Creedmore

Ackleys were generally the same cartridge as the factory round with the chamber reamed out to have less taper and sharper shoulder allowing more room for powder.  He was a good salesman and promoted the cartridges well. Some are better some not much better. I used to have a K Hornet which used the same methods and in a single shot straighter case was an advantage, not much but some.  You could and did shoot factory rounds in the Ackley chamber to blow them out to the new shape. Ackley would not chamber in a factory chamber.

I have Ackleys book and a couple of others on wildcat rounds you can borrow if you want. To my mind it's not suitable for cast bullets. One of the smaller case 25 calibers would be better. Too much air space when loaded to cast bullet max preassures.

Boats

Creedmore the Chief Steward is putting lunch aboard right now. Cocktail Cruise no fishing today.  I skipped the Ram Bash in favor of Yachting on the Corkscrew III.  Fishing Skiff is ready to go too. Shad in the rivers now and Fly Rod Stripers not far behind

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Don't know a thing about Ruger # 1's

Expect to see you at Thurmont next week.  Schuetzen no Fishing or cruising

Boats

The concept of the Ackley Improved is that the original round can be fired in the Improved chamber(and how all fireforming is done). The Improved round changes the chamber to less taper and a steeper shoulder. The Improved round WILL NOT chamber in the standard chamber. The standard 25-06 is already overbore and Improving it is just a waste of powder in my opinion. Ackley will even tell you this in his writings. He was not fond of the 25-06AI. I have done several for customers and in working up loads the gain is insignifigant for the expense. Several of Ackleys other Improved cartridges are night and day difference in both velocity and accuracy. The .257AI is my personal favorite. I have designed several proprietary cartridges based on Ackley's concept with excellent results.

Mike  

I agree you can get all you need out of a 25/06 without changing the shoulder.  To my mind the best high velocity 25's are on a smaller case than the 30/1906 anyway. Modern powders don't need all that space.  257 Roberts or one of the wildcats on the 7mm case is about perfect.  260 Remington which is just a 6.5 MM .308 is the cartridge to shoot Silhouette now. Adequate power minimum recoil very accurate. If I was building a new light hunting rifle that's what I would build.

We release all the Shad.  Not the best table food for sure. Around here Hickory's are protected White Shad you can keep. Roe is good but that's about all. For a  Virginia Shad planking stake one out on a cedar plank in front of an open fire, cook then throw the Shad away and eat the plank.

Boats

Not a AI 25-06, but a shooter. It's a .257 Wby.

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Nice light rifle.

Jim

Many years ago I bought my first single shot hunting rifle, a slightly used Browning B78 in 25-06.  My intention was to have it rechambered to a 25-06 Gibbs.  I bought a box of factory ammo as I didn't want to buy dies for a 25-06 if I was going to rechamber and went to the range to see if the rifle would shoot.  The first 3 shot group was a cloverleaf at 100 yards and I decided not to try a rechamber and ruin a straight shooting rifle.  Many years later, it has accounted for a boat load of deer and antelope and I never found myself wanting for more velocity.  Then I got wiser with the years and built a 25/35 WCF on a Stevens 44 1/2 and it has now taken several deer and antelope.  Point is, we do not need all of the speed in the world to hunt with. If you want to join the generation that thinks shooting game at 700 yards is the thing to do, then forget the 25 caliber and get a 338 Lapua, a gunbearer to carry the thing, a muzzle break off of a Sherman Tank, a pair of 25 power binoculars and go shoot game.  If not, enjoy the 25-06 as an excellent hunting rifle.  I hunted with a guide a few years ago that used a 25-06 on antelope, deer, black bear and elk with a 117 grain factory Remington bullet.  If I was starting with a new barrel on the Ruger #1, I would go with a 257 Roberts but nothing wrong with the 25-06.  Attached is a picture of a buck taken with my 25/35 at 225 yards.  Tom