Anyone running a 6.5x280 Ackley?

[kells81]

I have a couple 280 Ackley rifles that I have came to love the round. Anyway I got a helluva deal on a 6.5x280AI and was wondering about any load information that could be offered up. I am set kinda light in the 6.5 caliber with just a 6.5x284 and a 260 Rem. Any insight into this round as far as loads go?

 

[Laurie]

No direct experience, but almost certainly there will be little gain over 6.5-284 and a cost in barrel life. The 6.5-284 struggles to make use of all its available space in the case unless you go to very bulky slow burning powders.

Just out of interest I had a look in QuickLOAD for a 6.5mm cartridge with a similar case capacity to 6.5-280AI. 280 AI is listed as 74gn H2O capacity and necking-down to 6.5 will only reduce that marginally. There is no direct comparison amongst the 6.5s listed in QuickLOAD, but there are two that bracket it - the 6.5X64 Rebated (71gn water cap) and a cartridge called the 6.5 x 63 Messner Magnum that is the other side at 84gn. 6.5-284 is listed as 66gn water capacity, so all of these are considerably roomier cases.

I then ran QL with a propellant charge table for each of the trio with a 140gn Berger VLD out of a 30" barrel and PMax of 59,500 psi for 6.5-284, 60,000 psi for the others. (60,000 psi is slightly above max CIP / SAAMI pressure for 6.5-284)

QL gives the highest MV with all three from Ramshot Magnum (Big Boy) and the 6.5 x 64 Reb only produces 15-20 fps higher MVs than 6.5-284 with this and other top performers, Norma MRP, Viht N560 and IMR-7828. It takes a little more powder to do it of course and only the bulkiest powders like the non short-cut version of 7828 give a near full case.

The 6.5 x 63 Messner Magnum gives around 100 fps more than 6.5-284 but using significantly more powder and likely reduces barrel life by at least 20%.

None of this is a reason not to buy the rifle if the price is attractive and it comes with dies etc. It would be fun, a good talking point. Only don't expect a big performance hike.

Oh yes, another thing. I'd borescope it before buying !!

 

[bheadboy]

I see from you "deal" comment you have the rifle, my experience in developing loads for the AI cartridges is the following.

Take the water volume for the case, non-AI and then the water volume of the case AI, as fired in the rifle. then calculate the % increase. which is usually between 4-7%

I then start at the max load for the non-AI round that is published or available and work up slowly 1% at a time until i get pressure signs or a sweet spot in accurcy, most have shot well with 4350-4831 burning rates some with rl22. i think this case would like the 4350-4831 powders as it is so close to the 280AI

I have had very good luck with a 6.5-06 and think you will like the round.

good luck

Bob

 

[kells81]

For the price of admission I couldn't pass it up as it comes with everything needed to start shooting it. Bullets, tons of brass which I can use for this or my other 280AI's with a simple swipe of the resized, dies, Reamer so it can be set back later, and misc other items. I paid what I thought it was worth for the Action, Stock, and misc other items that way the barrel can be toast and it really won't matter.

Thanks for the input, I should be back home out of Kabul mid/late may and will see how she shoots.

 

[spitfire_er]

I'm shooting a 6.5-280 RCBS, which has a 30 degree shoulder. Last time out, I was shooting 142 smk with 57.0 gr 4831 and getting 2850 fps with that setup with OK accuracy. Have yet to find a sweet spot, too many others to mess with. My H2O capacity is 73.0 gr.

 

[bradb]

I have one that I did on a push feed Model 70 with a ehibition English walnut stock I did myself, it has a Bartlien 1-8(I think) I honestly have only done enough load work to make a nice whitetail load and it worked to get me a dandy KS buck this past year. Below is an article Steve Timm did for Varmint Hunter

Brad, This may be a bit screwed up, but here is a cut and paste of the load chart from my two-part (14,000 word) article. If it doesn't work, I'll try again.

