Ive got a vanilla Savage 111 with a 9" twist broughton pipe (25") Just Started fireforming some 25-06 WW brass with (87gr. speer over 49gr. IMR-4320) Seems to be forming ok, maybe a a bit of stretch in the case head so Ill have to work on this. Ill also be forming some 270 brass instead of 25-06 as it seems I can make a better crush fit to set headspace on inital fireform (I wonder if my chamber is a bit long). Im up against the lands at about 3.113 with seems a bit short but standard if I look up some numbers from Sierra...might eventually get the throat opened up to play with longer bullets bullets like the Matrix 125gr. and Barnes 115.

Either way Im hoping to working up a load for 100gr. TSX and R22 soon and be ready for Deer season.

Everything Ive read about this chambering seems to point to R22 for speed an 100's, looking forward to your comments.

My first and only experience to date with an AI is a 6.5-06. I bought it online from snipershide a couple years ago. It came with 50 fireformed round of Win. 25-06 brass. As I started to work up loads, I started with 4831. I also fireformed some new R-P brass with some old Accurate 8700 and Speer 120s. The 4831 loads shot well but I noticed the pressure snuck up on me. I lost a couple primer pockets and and backed down. I also noticed the Win. brass had several head seperations within three loadings. I went to the R-P brass when I found they weighed about 6 grains more and I assumed they were a bit thicker. I also jambed the bullets into the lands to keep them from stretching when first fireformed. That seemed to end the separations and they are still going strong.
As far as R22, I tried it upon reccomendations here. I found very little difference in accuracy and speed from 4831. My rifle has only a 10' twist, so I am limited to 120s and less. I was getting about 3100 and change from both powders. It shot great groups with both the 100 and 120BT, but the pressure was up there and I thought it should do a little better as far as speed. 7828 was about the same, but then I tried Hunter. I was able to reach 3200 with both 120bt and the 123 A-max without any trouble, and they shoot great. I did find, however, that I was getting hangfires with standard primers and a switch to mag seems to have solved the problem.
Just the other day I was shooting at steel at 600 and 750. With the A-max, I was at 10moa at 600 and about 12 moa at 750. The gongs were about 8". At 600 I had 3 hits with a 15-20 mph headwind. (about 11 o'clock). I didn't get a hit at 750 because I ran out of ammo and didn't have time to get a handle on the gusting wind, but the three shots I did take were right there.
Overall , I am very happy with the Hunter and don't think I will use anything else in the future. It was a pleasant surprise. Let us know how it goes. Jeff.

thanks for you comments, im also going to try fireforming few without bullets for the hell of it. The fastest powder I have is 4759 Im thinking about 18gr. with TP will do it.

Will also make sure to jam bullet next time I fireform with a bullet.

My gunsmith(s) set up my AI chambers so std factory brass crush-fits in the chamber, thus no case growth at the web on fire-forming.

As you note, alternatively, a false shoulder such as is created by necking down '06 or .270 brass just enough to fit will help. Watch out for case neck thickness / chamber neck clearance issues if you're necking down from a larger size.

Stuffing a bullet into the rifling works in a pinch. The blunter the bullet, the more likely you'll be to be able to get good contact. In .25 caliber, heck into the 117 grain Hornady roundnose for this use.

My current AI is a 6mm Rem AI. The chamber is set up as in my first example above. The gol dang case forming load is more accurate than any of my full throttle AI loads. The plus side is, there are no wasted shots at the range, I just use 'em to pound ground squirrels like any other load.

So far as the .25-'06 AI ... I don't see a lot of use for the cartridge since 700 actions with a magnum bolt face are readily available, .257 Weatherby is faster yet, and its easy enough to make .257 weatherby brass from .264 or 7mm mag, however, the idea of having an AI reamer dropped into a Kimber 84L .25-'06 sorta tickles my insanity. Lotta reach in a light rifle iff the accuracy is there.

Tom

100 grain bullets with around 60-61 grains of RE22 worked well in the two 25-06 Ackleys I've been around.

Prairie Goat, do you recall the velocity with those loads ? around 3500fps Im guessing ?

