6XC: Implications for 250-3000 Ackley

[Brians356]

I have just been reading up on the 6XC case and its development. It occurred to me the 6XC is essentially a slightly shortened 250-3000 Ackley Improved (30-deg) necked down to 6mm.

As I own a 250 Ackley rig for long-range varminting and antelope sniping, I wonder if its somewhat greater case capacity than the 6XC (in an otherwise similar case) helps answer the age-old question of why the 250 Savage benefited so spectacularly from the AI process - on the order of 17% velocity increase from 12% capacity increase.

So ... If the 6XC is possibly optimal for the 6mm bore (as results indicate), might not the 250 AI be optimal for the 25-cal bore? And might not the 250 AI have heretofore untapped long-range accuracy potential (with proper high-BC match bullets)?

[Flame suit donned]

Brian

 

[LHSmith]

To get those bullets, you need the demand for GOOD jackets....and if you notice this site doesn't even have .25 cals listed in any of the sub-forums, so how's the little orphan ever gonna succeed?

 

[KMart]

Have you tried some 115 gr Bergers in your ackley to see what kind of velocity you can get out of them?

A 9 twist barrel and a properly throated chamber might surprise you.

 

[LHSmith]

I have a 10 twist Lilja #3 in the 250 Ackley, care to share what powder you're using with them Berger "Hunting" VLD's?......since NO one makes a .257 Target bullet

 

[KMart]

LH
I don't have a 250. I was just giving a "what if" scenerio.

 

[Brians356]

Have you tried some 115 gr Bergers in your ackley to see what kind of velocity you can get out of them?

A 9 twist barrel and a properly throated chamber might surprise you.

My 250 AI has a 1:10 barrel, only 25". I've only ever tried up to 100-gr Ballistic Tip (moly), and they shoot great. What's the longest bullet it's likely to stabilize?

 

[KMart]

A lot of 25-06's shoot 120 grain bullets just fine in a 10 twist. The first barrel on mine was a 10 twist but never shot the 120 very good, so now I have a 9 twist on it.
The 115 Berger is for a 10 twist or faster.

 

[Preacher]

I have a 10 twist Lilja #3 in the 250 Ackley, care to share what powder you're using with them Berger "Hunting" VLD's?......since NO one makes a .257 Target bullet
[/quote]
Geeez, don't tell Randy at BIB no one makes a great target 25 caliber bullet....
Berger also makes a 25 caliber match grade 95 grain bullet..

 

[Brians356]

[quote author=Preacher]
Geeez, don't tell Randy at BIB no one makes a great target 25 caliber bullet....
Berger also makes a 25 caliber match grade 95 grain bullet..
[/quote]

Probably not until someone starts doing well in competition with a 25-cal bullet will the label "substandard" be lifted. Has anybody?

I do recall the late Dan Hackett, who was a 25-cal devotee, shot his 25 Hunter in the eponymous benchrest class, and also swore the standard old 250 Savage was a wolf in sheep's clothing for accuracy. His standards might not have been high, but I could never glean that from his prose in Precision Shooting and elsewhere. Dan did have his detractors.

Brian

 

[357Mag]

Howdy !

Yeh... I think you're pretty much correct... on all counts.

I recommend you don't sell the " factory " .250" calibre bullets short. At least give some a try. Sierra 75HPs were just stupid accurate out of
my -70's M-77 .250-3000 ( used for 100yd score shoots + shooting " soybeanus digestus " ).

If custom .25 cal bullet shooters are in short supply... then perhaps.... those bullets won't be ?!

My wildcat " Deep 6 " is also of this case capacity range ( 6XC, 6 Creedmoor, .250AI ). There's a lot of capability to exploit, there.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Brians356]

You know, the bullet quality issue aside, it just strikes me as odd that 6mm and 6.5mm are so dominant in different precision shooting regimes, and .257, which nearly splits the difference, is skipped over like it doesn't exist. If both 6mm and 6.5mm do so well, who's to say .257 cal might not be the true "sweet spot?"

Brian

 

[Brians356]

If custom .25 cal bullet shooters are in short supply... then perhaps.... those bullets won't be ?!

Hmm, would that it were true. Over at Midway, nearly all the 25-cal bullets are out of stock, just like the 22 and 6mm. Could be because production lines have shifted to the most popular calibers to address the backlog of those orders.

I do notice grafs.com and bullets.com appear to have quite a few 25-cal bullets in stock, so they are more available than say 6mm.

Brian

 

[357Mag]

Brian -

Howdy !

I hear you... brother.


Regards,
357Mag

 

[Brians356]

WyleWD,

Thanks for that info.

I have been shooting my 250 Ackley for 15 years now, getting 3/8" groups from both 87-grain TNT (for coyotes) and 100-gr BT (for antelope.)

I start with 22-250 brass and fireform them with Red Dot and corn grits filler.

My original comments were just a train of thought on the competitive potential of the 250 AI, based on the observed success of the 6XC and the slightly larger case capacity of the 250 AI (befitting the larger bore.)

Brian

 

[LHSmith]

Geeez, don't tell Randy at BIB no one makes a great target 25 caliber bullet....
Berger also makes a 25 caliber match grade 95 grain bullet..

In a recent post by Randy, he stated 25 jackets were scarce, and Berger does not list a 25 match bullet on their website.

 

[Brians356]

Geeez, don't tell Randy at BIB no one makes a great target 25 caliber bullet....
Berger also makes a 25 caliber match grade 95 grain bullet..

In a recent post by Randy, he stated 25 jackets were scarce, and Berger does not list a 25 match bullet on their website.

The one Berger .257 bullet does have "Match Grade" in the name, FWIW:

25 Cal 115 Grain Match Grade VLD Hunting

Brian