I just picked up a Ruger no.1 International in 7x57. Would there be a big advantage to having it turned into an AI?

I asked Al Biesen that question about 10 years ago. His answer...

Improve what!!!

'Nuff said!!!!! You really can't improve the venerable 7X57......

I have never owned an Ackley Improved cartridge and dont foresee that I ever will,shot placement is the ticket not another couple hundred feet per second,the 7x57 is a top notch round anywhere you put it,Ivory Hunter Mr. Bell killed over a thousand elephants all with the 7x57 and FMJ bullets,I think its a lil tuff too improve upon a cartridge that is this good..........

IC: I hate to be a bucket of cold water,but me personally, I could never get very enthused about the whole AI thing. I say that knowing full well that a lot of very experienced guys on here love them.But really,if you want more velocity than a 7x57 gives, just rechamber to 280 Remington.Brass is common,and you don't have to fire form it.

Besides,what's wrong with the 7x57 the way it is,like Al Biesen indicated?

BobinNH
Because then, the next question would be "Should I AI the 280?", LOL.

Royce: Why did I know that was coming.............?

And the answer IS................................7 Rem Mag

No the answer then is 7mm RUM. lol maybe 7mm-.577 t-rex?

To do a correct AI in a rimless case the barrel should be set back so that the headspace is a crush fit on the regular 7-57 before its fireformed. What with that rifles unique stock and perhaps sight ramp its not practical. The barrel will no longer fit the stock.

On the other hand it might work to rechamber it to 280 R. or the Nosler 280 AI.

Here is my other comment about AI's.

The AI's I had done in rimmed, rimless and belted rounds turned out to be nothing but a hobby extension. Overall they complicate things and are a waste of time and money.

I had a Sears M51 (High Standard made 30-06 on the FN action) barrel set back to 30-06 AI. It works ok but now I don't even use the rifle and I would have to look for ammo. It must be here somewhere!

The 30-06 worked superb. Suppose the AI works too.

Now I can understand the want to have something new. I did it and you should be able to also if you want to.

'Yall are overlooking the rael advantage gained by going with the Ackley Improved case.......more alphabet letters!!!

It's a well known fact that the more letters of the alphabet you can use to describle you weapon.....the more credibility you have as an "expert". It is so much "cooler" to say you are using a .30-06AI than to just say plain 'ole .30-06. Of course you have to shoot something like a TTSX bullet pushed by MRP powder. That combined with the AI label will make your every opinion about hunting or shooting unquestionable.....you become anm instant expert!!

I will not be arguing with Mr. Biesen..

the only AI that I have liked is a .220 Swift AI. It picks up approx. 100 fps and you don't have to trim so darn much. If I didn't have so much brass, I would build a .22-.243 of some sort anyway.

AMEN!!! grin

Thanks for all of your input! Im not a expert at any of this but very interested. Im going to try to get into reloading but dont really know squat about it. My good friend Wildswalker is very knowledgable when it comes to this so im hopin he will get me started in the right direction.

When I saw this gun I knew I needed it.Im thinkin Leupold vxII 3-9 with turrets for it.I see everyone pretty much agrees there is no sense messin with the chambering.

Thanks again

If you were to re-chamber to another cartridge, I would go with the 280 AI and shoot the 140g Barnes tripple shocks at 3200 fps.

I have found a reason to AI. At least in your case. You say that you don't know squat about reloading. By the time you learn what you need to know about loading an AI you will know why you shouldn't have AIed a 7x57.

I picked up a Husqvarna in 7X57 AI with a 3X9 Loopy for a song at my local friendly pawn shop a few years ago and love the gun and cartirdge. I get 120 FPS extra using 140 gr bullets on average, and the gun cuts a tight one hole. Would I have a good standard 7X57 re-chambered...probably not. But, I wouldn't part with this one, either.

I once owned a USRA Winchester XTR FW that had been re-chambered from 7X57 to 7X57 I.C.L Tortilla...same as an AI but with a 45 degree shoulder. It wanted velocity to shoot well and couldn't be tamed down any, so I got rid of it. The present owner hunts speed-goats with it and flames 130's out the end; he loves the rifle.