Yep, right around 3500 give or take a bit. One barel was 26", the other 23".

Also thanks Tom,

Ill have see how the 270 brass angle works out, dont' have any 117RN's but the 125's I have do have a lot of bearing surface so they would jam nicely.

In my 6.5 I was getting 3500 with the 100bt, shot scary good. You guys have me contemplating having my soon-to-be 25-06 AI'd

Seriously? That is what I'm getting in my Weatherby Mag from 100 gr ETips & 70 gr RL22...

Mine chrono'ed 3450 with R22 and 100 TSX, in a 25" custom barrel.

Are you getting a crush fit because the 270 brass is longer and you are hitting the end of the neck in the chamber? Or are you cutting the 270 to length first?

Yessir, I run the 100 gr TTSX's out at 3552 fps in a 28" barrel with 61.0 grs. RL-22 and a CCI-250 primer in WW brass.

Shoots three at .331 in calm winds.

Gunner

In my 25-06 AI I have had great luck with H4350 and the 100gr tsx. I have also had god luck with heavier bullets using Magnum and Retumbo.

Don't worry about lengthening your throat unless you are using R#25 with a custom bullet weight over 120g.

What speeds are you able to get with a 115 or 120gr. bullet?

about the fit, Ive resized it partly (part of neck) and trimmed to 2.484

All those 25-06 had been resized prior to acquiring the rifle when I had 6.5-06 so from now any brass I resize I only resized to the point where I can get a crush fit. The ones I did already will probably not last as long but If the 270's work better Ill stick to that.

About the throat, ive got some 125's and there are more readily available, Ill see what I can do with the throat I have now...I think throating would give me some powder space/ alleviate pressure. Ill see when i start playing with them later on.

Not Keith, but I'm well into the 3200's with 117/120's

But found accuracy with 100gr NPT's... Deer Hate 'em

Had a couple over the years fun to work with. RE 22 has always been good ....3500 is pushing it a bit in a 26 tube...pressure signs like a sticky bolt lift kind of evade youin a AI or gibbs cartridge.....but the primer wont lie..... try Sierra 117 SPBT.......and you got a helluva killer there... would not do a AI anymore.....just use a .257 Roy......but thats just me

update on some fireforming tests.....18gr of 4759 with no bullet failed to form miserably....some cases have little sign of fireforming and a few of them had round shoulders...I dont' think Ill bother working up that load, Ill just keep on shooting 25-06 87gr. speers at paper for now.

I am sure that the RL22 will be just fine, but I use Retumbo in my std 25-06. Just another option for you.

yes I would think retumbo would work well with heavy bullets. Ill try to stick with my existing array of powders for now. I was pondering R-25 and 125 gr. bullets...

Finally, cooler weather has come...going to to be working 100's and Rl-22 this weekend. I was going to use some 100gr. sierras to workup and then do some finally tweaking and hunt with Barnes TSX..im thinking the TSX will run a little more pressure and QL seems to think so too. Anybody else work up with regular bullets then switch and use a Barnes type Mono ?

update: did some working up on weekend - Looks like im finding home around 61gr. of RL-22. Just using some 100gr. Sierra SP's right now...will switch to Barnes TSX for November's Deer Hunt.

Good to hear! I think around 60-61 grains of RE22 seems to be a "pet load" that works in several folk's rifles.

Any comments about using the Barnes TSX on Deer sized game. Some find that they dont' expand fast enough. I have a load worked up in the 25-06 Ackley (60.5 RL22 100gr. TSX BT). I was thinking they would open up ok at that velocity...my other option is to use the Sierra SP or even Hornady Interlocks but Ive never checked POI on those.

QL sucks for the 25-06ai.

60-62gr of '22 is around where you want to be for the 100gr TSX.

Retumbo made my 25-06 (not Ackleyed) shoot like a son-of-a-gun with 100s, very accurate and much faster than I would have guessed, it's worth trying.

Not the TSX but the 100 gr TTSX, hammered a WT doe last year on a hard facing quarter, hit her in the right shoulder and exited left ribcage, IIRC it was an 80 yard shot, she went two feet, straight down, and there were of course signs of expansion.