Your buddy Steve



LOAD CHART
GRITTERS CUSTOM REMINGTON 700 - 6.5-’06 ACKLEY IMPROVED 40°

Bullet Charge Powder Average Mean Comments
In Grains Muzzle 5-shot Velocity Group @100 yds
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

85-gr Sierra HP 60.0 H-4350SC 3590 .85 Very long bullet jump. Super velocity.

95-gr Hornady V-M 59.5 H-4350SC 3496 .67 Excellent load. Pressure seems close to max. But OK . Round groups.

100-gr-Nosler BT 58.0 H-4350SC 3458 .51 Superb accuracy and fine velocity.

100-gr Nosler Part. 58.0 H-4350SC 3472 .44 Best Load In Rifle. Most Accurate Load In Rifle. Excellent velocity and superior accuracy. Bullets seated to touch rifling.

100-gr Sierra HP 57.0 H-4350SC 3421 .67

120-gr Nosler BT 59.0 RL-22 3227 .58 Should be an excellent deer/antelope load. Extreme spreads commonly 10 fps or less per 5-shot group.

120-gr Nosler BT 59.0 H-4831SC 3254 .69 Fastest 120-grain load

120-gr Sierra SP 58.0 RL-22 3200 .75

125-gr Nosler Part. 58.5 RL-22 3202 .78 Great all-around load.

129-gr Hornady SP 58.5 H-4831SC 3142 .85

129-gr Hornady SST 58.0 RL-22 3116 .60 New bullet. Excellent accuracy and long-range potential. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BE ALERT: All loads tested are safe in the author's rifle but may develop excessive pressure in other rifles. Starting loads in other rifles should be reduced by at least 10% for safety.

TEST RIFLE: Custom Remington 700 by Gordy’s Gun Shop, Inc. Barrel is a twenty-four inch four/three-contour Krieger with a 1-10” twist rate.

CALIBER: .6.5-’06 Ackley Improved 40°. Winchester non-plated .25-’06 cases were used in all loads. Winchester WLR primers were used in all loads. Bullets were seated .001" short of the lands, except where noted.

CHRONOGRAPH: Oehler 35P with three skyscreen "proof channel". Readings taken with the start screen ten feet from the rifle's muzzle. All muzzle velocities in the chart and article are instrumental; please add approximately ten feet per second for actual muzzle velocity.

TEMPERATURE: 59° to 72° Fahrenheit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SOURCES:
Gunsmith
Gordy Gritters
C/O Gordy’s Gun Shop
1648 Cordova Avenue
Pella, IA 50219
Telephone: (641) 628-3044
E-mail: gordy@iowatelecom.net

Rifle Barrel
Krieger Barrels, Inc.
North 114 West 18697 Clinton Drive
Germantown, WI 53022
Telephone: (262) 255-9593
Fax: (262) 255-9586
Website: www.kriegerbarrels.com

Rifle Stock
McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, Inc.
21421 N. 14th Ave., Suite B
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Telephone: (602) 582-9635
Fax: (602) 581-3825
Website: www.mcmfamily.com

Rifle Scope and Mounts
Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
14400 N.W. Greenbrier Parkway
Beaverton, OR 97066
Telephone: (503) 646-9171
Fax: (503) 526-1475
Website: www.leupold.com

Reloading Dies
Redding Reloading Equipment
1089 Starr Road
Cortland, NY 13045
Telephone: (607) 753-3331
Fax (607) 756-8445
Website: www.redding-reloading.com
E-mail: techline@redding-reloading.com




Bullets
Hornady Manufacturing Company
3625 Old Potash Highway, PO Box 1848
Grand Island, NE 68803-1848
Telephone: (308) 382-1390
Fax: (308) 382-5761
Website: www.hornady.com
E-mail: webmaster@hornady.com

 

[kells81]

Thanks for the data there, I would think the RL-22 would work best with a bunch of bullets but am running 4831SC in my 280AI's.


I will be home the end of the month from Afghanistan and plan on working a good hunting load before getting back on the bird to Afghan. I have had good luck with the SST's in my 260 so they should work in this application also.