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.30-06 Ackley -- Thoughts?

pitbull

Silver $$ Contributor
I have a 30-06 ackley barrel that I bought from a fellar just got it on and worked up a few loads nothing serious yet. Wondering did anyone have anything to say good or bad regarding the caliber. I know it's not a big improvement over 30-06 but I bought it and dies worth the money.
 
pitbull said:
I have a 30-06 ackley barrel that I bought from a fellar just got it on and worked up a few loads nothing serious yet. Wondering did anyone have anything to say good or bad regarding the caliber. I know it's not a big improvement over 30-06 but I bought it and dies worth the money.
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It is a goodly step up I run 190 gr Bergers from mine @2950 with RL_26
really like mine
 
I like mine a lot. It came to me used as a Ruger 77 with a cold-blued 26" Douglas CM barrel. It's an ugly stick, but that's OK. I can reach 3100+fps with 180 Noslers, 3200fps with 165s, & 3300fps with 150s. Most groups are sub 1" at 100 yds. The 2-7x scope limits longer range targets, but 6" steel at 300 yds is a simple matter. Brass life is good using '90s era WW brass. Powder choices run from the 4350s to RL26, depending on bullet weight. I load for a number of Ackleys & every one seems to respond well when pushed hard using case life as a safety gauge. Starting warm with parent case data & working upward, I have 8-10 firings on much of that older WW brass. They still hold primers & are useful for preliminary powder testing & shooting paper.

Not expecting notably higher velocities than those listed above, but hoping for even longer case life, just scored some Lapua brass & fireformed 25 pieces yesterday. IMR 4064 @ 52 gr. with some 150s from a partial box of discontinued bullets got c.2900fps & cut the center out of a 2" diamond @ 100yds. Shoulders formed nicely & headspace is right where it should be. You can hunt with fireforming loads just fine if needed.
 
I never have thought the 06 AI offered much over the standard '06, loaded to the same pressures in the same barrel. It also bugs me that all of the 30/06 AI reamers are ground according to a drawing with a headspace error. This means the neck is about .030" longer than it should be. At least you never haver to trim. WH
 
Will Henry said:
I never have thought the 06 AI offered much over the standard '06, loaded to the same pressures in the same barrel. It also bugs me that all of the 30/06 AI reamers are ground according to a drawing with a headspace error. This means the neck is about .030" longer than it should be. At least you never haver to trim. WH
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I used one for years and was never able to obtain the high velocities that some report. Top loads produced about 2850 with a 180gr out of a 24" barrel using several slow powders but never one as slow as RL 26. I also used the older WW brass and loaded to about 3.42 length.
 
I rode mules with a guy in Az that had a 26", AI. He hunted with 180's at 2900+ fps, checked by my Ohler 35P. Accuracy was on par with a 300 yd elk rifle, about 1.25" at 100 yards. I can not remember his load.

I don't think he had ever cleaned the rifle, ever.
 
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I use to shoot against a guy that had one built as a target rifle. At 500 yards it was a rifle to be contended with. Actually he shoot very good targets at 200 and 300 yards. It certainly can be very accurate.
 
Will Henry said:
I never have thought the 06 AI offered much over the standard '06, loaded to the same pressures in the same barrel. It also bugs me that all of the 30/06 AI reamers are ground according to a drawing with a headspace error. This means the neck is about .030" longer than it should be. At least you never haver to trim. WH
Click to expand...
NOT ALL of them, German Salazar has his own design and he did most of his work cleaning up the neck and throat dimensions. PTG will make you one, that's were I got mine.
 
I brought the issue to the attention of Dave Kiff about 15 years ago and corrected mine at the time. He talked about changing the specs on his reamers and may have done so. I was not aware of German's version. WH
 
As pretty much mentioned above, heavy bullets there was some gain. I actually had to burn more powder with the AI and a 165 to get the same speed. 180 and up class there was a bit of gain.
 
pitbull said:
I have a 30-06 ackley barrel that I bought from a fellar just got it on and worked up a few loads nothing serious yet. Wondering did anyone have anything to say good or bad regarding the caliber. I know it's not a big improvement over 30-06 but I bought it and dies worth the money.
Click to expand...
I bought one years ago to test to see if I liked the caliber. Incremental velocity increase so I sold the rifle.

I went with 300 magnums, the 308 Norm to be precise, I then moved to a 35 magnum. The conversation get long and boring but experience on heavier game at range lead me that way.
 
I tried RL 22 but couldn't get enough in the case without excessive compression.
The only powder I ever found to give 2900+ was the old H205 and they stopped making it years ago.
 
H205 was my best powder as well and I got 2860 out of a 24" barrel, standard 30/06. Excellent accuracy as well. With 200's I settled on 4831 sc for 2750 from my 26" barreled prone rifle. WH
 
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