Gonna stretch the little AI out to around 500 yards and see how the TTSX's behave at that distance on deer, will report back if a shot presents itself in the coming weeks.

Gunner

I've been shooting mine with a load that I got from KenaiKing on this forum 3 or 4 years ago.I don't have it in front of me but it's a stiff jolt of RL22 behind a 100gr. TTSX.Very accurate. Monashee

cool, Ive told the TTSX expands quicker...Ill hopefully be reporting back favorably about the TSX in a couple weeks.

The TSX worked out well, shot were pretty close so results were not scientific but Im happy and im picking up meat from the butcher this week. On the off season Ill be playing with some 75gr. Sierra HP's among other things. Ill see about more predator hunting / varminting.

How much gain did you get from the ai compared to your standard 25-06. I have really been pondering the 25 Gibbs or ai. Rite now I'm shooting the 110 accu bond and that's what I want to stick to if and when I pounch it out

The speed ain't gonna be it..... If its speed your after get a weatherby. The nice thing about an ackley chamber is lack of trimming and a little speed. I'd not spend the money to AI If speed was all I was after. To each his own

I'm not a ackley basher. I have and like them in 223,22-250,250,280 and had two 25-06's

Agree with what Kaleb said.

Rechambering an 06' based cartridge to an AI or Gibbs for the sake of speed is a waste of money. BTDT. Spent the money, burnt out the barrels. If you want more speed, go 257 Roy.

Yep,if I had wanted top speed I would have bought a .257 Roy.I'm more than happy with my .25-06AI. Monashee

Started shooting some loads today for one I finished recently. 110gr ABs with 58.5 grains of IMR 4831 shot two seperate 3 shot groups in the low 3's, 3420 FPS avg over the 6 shots. 59 grains started showing slight ejector marks and opened up to a skoosh over 1/2in.

I had some loads with Retumbo and the 110s also. 61-63 grains. Something must be amiss with this can of powder...I posted about using it in my .264 during load development also. The velocity SUCKS! With the 63 grs, I was getting a hair over 3100fps. Running the same powder out of the .264, those Retumbo loads clocked right around 300fps slower than what I could get out of the same bullet with IMR 7828.

I have some 100gr Partions, and 115 gr BTs I may fool with later on, but the 110 ABs and 4831 loads I shot today ought to get it done.

Same as some of you here....never had any desire for a 257 Roy...always been a 25 cal slut, and never been without a 25-06 of some flavor.

its not 1955, no need for AI's anymore for the most part. Better powders, better barrels, more knowledge with reloading. 1960's AI speeds are basically today's modern pressure speeds. The 25-06 is still loaded below potential by most factories for some reason.

If you want to go noticeably faster, get the Weatherby (or STW if you want to play with a real barrel burning cat). If you want to go a bit faster, find a new powder.

What would be the better powder for max speed in the 110 ab in the 26-06 rem

Not sure about the 25-06, Ive never had one, this barrel was chambered in AI right away. Like others mentioned ive never had the itch for a ROY...just a lot more powder for a bit more speed in my opinion..I guess we can say the same thing about the AI over the parent case...its just one of things that I wanted, and If I want to shoot 25-06 rem that I can just go ahead and do that.

I have a 9" twist Broughton barrel on this rig and I have Marshall from Matrix bullets that will try and cook up a long VLD bullet for me this winter (time allowing) Something in the 135-145 gr. Range, Maybe stretch the legs on this one next summer. I already have his 125gr. bullet that I havent had time to develop a load for yet.

I still like ackleys no matter the year. I don't understand the comment about no need now due to new powders.??

So with newer powder bullets barrels the 25-06 is better than it was in 1960?...ok that makes sense...

Can same new stuff not be used for the ackley chambering as well?....lol

This crossed my mind as well,P.O didn't have the benefit of the new powders when he was creating the Ackley chamberings,and I would think that they would benefit with the advent of new powders just as the parent cartridges have. Monashee

im couldnt agree more. the ai is sounding better all the time