Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .223 A.I. (Seriously)

Had you said that you had married the same woman four times in order to figure out you didn't like her, I would suspect that she had at least some positive qualities/talents.

I have three barrels for my TL3 all with loctited nuts and flats at the muzzle.

22" 6 Dasher, 21" .22BR Shilens and a 22" .20 Practical Criterion.

Love the cartridges, love the rifle but changing stuff around is a pain in the ass and I wish I'd have just stuck with the 6 Dasher.

People learn and grow.

If you didn't want advice from those with experience, why did you post the thread to begin with?

I guess that might have sounded a shade snippy. I prolly shouldn’t post when tired.

Put another way, what made you change your mind on the fifth go round?

I’m not real likely to go SAAMI, but I am curious.

223 brass is so cheap, and common the argument of trimming is dumb...

Prolly... JFC.

Well, I have a 22-250 Remington Varmint that was my most accurate rifle and my favorite for small furry animals up and including Rock chucks, yotes, etc... until I built my 223AI. The Velocity gain was more than I was expecting, but with the 26" barrel it is fairly smoking along. But the fun part is the tiny little groups is has shot from day one.... and it has substantially less recoil than the 22-250 and less muzzle blast.

I wouldn't have a problem with a SAAMI .223, but this AI version has just been way too much fun to give up on. Just wish it had a faster twist so I could play with some heavier bullets....

Bob

dave

...well.....If you don't reload it is.... If you're just going to shoot factory ammo or only load "new" brass then the .223 is the way to go. If you're going to reload then the AI certainly reduces trimming.

PG does mention the biggest issue with the AI and that's feeding. The 100% cure on that is to go detachable mag but it can be "massaged" to feed in most formats.

Certainly nothing wrong with standard .223 twisted fast with adequate mag box length if a person goes that route...and certainly no reason to go the AI route if you're not going to reload.

I have .223s, .22-250s and .223ai. The AI definitely provides a velocity gain and the lack of trimming is a plus. It's the easiest to load for since there is little to no case stretch; It's as simple as a Lee collet and prime/charge/seat. I however, do not like having to fireform first before taking advantage of the case. My .22-250 provides me with about a 200 fps gain and an extra 7 gr of powder over the .22-250. It has to be one of the most inefficient cartridges in the stable. I won't have another .22-250. If the AI tickles your fancy, go for it. Greg has built a rig for me....It's a lazer.

Mags will be detachable. From everything I've read (here and elsewhere), MDT 10 rounders and Accurate Mag 5 rounders are the way to go. Guys have been filing the front to the plastic insert out to get OAL to about 2.550", IIRC. Feed issues (SAAMI or Ackley Improved) have been pretty non-extant.

I just look at it like I'll have a really nice .223 for a few hundred rounds, even if they are a tick slower for whatever bullet/weight, and then a slightly faster .223A.I. afterwards. Only thing I'm out is another set of dies, and I've been wanting an excuse to buy and try a set of Reddings anyway.

22-204.........

I have chambered both the standard round and the AI in the same barrel. I have dealt with the AI feeding issues. I have fired both cartridges to see how much they grew with firing (zero, in both chamberings), neck sizing ( near zero) and fl sizing (edge to the AI with the amount dependent upon the chamber/die dimensions).
In comparing the two chamberings for velocity, I had to rely on case head expansion to gauge max pressure since that was all I had. I couldn't be sure what the pressure was but I could damn sure tell when it was too hot. I load until I got .0005" on the second firing of the case and called that absolute max. Velocity difference was about .5%.
Fun fact: A tight-chambered AI may actually have less powder capacity than a slightly sloppy factory rifle in the standard 223 chambering.
I have the AI reamer because I had clients who wanted it and it was their money (at least it was theirs until they got the bill!). The chance that I will use that reamer for one of my own rifles is exactly zero. GD

222 mag......

my heavy 223AI is built on a Savage target action......28" 9 twist Pac Nor

Bushy 4-30x50 Tact......Choate varminter stock.........18# on the table

p/dog killin' SOB.........53 V max & 55 Nozler BTs work best on dogs

Wrong.......

I fully understand why, but I can't remember the last time I heard the poor .220 swift mentioned.

The inline mags will help a bunch with feeding, both in regular 223 and Ackley versions.

As far as the 223 Ackleys I owned, two were used barrels I traded into (one fairly light barrel and one chunk). In the third case, I was really interested in the rifle, and would've been happier with a SAAMI 223. I had the 4th one built. Eventually came to my senses regarding Ackley chamberings, it just took me a few years.

FWIW, I'd agree with these other guys, and go with a 6 BR or BR derivative for the rifle setup you're laid out.