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Old 10-21-2013, 12:38 AM
tdoyka tdoyka is offline
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Question 257 Roberts Ackley Improved

i might be getting rid of my tc venture in 25-06, reloading dies, and 80 some pieces of rem brass. i'll be buying a encore in 257 Roberts Ackley Improved, 1 in 10" twist, in a 21" mgm barrel. i sent an email to mgm barrels to make sure it has a 40 degree shoulder, so that is taken care of. i have 2 full boxes of 115 grain nosler ballistic tips. do these work for deer, busting a shoulder, etc, or should something else work?
should fireforming be 87 or 100gr? would imr 4350 work? the ack imp is new to me, any help will be greatly appreciated...
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Old 10-21-2013, 01:40 AM
260Ackley 260Ackley is offline
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I run nosler bts and they should work well just like in your 25-06. Don't have any experience with loading a Roberts though.
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Old 10-21-2013, 11:40 AM
csterner csterner is offline
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as long as the lighter bullets can jam into the lands they should work for FF. The 257bob is supposed to be a great one to AI. Good luck.
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Old 10-21-2013, 02:22 PM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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If the barrel and AI chamber are set up properly, there is no need to jam bullets into the lands for fire forming. The lesser head space dimension on the AI chamber will allow for perfect forming of the Roberts case.

If the AI chamber was cut after the normal Roberts chamber was cut without setting the barrel back a bit you'll have issues from the git go as you'll own an AI rifle with excessive head space in it. You can compensate by reloading but all factory brass and/or ammo fired the first time will stretch in the web area a bit. And jamming bullets into the lands to overcome that is not a fool proof way to solve the real issue which is a chamber where the head space is too long.

-BCB
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Old 10-21-2013, 02:43 PM
Ackman Ackman is offline
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My fireforming was done with 85/87gr bullets and W760 powder. Velocity right there with a 25-06. And as BCB says......with a properly cut chamber, seating into the lands is not necessary.
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Old 10-21-2013, 04:38 PM
Mntngoat Mntngoat is offline
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100 Grain NBT and N160 or Big game work quite well in my .257Ackley

ML
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Old 01-01-2014, 03:35 AM
Clark Clark is offline
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10 years ago we got a 257 Roberts Ackley improved reamer and chambered 5 VZ24s with Lothar Walther light varmint barrels.

Never shot anything but tiny groups.

Then in 2012 I rebarrelled a Uberti 1885 to 257 Roberts Ackley improved rimmed.

The Norma 7x57mm rimmed brass case heads are as soft as butter and all I could get was 3050 fps with 115 gr Nosler Ballistic tips.

I killed a couple does at 400 yards and then I shot the heaviest buck I have ever lifted. Shooting was easy, getting him the back of the vehicle by myself was like building the pyramids.
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Old 01-27-2014, 04:57 PM
tds_felix tds_felix is offline
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Default 257 Ackley

I have shot a 257 AI for about 22 years. Bullet of choice for 18 years was the Sierra 90 gr HPBT chronographed at 3450fps. Rifle is a rechambered old Remington M722 with factory 24" barrel. Shot many antelope, coyotes, mule deer, whitetails with it in western South Dakota. Routine strings of 5 shot groups would be right at 0.5-0.6"

Some throat erosion (imagine that) has forced a switch to 100 gr Hornady interlocks at a touch over 3200fps.

Both of these are just fine for deer size game.

I have shot numerous antelope and MD through front shoulders with both bullets with great results. You must recognize the 90gr HPBT is not fully designed for that, but it does a pretty good job.

Fire forming with a "lighter" load of IMR 4895 and bullets into the lands is how I have done it when needed. Pretty sure that is how Nosler recommends it also.

Have fun, you'll like it.
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Old 01-28-2014, 03:24 AM
Johnly Johnly is offline
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Shpt some wonderful groups with H4350 and the 100 gr. Hornady SP with velocities close to my 25-06.

John
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  #10  
Old 02-07-2014, 04:59 PM
Eagle_view Eagle_view is offline
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Nice Buck, great looking rifle. I have a .257 barrel (NOS) here that Ackley cut himself that I will someday put into a 257 AI.

Always enjoy reading about the cartridge and the success that people have had with theirs.

Lowell
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