20-250

[Loren]

Looking for more info on this caliber, I have a gun I think I can turn into a shooter, with Bill's help. All other help would be appreicated. Loren

[Timber Butte Outdoors]

Loren, I found this article on the 20-250

www.rmvh.com/20-250%20-%20Why%20the%2020-250.htm

[ackleyimproved]

It is interesting in that article he says that he is interested in holding his sight picture through the recoil, but i haven't found that to be possible all the time with the 22-250. Maybe with the lighter projectile in 20 caliber it could be achieved? While everyone else is hot rodding a 22-250 i have tried the lower velocity loads with 40 grain 22 cal stuff and found that the recoil is still enough that watching the bullet impact is rare at best. My experience has been with my Remington 700 VS that i chambered in 22-250 Ackley Improved. It sounds like a neat wild-cat, but it would always be nice to check one out before building one. -Jake

[broper]

Very interesting article, worth the read.

[Eric]

I bet Jakes ears perked up when he saw this forum. Im not surprised that this is one of his first postings
For those that dont know AckleyImproved (Jake) he's my brother and the reason that Im into varmint hunting. He's not a standard caliber person. In fact he's trying to sell the only "normal" caliber that he has
I like the 20 caliber... and I like the 22-250 caliber. But I dont think Id like burning out a barrel in 500 rounds! Id like to find out how many rounds that barrel actually made it before needing to be replaced. Shooting a 38gr bullet with a BC of .260 at 4300 fps is alluring but not if It requires spending $400 dollars every year for a new barrel.
I read a small post on a guy that took and made an Ackely Improved .204 ruger. That might be a better adventure as you get some good fps increases but supposedly you also get better ignition of the powder in the case resulting in better barrel life and brass case life.

Hows that 20 practical coming along 'AckleyImproved' ?

Eric.

[ackleyimproved]

The .20 practical is coming along. I have got all of my brass full length sized, necked down to .20, trimmed and sorted. Not a lot i can do until i get the rifle back. I can't even prime the brass until i can try one in the chamber. There were some obstacles of coarse, like the one of having to put a brand new redding .204 die in a lathe and turn .150 thou off the bottom so that i can neck size those cases down where i needed to. I am mastering my dura-coating skills and can't wait to coat this new rifle. I think that extreme tactical gray is going to be a sweet color. The stock is coming along, again i think i am as far as i can go until i get the barreled action back, as i need to start the final fitting. I put some tru-oil on it the other day, just so the grain would pop, and it is going to be nice. Oh heres an interesting note, plug your ears all you die hard savage fans. The Smith decided that he can clean the lines up on that 110 by skipping the barrel nut and just setting the head-space like a remington, no barrel nut. I have read alot about it and it should not be a problem. I have no intentions of switching barrels until this one is shot out anyway. Ps i like the general idea of Ackley improving a .204, but that may be a case that would not benefit from it. Unless...... is case stretch an issue in the .204? That could remedy that.
JT

[Eric]

Well I did some more research and it seems that the general consensus on the .204 ruger is that they got it right when they designed it. It has a 30 degree shoulder already so increasing it to a 40 degree Ackely Improved slope doesnt add much additional capacity. Some people even caution that a magazine fed .204 AI might bind with the sharper 40 degree slope. The extra FPS gains dont quite justify the effort and case stretch has never been an issue for me but I do use the RCBS x-sizer dies which are supposed to elliminate case stretching.

Im thinking about an Ackley Improved .243 or something in the 6mm range for my next rifle.
I think Loren has a .243 which Ive heard he has used to put the smack down on some yotes.

[broper]

Just look around for a good 6 m/m Rem. Virtually the same as a .243 AI and you don't have to go to all the extra work and expense of building a .243 AI. And in my opinion the 6 m/m has a better case for reloading and will feed a lot slcker and smoother. Ol' Mauser got it right when he desinged that basic case over 100 yr's ago.

[ackleyimproved]

Eric I like the way you think- don't change the rifle you already own, buy a new one! I am right with you on the .243/6mm idea, they are some powerful little cartridges. One nice thing about the .243 is the availability of brass, seems like everyone has one leaning in a corner somewhere, which might be a good way to find a new varmint gun. If you are coyote hunting with it, it could be a lighter rifle and still do the job effectively. And if its ugly, we can fix that too! Maybe you ought to build one on an AR-10 platform? When the crazy-ness quits of course.
JT

[Eric]

As soon as I come up with the money and decide on which pattern to get Im buying the Duracoat camo kit if your still up for painting my rifle. This is a tougher decision than getting a tattoo

[broper]

Hey Eric,
Have you checked out the 6mm/284 or 6mm/06? I've always been interested in them. Basically the same ballistically except one is short acion and one long. They would be good long range coyote medicine. If I was starting a new rifle from scratch I think I'd go with the Rem. 700 action.
Bob

[ducksarmy]

I just finished a 20 pratical for my ar I have not dropped a dog yet with it but I think it will work but probably only a 350 yard gun

[72camaro]

I hate to get in a conversation that really isn't mine, but, if going the 6mm route for varmint I would stick with the .243 for available cases and ammo. If deer, then I'd go with the 6mm. My .243 Rem 700 Varmint barrel shooting 58 grain V-max are pretty accurate and I have one load at almost 3700 fps and the other powder is almost 3800fps if I remember right. Plenty fast to get the job done.

Necking it down to 20cal, that does sound interesting though out of my standard thinking.