be OK, if the shoulder don't form right the first time increase the weight of powder till it will form perfect the first time........

konamtbiker

I dont have any loaded cases right now for my 25-06. I put a new 25-06 case in and chambered it. I really didnt feel any resistance. Will i only feel it when its a loaded round?

JustC

are there marks on the shoulder from contact with the chamber? Who did the work? was it a factory barrel? if so, was it set back before reaming to create the correct headspace? The pressure is slight, but you should feel a tad bit of resistance when rotating the bolt handle into battery.

konamtbiker

Ok did some work on this situation. The gun was put together in Montpelier Idaho by a local gunsmith. The barrel is a Shilen SS select match, action Ruger Mk2 M77. I colored a few unfired 25-06 cases with a dry eraser marker. I Chambered the cases and a slight ring appeared just below where the case neck and the case shoulder meet. I then ejected the cases colored them again. I then chambered them and pulled the trigger. After this the ring was Very obvious, where as before it was just noticeable but definitely there.

JustC

sounds like it is cut correctly.

mrbruce

Koma-
Pull the firing pin assembly out of the bolt, and then try a case in the chamber.
It should not fall of it's own weight if the chamber is correct (the bolt handle that is)
It should fall on it's own weight when a case is not in the chamber...