Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 6.5x55 Ackley improved

I have a ruger Mk2 in 6.5x55. thinking of getting it punched out to an Ackley improved. wondering what some of you think? is it worth it? how much over factory loads in 6.5x55 can I go since it's not a sweed 96 action? just looking for some imput here. Love that oddball stuff!

If you're going to rechamber your 6.5x55, I think that the 6.5-284 is a better choice. More case capacity and more common, therefore less expensive, finish reamers and dies. Later production Swedish Mausers are very strong actions. Their flaw is that they don't handle escaping gas as well as the 98s, due to their much smaller gas shield. Install a larger gas shield or a commerical style bolt shroud and you eliminate the flaw.

Unless you're shooting at very long distances, I doubt that the potential gain in velocity is worth the costs associated with that increased case capacity. That said, I have a 6.5-284 that is a rechambered Winchester/USRA 70 XTR FWT and I like it, but the difference in performance is pretty small.

JEff

For some of us, there is a certain allure to owning an oddball wildcat. (I admit to being one of those loonies...) I have certainly built my share of the the oddballs. In fact, when I started with my 6.5x55's they WERE an oddball.

I believe it was Bob Jourdan who did an article in Precision Shooting magazine on the ackley improved cartridges. In the article he mentioned the 6.5x55BJ, his own version of the 6.5x55 AI. IIRC, he also mentioned that there is no known record of P.O. Ackley working with said case...

Operating, strickly from memory here: I seem to recall that he mentioned somewhere about a 4% increase in velocity. Which isn't all that much. Since each rifle is a law unto itself, you may or may not do as well.

For myself, there is not much reason to do it when one owns two 6.5 Rem Mags, two 6.5/06's, and a .260 Rem A.I.

But one thing I'd bet on in the long run, is that IF you do it, you'll likely look back on your efforts and realize that anything you are likely to hunt with it, you can kill just as dead with a 6.5x55.

And if the aforementioned isn't enough to scare you off... The price of a set of custom dies likely will. Last I knew, series "G" custom dies from RCBS are about $135, dealer cost. Redding: about the same, perhaps slightly less.

Another thing, you'll find that resale of said rifle will be only a fraction of what it costs to build it. And the dies; you'll be lucky to get 30% return on your investment.

On the positive side... Only you can put a price on your fun... If you think it's worth it, then go for it...

I, myself, have intended to build one for some time. I have yet to do it, tho'... And I'm sitting on a new barrel blank, AND the dies... But ahead of that project, is a 6.5x54 MS... that is near completion, and a .256 Newton, that I've not even started yet....

Good luck in your endeavor

I like the 256 Newton in a long action rifle and figure that it is a 100+/- fps faster cartridge than the 6.5x55. The 6.5-06 is a 100+/- fps faster cartridge than the 256 Newton and the 6.5-06 is a whole lot easier to resize brass for, no serious trimming as is required when going from 25-06 to 256 Newton.

Who am I to criticise whatever cartridge a person wants to go with? If a person asks for input/advise and I have some personal experience in that area, I might feel inclined to share some experience and point out the pros and cons based on having done it. But my experience is too small a sample size to accurately predict the outcomes of a larger sample, larger universe.

Hech, I get criticised all the time for swapping barrels and stocks. For buying expensive and attractive/ugly McMillan stocks when the factory stocks are often good enough handles. But for me, planning and building a rifle is the most fun, 'cause I don't care all that much about the hunting part of shooting and most of my rifles just sit in the vault after I've done the load development and fired a couple hundred rounds. Then its on to the next project.

JEff

Do it! I've got one built on a Remington 700 action. I'm hoping to run it across my chrono this weekend. Should be able to give you an idea of what to expect. I'm shooting 120gr TTSXs.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...h/true/New_build_ladder_test#Post4512477

Although the Swede is a proven killer, that case is just begging to be Ackley'd.

