Fremont,
I have worn out two sets of PO Ackley's handbooks in softcover over the past 40 or so years. I am now working from a hardcover set I bought here.
I ascribe to many of PO Ackleys ideas, but some are dated. When Mr. Ackley was improving this and that, H4831 surplus powder was about the slowest powder commonly available. Thus, an AI'ed 25/06 was not much of an improvement over a smaller cased round. The 257WBY really got going with the advent of Norma's MRP powder.
Today, we have loads of powders that will make cartridges which seemed "over bore capacity" really sing and shout. H-1000, R-22, R-25, 5010, 7828SSC, Ramshot Magnum and many more.
The same action length one needs to house a 25/06 will also feed and extract 257WBY cartridges quite nicely. If one is building a 25 on a 30/06 length action I never understood why anyone would go with any other round besides a 257WBY. You can make the big round act like a smaller one such as even a 250 savage if you want to, but the reverse is not the case.
If you shoot a couple of deer with a 257WBY and a well constructed 100gr bullet you will realize what a fun round you have been missing. Bangflops and DRT's become more common than you ever could have imagined. Almost no recoil and loads of ZAP.
Good luck with whatever you build, and you only have to make you happy. But don't be afraid of the large case rounds due to 50 plus year old ideas about overbore capacity that no longer apply.
