250 Savage AI or 25 Creedmoor?

[jfjohn77]

I'm looking for some real world experience on these two options. I have been in the process of putting together a 250 Savage AI for a while. I have been collecting brass for some time and have close to 600 pieces, I have the dies and a 1:9 twist barrel blank. Now that the 25 Creed has available brass being manufactured, I'm curious if there would be any advantage to maybe going that route? The case capacities are so close it is a mute point. I reload for everything I shoot, so that isn't an issue. Fireforming is not an issue for me, so that is not a deal breaker. I'm mainly concerned with the ballistics of the two cartridges... If one has any real advantage over the other.

 

[p-man]

As far as below-neck, case capacity is concerned, there's really no difference between the 25CM and 250 Sav Imp (30deg) as both hold 53.9 grains water. The 250 Sav Ackley Imp (40deg) is 1 grain more. So to me it's more a matter of convenience, logistics, etc. than any apparent ballistic advantage due to miniscule differences in case dimensional shape. For those who push the upper end a little, I do think there is a case-strength advantage in these cases between the small-rifle primer and the large-rifle primer versions; in that regard I think that if the 25CM does evolve more, there will be small-rifle primer cases readily available compared to none-nada for either of the 250 Sav Improved versions.

I've been reloading the parent 250 Sav and AI for years now and the only reason I'm delaying finishing a build on the 25CM is strictly waiting on some modicum of market legitimacy for the 25CM. I was and am still a fan of the 280AI (the original) and then Nosler-SAAMI debacle ocurred, which is why I'm still a little gunshy to pull the trigger on it yet (no pun intended). I'm 73 and I'm not building any more rifles that are strictly wildcat as none of my heirs that shoot, do much reloading.

 

[SeabeeKen]

I have a 250AI. I use redding dies as that was all there were out there. No idea if there are 25cm dies. I prefer the long neck of the cm. The 250 neck will shorten when fire formed. Brass is harder to find in 250 as opposed to the cm. The CM has a pressure advantage also. With that said. I like my
250ai

 

[B23]

With Alpha Munitions making 25 CM brass that would be the easy button along with a set of 6.5 CM bushing dies and you're done.

 

[std7mag]

Some of us don't need or want the easy button.
Nor fall in to all of the marketing hype.
With the 250 Savage AI being around for how many years, the CM is just another way to reinvent the wheel.

My curiosity lies in the choice of the twist rate.
The "25 caliber standard" 1:10 will shoot up to the 120gr cup & core bullets and to just under 100gr mono bullets.
For shooting heavier, most go with a 1:8-1:7.5.

I'm shooting the standard 250 Savage. The AI is on my short list.
While I have taken deer with it, it's mostly grabbed for my walk abouts & coyote hunting.

Having 257 Roberts and AI, I couldn't tell you which one is my favorite. Both are 2 of my most grabbed rifles when I'm heading out of the door to hunt.

 

[jfjohn77]

The 25 Creedmoor was a copy of the “2Fity-Hillbilly” that was a wildcat back in 2017. I have always wanted a 250 Savage for some unexplained reason. I have two different rifles in 257 Roberts. I only posed the question to find out if there was some "Magic" to the 25 Creed by comparison that I was not aware of. I have nothing at all against the Creedmoor cartridges... I have a 22 Creed and three 6.5 Creeds.

 

[jfjohn77]

As far as below-neck, case capacity is concerned, there's really no difference between the 25CM and 250 Sav Imp (30deg) as both hold 53.9 grains water. The 250 Sav Ackley Imp (40deg) is 1 grain more. So to me it's more a matter of convenience, logistics, etc. than any apparent ballistic advantage due to miniscule differences in case dimensional shape. For those who push the upper end a little, I do think there is a case-strength advantage in these cases between the small-rifle primer and the large-rifle primer versions; in that regard I think that if the 25CM does evolve more, there will be small-rifle primer cases readily available compared to none-nada for either of the 250 Sav Improved versions.

I've been reloading the parent 250 Sav and AI for years now and the only reason I'm delaying finishing a build on the 25CM is strictly waiting on some modicum of market legitimacy for the 25CM. I was and am still a fan of the 280AI (the original) and then Nosler-SAAMI debacle ocurred, which is why I'm still a little gunshy to pull the trigger on it yet (no pun intended). I'm 73 and I'm not building any more rifles that are strictly wildcat as none of my heirs that shoot, do much reloading.

Now this makes a lot of sense to me and I completely agree with you about the small-rifle primers.

Also, it is a coincidence that I am at the point in my life, at age 73, and I have been selling off my wildcats. I have only two Grandsons that are too young for me to hope to teach about wildcats. The ones I had were formed on cases of which the headstamp would be misleading and could easily be mistakenly loaded in other rifles I own. So in the interest of their safety it is best that those wildcat rifles aren't around when I'm gone. I don't consider the Ackley Improved to be in that same category, as the standard round can be loaded in the improved chamber with no problems. And I don't own a standard 250 Savage for the reverse to happen.

 

[std7mag]

Now this makes a lot of sense to me and I completely agree with you about the small-rifle primers.

Also, it is a coincidence that I am in the point in my life, at age 73, and I have been selling off my wildcats. I have only two Grandsons that are too young for me to hope to teach about wildcats. The ones I had were formed on cases of which the headstamp would be misleading and could easily be mistakenly loaded in other rifles I own. So in the interest of their safety it is best that those wildcat rifles aren't around when I'm gone. I don't consider the Ackley Improved to be in that same category, as the standard round can be loaded in the improved chamber with no problems. And I don't own a standard 250 Savage for the reverse to happen.

I wouldn't worry about anyone accidentally loading an Ackley Improved cartridge into a standard chamber.

It's not going to go in.

Don't forget, it's not just the shoulder angle that changes, but the diameter of the case below the shoulder is increased.

 

[jfjohn77]

I wouldn't worry about anyone accidentally loading an Ackley Improved cartridge into a standard chamber.

It's not going to go in.

Don't forget, it's not just the shoulder angle that changes, but the diameter of the case below the shoulder is increased.

No, I realize that, but I was just making the point that it would not happen, at least with any of the rifles I pass down, because I don't own a standard 250 Sav.