Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Further discussion of the 223 Ackley Improved

I have 7 223AI's and am sweet on the chambering...............

'Stick and DX, what's the shortest barrel that you've got or used that gets the most out of the 223AI?

I just picked up, and am yet to fire, a 14" barrel for a Contender in .223. I figure that if the AI is worth it in the short barrel, I might go to it in a year or so, esp. if the .223 is a PIA without handloads.

20" is the shortest in my stable and I'm hip on it.

Burning 31grs of powder,doesn't require a meter of barrel length....................

Reading this is getting me pumped! My 223 Ruger has been at the smith for a few months now waiting to get reamed into a 223 Improved 40.

(Ackley never made a 223AI to my knowledge, therefore it is a 223 improved)

The typical minimal body taper and jaunty 40degree shoulder Improvement while largely semantics,is fitting tribute to P.O.,IMHO(say that fast).

That regardless of whether or not it were his baby.

I'm hoping my latest hits the Mail Box today................

I just bought a Rem 700 barreled action and had it rechambered to .223AI. I stuck it in an old Rem VS stock. Sighted it in today. First group using some Federal American Eagle rounds (3 shot) was .365". I can't wait to get some Ballistic Tips loaded and thump a jackrabbit or two.

Jesse,
Appreciate your post and want to thank Steve for the awesome replies.
Steve, I think you may have another convert.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I just took delivery of a new CZ 527 in 223. It might have to get "Steve'd". Preped cases yesterday, will load today and shoot this PM.
Our Coyote season opens back up in 12 days.. I'll be there...
Thanks,
Don

Don,

Steve'd, I like that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Steve

She arrived,in GRAND fashion.



Let's just say there is NO regrets......................

Mr. J.J.,
Before you make a big, expensive mistake see the July 2005 issue of "The Varmint Hunter" and read the article "The Tactical .20: A Fast, Furious, And Far-Reaching Varmint Cartridge" by Todd Kindler. This article lays it out so ANYBODY can grasp why this cartridge is the superior round among the .204 Ruger and .223 A.I. Factory ammo by Black Hills will be out very soon as well as Lapua brass

A pard shoots a 24" 20Tactical.

I'll take the 223AI greedily.................

I'm curious: Why would you take the .223 Improved over your pard's Tac 20?

Said pard also has a 223AI and a few 17Rem's to compare/contrast to the 20Tac. Point being,primers are popped with an open mind.

What the 223AI does for me mostly,is flat chew stuff up. 50's outta it at 3750fps fling goo in a way the 20 cain't.

I can also like the trajectory curve,drift values and energy retention,as well as the plethora of projectiles to choose from,so as to scratch any itch.

Have been doing the 1-8" Thing,flinging 75gr A-Max at 3100-ish fps outta a 21.5" tube and them results are impressive on a level the 20 can't imagine. 'Tis no secret I dote on the 53gr XLC or 64PP for Venison Duties,outta my more mainstream 1-12" twists.

The 20 just doesn't have the Juice and is a bastardized "tweener" IMHO. The 223AI can gobble up real estate and whoop some ass on impact and I can like that.

Then of course there are logistics,but the performance is sweeter to me,than the beaten path................

Well, he asked ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yeah , well , I'd say personally observed "goo" factor is likely pretty subjective and subject to some preconcieved notions.

I highly doubt there is much if any diff in "goo" when a 39 gr .204 @3900fps will arive at 300 yards packing about the same 700 ft lbs as a 50 gr .22 at 3750fps . Especially when the .20 will arrive with an extra 250 fps , courtesy it's higher starting speed and superior b.c.

I am SURE that the .20 does gobble up the aforementioned real estate by a significant margin better than the slower and less efficient .22 .

Hey, I ain't got a dog in this fight - my comment was only in reply to Stick's reply; made in typical Stick fashion.

My theory is "dead is dead;" so "goo factor ain't that much of a thing just so long as the critter is hit, the bullet does it's thing, and the critter is bagged and tagged.

Sweetheart,you're all a twitter.

I simply stated,that as per my perceptions,founded by shooting the chamberings in question side by each,I really favor the 223AI for reasons mentioned.

Goo Factor is an observed calculation that isn't always denoted by numerical evaluators. Jacket thickness and RPM do factor in the Goo Evaluations too.

The 20Tac didn't do anything for me,up close or far away,with various V-Max and Berger's.

I've never seen a 17 or 20 fling with any enthusiasm nearing 22 levels. 'Course,I've never seen a 22 fling with 243 fervor either and as per my evaluations,a HOT 6mm is the Goo King on the average,because you've ass hauling velocity,melded with extry RPM and frangible jackets abound. Taken to extremes,I've had as many 22CHeetah's as I have 243AI's.

Things is easy,when you needn't guess and guessing ain't my gig...................

ROTF LMAO!!!!

Folks, this is a Stick CLASSIC! It SOOOOO needs to be a sticky or somethin'!

Since I am sitting here drooling, waiting for my 223AI to come back from the smith, I have a question for current owners.

How does it stack up against a 22-250? Can you come close to mimicking performance?

And what power scopes are you guys running?

Thanks!

It won't quite run with a 22-250 over the chrony, as the 22-250 just has more horsepower.

That said, the 223AI gets about all there is to be had out of the 22 bore. The 22-250 may look better on paper in pure performance, but in the field, the difference is modest. In my experience, the 223AI trumps it by giving nearly 95% of the velocity while going easy on barrels and allowing you to carry about 50% more ammo in your pocket.

To get any real performance increase over the 223AI in a varmint rig, you really need to step up to a 6mm of some sort.