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

Yes , a classic Stick-ism all right. Sly and witty as usual , and sure to impress a few of the loyal munchkins .

But in this case , lacking in merit or substance concerning the discussion .

It may be a surprise to some , but there are other folks that have seen small critters shot with .22 bullets of like speed , and also .20 s and .17 s. And our observations lead us to a somewhat different conclution .

The .223 Ack , good little cartrdge though it is , has been bested by the factory .204 in the trajectory department . Yet the .204 retains the attributes of low cost brass , modest powder consumption , and a slow rate of barrel heating .

Reguardless of your choice , a varmint shooter never had it so good.......

Bump

Holy thread resurrection!

This is really old stuff.

I quess I've got the best of both worlds a 22-204 (222 Rem Mag Imp. 30 degree), it works for me and no fireforming.

erich

So you did it!

How do you like it and what loads have you put through it?

It's my goto fur gun and it's a one load rig 40gr NBT's over enough H-335 to get them moving around 3900fps out of my 22" barrel. I've gotten 50's up around 3700fps but the rifle likes the 40's so much that's all I use in it.

erich

I see the 204 Ruger naysayers have been "SILENT" for some time now!
He-he!
And I see LaPua is still not producing 20 Tactical brass - still being 4 1/2 years later!
I did just perused my 2,009 Remington catalog and they make a BUNCH of arms for left handers but NONE in 204 Ruger caliber!
THAT is an over-sight that needs to be corrected.
The amazing all around Varminting performance, amazing ballistics (including amazingly flat trajectories and amazingly straight flight in the wind!), amazing lethality and amazing accuracy that is obtained with the FACTORY 204 Ruger is just hard to beat - VERY HARD TO BEAT!
I have owned (and still own them all!) five Varminters in caliber 204 Ruger and they have all shot groups (5 shots at 100 yards) under .600" WITH FACTORY AMMUNITION!
Then, my handloads will shoot groups that are just so much better and so rewarding.
Then, throw in the smaller powder charges, next to nothing recoil and no need to fireform cases and the 204 Ruger bests not just the 223 Remington Ackley Improved but virtually every other
all around Varmint cartridge ever conceived.
I have recently purchased 204 Ruger dies from Redding that cost me $31.00 - I see the SIMPLEST set of 20 Tactical dies lists at $102.00 and the 223 Remington Ackley Improved simplest die set is $114.00!
Hmmm... what could a reloader do with say and extra $83.00 hussein obama proof dollars these days?
I can think of a LOT of things!
Hmmm... better performance and no super expensive dies and no fireforming - yeah this is a tough one..... oh yeah its so obvious - go with the 204 Ruger and don't look back!
Hail to the new King of "all around Varminting cartridges" - the 204 Ruger!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Please don't leave out the fact that the .224's have full varmint bullets from 30-75 grs and bullets made specifically for big game.

Also a 1-8 twisted 223, 223AI or 222 Magnum can easily run 40 to 77 grain bullets.

The 222 Magnum requires no expensive dies, dupes the 223AI and those 204 cases just require a pass in a Mag FL die, adjusted for a shoulder-snug fit. If hell-bent on a headstamp, cases are out there.

The 204 is grand, but it has a way to go.....and the 22-250 hasn't even been brought into the picture.

No custom dies for the 22-204, 6mm-204 or 25-204. I use a Redding 204 Ruger FL Bushing die and swap out bushings expander balls and stem to load all three with the same die. I did have to open the neck openning in the die to clear the larger necks. Talk about cheap. I seat with Hornady seaters from my 223, 243 and 250 Savage. I did have Hornady make me a custom FL sizer for the 25-204 because they're taperred expander ball is great and ait's just one pass from 20 to 25

AWS

Varmint Guy, you are wrong on two points. I have a thousand rds of .20 Tac brass made by Lapua for Dakota Arms, I think. Bought it from Graf & Sons. I Know Lock, Stock & Barrel carried it to.

Second, I have a set of Lee dies for the .223 AI and they only cost $25 + shipping from Midway. That's $6.00 cheaper than your .204 dies.

Tom

I'm late to this thread but have an 223 AI based on a Mini-Mauser action by James Anderson. Came to it really by Dogzapper's comments. Had it to western SD this past weekend with couple of hundred AI's loaded. Ran 50's at almost 3800 fps and they were smacking them way out. Ran out of those and switched to regular 223's, same bullet, same powder and case (and as I found at home before the trip the POI was also the same) for fire-forming and didn't miss a trick.

I'm impressed with the AI cartridge.

3800 is cranking. How long a barrel you have on that rig? Moly? No way my 22" will do that.

I have a Savage with a 26" 1x14 twist Rock barrel on it and the best I can do with a mollied 50 Nosler is 3753-73-27. That's using VV N-530 powder, Lapua brass and Wolf SRM primers. 3800 fps would be one hot load.

Tom

My 26" 12 twist/3 groove Pac Nor 223 AI pushes out a moly 55 NBT @ 3500 fps.....27.5/Benchmark in a Lapua...Win or LC case....safe load in my rifle....the AI chamber gives the std 223 just a nice boost...

Thanks FVA - miss print. It's closer to 3700 than 3800 fps and the barrel is 23". 40's do crowd 4 grand though. My partner shooting prone about ten feet away thought he could tell when I was shooting the AIs as opposed to fireforming the 223s as he said they "smacked" louder and harder. Interesting.

what load are you running with your 50's?

Rem 7 1/2s, H335 29 grs. and 50-gr Sierra Blitzs.

I just had my 1st, of many me thinks, 223AI completed and Im just in the fire form stage but I had the gun throated for the 75gr A-max. Seem this whole thread is about light weight bullets, my gun is an 8 twist.

Is there a reason that you guys seem to lean in the 40 to 50 grn weight class over the heaver stuff?

And this thread should be kept up top........

No, I'm not particularly into the fast-twist-heavy-bullet scenario not that there is anything wrong with that; my barrel is 1:12 which is probably a compromise twist and my loads come right from Dogzapper who is the AI aficionado here and who has probably shot more 223 AI loads than any here.