250 Savage Ackley: a polite cartridge

[Tommie]

Back about 20 years or so ago when a few friends and I "discovered" Ackley Improved chamberings, we rechambered a bunch of our guns. I improved a 22-250 and a 30-30 (both factory Remington 788). Several other chamberings were also given the AI treatment among our little group of shooters.

Of all the cool stuff we did, none in my opinion were as good as my buddy's 250-3000 AI. The cartridge just looked good. The powder capacity was superbly balanced to the bore capacity. Recoil was very manageable. Back then there were no good paper-punching bullets available in .25 caliber but the Gen 1 Ruger 77 action with the 1-14" mystery stove pipe he had personally installed made goofy small groups.

Today .25 bullet selection is better. While I am not a big fan of the old quarter bore, I will say that the 250 Savage AI is superb small to medium sized game hunting cartridge on par with most everything else available.

Just rambling...

 

[ShootDots]

Hey Tommie, I have P.O. Ackley's book>>>>He states that the 250 Savage is the best cartridge to "Acklyize" due to it's shape... It's increase, if memory serves me correctly (and that is a BIG "IF") was on the order of 14pct increase in powder! That translates to literally almost another cartridge altogether!

 

[LHSmith]

.250 Savage 40' AI velocity increase = 17% which ranks as 3rd best increase, while it's offspring, the 22/250, nets a mere 5% increase. The Swede ranks 4th at a 14% increase.
The .250 AI is a great choice for starting out youths using reduced H-4895 loads in the unimproved case and can work their way up to loading an improved case that can equal .25/06 factory loads.
My .250 AI build is only a few months old, and so far it has not disappointed me.

 

[Bulseyetom]

Believe it or not, the 250 Savage was an often used benchrest caliber back before 6mm became popular. Although I have numerous 6mm rifles my old single shot 250 makes it to the range quite often! ;D

 

[mdkeeler3]

Several years ago I put together a 250 Ackley improved target rifle to use in mid-range prone matches (sling and iron sights) after having such good luck with it in my hunting rifles. I built it around a Savage single shot action because I had it (the earlier BVSS-S model) and used a 1x10 twist 30” medium Palma contour Krieger barrel. We did away with the barrel nut and threaded the barrel with a shoulder and used an oversized Tubb Remington recoil lug. It was pillar bedded into a laminate prone stock. I predominately shoot it in our local 500 yard prone matches and I have shot more cleans with this rifle than I can count (numerous 200’s with high X counts). The lack of match bullets in this caliber is disappointing but after trying countless bullets I went back to the 100 grain Sierra Matchking. They are always available and they shoot great. I did extensive testing with various powders and run 44 grains of IMR-4350 in Winchester brass (~3,100 fps). Fred Szablewski at Sabreco, Inc. built the rifle for me and had a custom match reamer made up with a "no turn" neck using Winchester brass. It’s one of my favorite rifles and I love the looks I get when someone asks me what I’m shooting and I tell them.

 

[mikecockcroft]

both my kids stated their hunting careers using my 250 AI. Its the one rifle I will never sell. Not sure how they will decide who gets it when I croak
Mike

 

[RW]

I also have a 250 ai in rem 700 Krieger barrel! I have only been able to put a few rounds thru it fire forming and sight it in! I can't wait to get out and shoot it breaking in the new barrel. I would love to hear your loads that you other guys are using! I to when I was a kid we would fight over the 250 in a savage 99! I think it is so amazing that ackleying it improves it so much I can't wait to chrono it and show my friends with 25x06's that the small case is really so more efficient! You can PM me with your loads and when I do get to shoot mine I will let you know the results, thanks RW

 

[p-man]

Had a nice little 250 Sav AI years ago and let a friend talk me out of it. Biggest mistake I ever made. So I decided it was the time to make me another. This is my first time shooting my new toy: Rem Model 7 SS rebarreled with a Rock Creek #1 sporter 5R, 9-twist, 24" done by Garland Gilbreath at Triple-G Gunsmithing in Texas. The action was not bedded, just torqued down in a HS Precision Sporter stock. Using virgin Win 250 Sav brass soft-formed with COW and the mild starter load 'ingredients' shown on the target, this was the result right out of the new barrel. Shot #1 was with a magnetospeed on the muzzle and to correct boresight - Shots 2,3,4 grouped .266 - absolutely the best performance out of a new rifle in my 40 years of doing this - not bad for a pencil-thin barrel on a breezy day. Call me a happy camper

 

[RW]

That's awesome, would love to hear how it does down the road!! RW