I once had a 35 Whelen re-chambered to AI, and the group sizes dropped by 1/2. I had my son's 257 Bob rechambered to AI, and it was a rousing success; this was before the 25-06 became a factory round. I do think that rounds like the 35 Whelen benefit from an AI, but others don't...the 30-06 being the prime example, IMO.

Check your PM's.

luv2safari...Biesen once told me that every 257 Roberts he rechambered to 25-06 (his version was on the 270 cases before it became a factory round) produced better accuracy. That will probably irritate the "Bob" lovers but he did a lot of them and that was what he found.

RinB:I'm a Bob lover and I'm not upset The 25/06 is a somewhat easier cartridge to work up accurate loads for than the 257 Roberts,in general,across the board.That said, the 257 is generally pretty serviceable,and may take a bit more tweaking. I suspect this has something to do with the higher velocity generated by the 25/06,and the fact that both have 10 twist barrels.

Also,some Roberts rifles(M70's)in 257 Roberts had long throats and short magazine boxes,so bullets could not always be seated to optimum length in relation to the lands.Rechambering to 25/06 would "clean up" this problem.

One of the best reasons for the existance of AI cartridges is as gap fillers. I have a .25-06 AI and I just love it. I would challenge anyone to identify another cartridge that so nicely fills the gap between the standard .25-06 and the .257 Roy.

Cra1948: I was unaware there was any gap there

...The true 'improved' 7X57 is the 284 Winchester. Improved in the sense that it does indeed add a step of velocity while at the same time fitting a short action receiver, for a lighter handier hunting rig..AS has been said though, the old Mauser round is mighty fine as is. Just my personal preferences for the 284 showing through here. I have rifles of both chamberings and have affection for both.

'Ducks...

I wouldn't AI it just because the rifle is a #1, were it a bolt gun I'd consider it....but I like messin' with that sort of stuff anyway.

Too many stuffy types around here to get good pro/con advice anyway....hell, before long this site will be full up on Savage Queens lauding the nuances of barrel nuts and accu-triggers.

Like I told you on the phone that tang safety 77 7 mauser I had was a tack driver, and likely we can make this #1 shoot too, it's a good chambering.

If you're coming home next weekend I'll have that 300 Roy ready for ya. Some of that brass though, is junk......

My X-wife got a VERY nice Saturn custom rifle, built in the 1950's on an FN supreme action and in good
French walnut. These Juenke guns were a lot like the early Wbys in that they had long throats, and these had slow twist rates. It was chambered in 25-270 I.C.L and loved 115 Noslers out the end REAL FAST!!! The 115's were the heaviest/longest bullets it would shoot, and accuracy fell off terribly with anything bigger/slower. My X, a great rifle shot, could keep all shots in one hole all day long with this rifle. The 45 degree shoulder seemed to help keep the brass form stretching all to h@ll, too.

I see nothing wrong with re-chambering to AI; it doesn't hurt anything if you don't mind reloading all your ammo. With many new and somewhat "improved" cartridges out these days, they aren't much of an advantage over what is available over the counter. I was well acquainted with Bob Dunlap and Vern Juenke (if you want to throw names around ), and both love the 257 AI...think it is one of the very best .25's. I have no arguments with them. Nothing wrong with a 25-270/25-06, either.

Nothin' wrong at all with anything that spits a bullet out of the muzzle, hits what your aiming, and kills stuff....

I can like AI's for the better case life and few extra fps to boot.

Once a case is fire formed it doesn't have to be done again, and fireforming isn't dick if you just load and shoot bullets.

Two weekends ago I killed a chuck at 320 yards and another at 475 yards with fire forming ammo...

Wacked steel all this last weekend with Pards in VA with fireforming loads, and had a ball doin' it........

I'm an old 7x57 shooter, 38+ years as of 08/08, and think that a cost vs. benefits analysis is called for:

Costs:

1. Rechamber job
2. Dies
3. More difficult to sell wildcats than "standards"

Benefits:

1. Less case trimming
2. More velocity
3. Cool factor

For me, doing a 7x57 AI would not be worth the cost/effort, but as with many things, YMMV.

Ruger #1s can be a royal PITA to get to shoot good groups with some that will never shoot good groups, so I think that I'd want to see what its potential in factory stock form would be before I'd do anything to personalize it.

Jeff