Jeff,

Now THAT is a philosophy that I can identify with. I really try hard NOT to talk anyone IN or OUT of a desired project. Oft' times I've talked to folks and brought up points that they hadn't considered. And THAT, my friend is my purpose here...

GH

This is an internet message board. There isn't any point. You could show people the errors in their thought process and you could provide them with a bibliography of data that would contradict their beliefs, but it would amount to a bucket of warm spit, because they know more than you do, they are more capable than you are, and they are just better than you.

Like the guy with the Porsche 911 turbo who street races with cords showing through the tread of his worn tires. He blew a tire, hit a stone wall, and killed himself. He left behind a family, but no life insurance, didn't need it, didn't believe in it, 'cause he was such a capable guy. Huge ego, poor judgment. True story. Happened to an MD at the NE Med Ctr a decade or so ago. I knew the man. Huge ego, very self-confident, knew it all, and it killed him. I felt bad for his family, since their meal ticket was dead and he had failed to provide for them. I felt nothing but contempt for him.

See any parallels around here?

JEff

Be interested to here what it goes through the crono at, Had this rifle for ten years now and have never even shot it. I built a custom 96 mauser 6.5x55 back in the 80"s and always wanted the AI version.Thinking if I mic the case's and watch for expansion I should be able to build a round that will push 3000fps with a 120gr nosler ballistic tip. What do you think?

No none at all! where did that come from? I just asked for an opinion. Not a comparison. or what ever that was.

dconrad: Cases with a lot of taper always benefit the most from being blown out. The 6.5x55 fits that definition. I thought about having my 6.5x55 blown out too, but it shoot so well that I am scared to mess with it...

PS: I am not sure what 260Rem was getting at either!

You probably can get 3000 from the 120's now without going over pressure by trying various loads.
I have a 6.5X55 Ruger #3 with a 22 inch Pac-Nor barrel that easily shoots them (120TTSX) at 2930. It is showing no excessive pressures and I know it has another 100fps in it. My powder of choice is H4350.

The Sweed case sure has room for improving. Might be a fun project.

Jim

Just got around to running a few across the chrono. 51.8 grains of Hunter averaged just shy of 3150fps with the 120gr TTSX in Lapua brass.

The late Dave Gentry built a 6.5x55 AI on a NULA action from Melvin Forbes, and used it to take a nice Dall ram. He liked the round a lot, and the rifle shot extremely well, partly because Dave knew how to build accurate rifles.

It would fall in that vast gap between the 6.5x55 and the .256 Newton, though actual velocities would very much depend on how hot it would be loaded. Many fans of AI rounds like to stuff 'em very full.

I've been toying with the idea of a 6.5x55 with 6.5x47 Lapua shoulder geometry. I haven't quite got as far as looking at chamber prints to see if it is feasible to run a 6.5X47 Lapua reamer in a little deeper to accomplish it though.

Hey clark98ut,

Not sure if everyone caught that. .270 performance from a rifle at least a pound lighter, with less recoil. The .270 is one of the all-time greats, but the 6.5 AI is no slouch. Be interesting to see what it will do with 125 gr. partitions.

forepaw

Doubt I'll shoot anything other than the 120 TTSX out of it. Initial testing is going good...no bullet to be found.

Can anyone estimate what kind of pressure it would take to preform at 270 win levels out of the smaller case of the x55???????


8mmwapiti

Forgot to mention, John is right, the load I mentioned is a little on the warm side, but brass is holding up well after multiple firings.

What's up with that? I've learned more about handloading and the basic up through esoteric facets of shooting since the advent of Windows '95 and AOL (when computer use truly became available to all) than I could have learned in a lifetime sans the home computer and the Internet. A very obvious point is sharing knowledge. Not everyone is so completely certain they are always right like the character in your story. Most people, when presented with a reasoned argument backed by facts, will at least consider the �other side�s� point of view. There isn�t any point? There are many points; sharing information, entertainment & camaraderie are a few examples, or points.