Help with .25/06 Ackley improved

[hungryhuntergirl]

Many years ago we had a Douglas barrel chambered in 25/06 and just now got to shoot the gun so we bought store ammo to blow the cases out and reload. Well it wouldn't fire so we pulled a bullet and tried a small amount of powder and toilet paper and it blew the primer back some and seemed to stretch the case at the bottom...if I do pull the bullets and try and get them to fire will it still blow out the primer?

[Mk42gunner]

Sounds to me like it was chambered too deeply to start with. From what I have read, Mr. Ackley usually set max headspace on his improved cartridges at the factory go dimension.

What I would do in your case is pull the bullets, expand the neck with a .270 die, the resize the brass with you .25-06 AI die just until it chambers with a bit of resistance. This sis known as creating a false shoulder for the case to headspace on for fire forming.

So with this not so little boo-boo discovered, how does the rest of the job look?

Robert

[B R Shooter]

Robert's solution will certainly work. You might try pulling the bullets part way out, and get a seating depth where the bullet jambs hard and the bolt will close, then try to fire it. If the bullet grip has enough strength, it should fire form. Then, be sure you don't oversize(push the shoulder back too far) when you reload.

[hungryhuntergirl]

The gun looks awesome, I will try and get a couple of pics for yall now off to get a bullet pulling collet die lol

[BK7saum]

I have a 2506 improved wildcat. It was supposed to be an ackley, but headspace is 0.020-0.025" too much. Some factory ammo will case head separate upon firing. I have to fireform with bullet seated hard into the lands and/or create a false shoulder by necking up and then back down to .257 caliber. Unfortunately the company that put the barrel together is no longer in business.

[hungryhuntergirl]

We did this barrel so long ago the guy that did it is no longer in business, so I feel your pain...

[hungryhuntergirl]

Well I can't get the pics to upload from my phone :(

[hungryhuntergirl]

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[M-Tecs]

Properly headspaced Ackley improved chambers will close hard on a factory SAAMI round. Since yours doesn't its either chambered too deep or its not an AI chamber. You will have to form your brass by either forming a shoulder or jamming the bullet into the lands posted above. Once you have the fire formed brass make sure you don't set the shoulder back more than .002" or .003" when you size.

Any method that does not hold the case head to the bolt face will be less than successful.

[hungryhuntergirl]

Ok, I think we are going good to pull the bullets and reseat longer and fire form and see what that does

[Parson]

I don't bother using a bullet, primer, about 12-15 grs Bullseye, barrel vertical and fire. A small wad of tissue on top of powder to keep in place if traveling to the range.

[M-Tecs]

I don't bother using a bullet, primer, about 12-15 grs Bullseye, barrel vertical and fire. A small wad of tissue on top of powder to keep in place if traveling to the range.

Works great on a properly headspaced AI chamber. That method does not work on a chamber with excessive headspace like the OP's.

[dipstick]

I think I would set the barrel back and chamber it correctly for 25-06 cartridge if possible. The idea with the Ackley improved cartridges was that you can fire factory parent cartridges without any problems. A dangerous situation could be created if you would ever trade or sell this rifle to someone less knowledgeable and tried to fire factory ammunition in it.

[dipstick]

correction!

I meant to say to chamber it to the 25-06 Ackley improved.

[runfiverun]

not if it won't fire.

if the rifle was built on a mauser or ruger action the extractor would hold the round in place and it would fire.
a properly cut Ackley action will fire form factory ammo.
the way they work is that the datum line is moved forward on the Ackley round but it still headspaces well enough for factory ammo to be fired safely in the rifle.
your only gaining about 6% case capacity in a properly Ackley cut 25-06 chamber.
unless it's the new 280 round then you pretty much gain zip.
if it won't fire factory ammo you have a chamber cut too deeply and your just gonna cause yourself too much grief in the long run.
splitting brass and god knows what else down the road.

[dipstick]

You are correct if it won't fire it won't hurt you.

And you are right, it is gonna cause a lot of grief.

That 6% increase in case capacity won't translate to a 6% increase in velocity.

I think Ackley got the most bang for the buck when he "improved" the 257 Roberts case.

[Blackwater]

Good advice above. The problem with excessive headspace, even if you get the cases formed to fit your excessively long chamber, is that in strething to fit the chamber, cases usually form very thin spots, often just ahead of the base of the case, that reduce case life considerably. What this means is that you're almost surely gonna' pay for either the brass or a barrel setback and rechambering job that's done right. This may not be great news, I realize, but it's better to see it coming and solve the situation now, rather than waste money trying to make it work.

If I was bound and determined to make it work as is, what I'd try is using case sizing lube on the outside of the brass, so the brass can "slip" as it forms to the larger chamber, and load with 12-15 gr. Unique or an equivalent, and stuff cotton or toilet paper on top to fill the case to the neck, and then drop candle wax on top to keep it all together and make for more consistent results. Even that might not work, and brass would likely still not be very long lived. With brass and everything else being rather spendy today, I think I'd have the barrel set back and rechambered properly, just as M-Tecs describes. This is the way Ackleyized rounds are supposed to be chambered. I have a .35 Whelen AI, and it was chambered so that factory rounds give a definite "feel" as the bolt is closed. Brass life for it has been pretty good.

As with most things in shooting, it's gonna' cost now or later, and we get to choose which. Smart money is usually on making it right first. FWIW?

[hungryhuntergirl]

So bullets were pulled and services longer and all cases were fire formed so will reload and shoot again and start checking consistency