.243 Ackley Improved
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,600
.243 Ackley Improved
Well, I finally got it finished. 26" Lilja barrel...9"twist. Rem. 700 SA. Action trued and lugs lapped. English walnut stock....action and chamber area of barrel solid bedded, rest of barrel free-floated in glass channel.
Sraight 12X Leupold with fine crosshair in Leupold mounts with sunshade.
Barrel and action work by Budd Siverd. All stock, bedding and trigger work done by yours truly.
I set up my dies last night, and am going to start to fireform brass with handloads. I've formed some brass with factory ammo, but want to get started with empty Win. brass.
I'm going to start with 87 gr. V-Max's and see what happens. I have some 85 gr. Sierra HPBT's that used to shoot good in one of my other .243's on hand, and will try them too after I get a brass supply worked up. I think I'm gonna want to move up a bit in bullet weight as things go on, but we'll see.
I was a bit concerned during the first series of single shot/clean breakins. The barrel seemed to be residue fouling a lot. I'm hoping this stops when properly formed brass is used.
Hope the crappy cameraphone picture will come up OK. I can't get my printer to upload 35mm pictures for some reason, and now it won't even download anymore camphone pics. Ain't technology great???
Sraight 12X Leupold with fine crosshair in Leupold mounts with sunshade.
Barrel and action work by Budd Siverd. All stock, bedding and trigger work done by yours truly.
I set up my dies last night, and am going to start to fireform brass with handloads. I've formed some brass with factory ammo, but want to get started with empty Win. brass.
I'm going to start with 87 gr. V-Max's and see what happens. I have some 85 gr. Sierra HPBT's that used to shoot good in one of my other .243's on hand, and will try them too after I get a brass supply worked up. I think I'm gonna want to move up a bit in bullet weight as things go on, but we'll see.
I was a bit concerned during the first series of single shot/clean breakins. The barrel seemed to be residue fouling a lot. I'm hoping this stops when properly formed brass is used.
Hope the crappy cameraphone picture will come up OK. I can't get my printer to upload 35mm pictures for some reason, and now it won't even download anymore camphone pics. Ain't technology great???
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MB.
Posts: 2,984
RE: .243 Ackley Improved
Congrats on that mighty fine looking rifle. Sound like you put allot of work into it with satisfaction. Curious to hear how she shoots but I’m sure you’re going to have fun doing so. Now if you can only get a real good picture...
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Location:
Posts: 920
RE: .243 Ackley Improved
Good looking stick there Pawildman, something to take some personal pride in for sure. My Cooper 243 Win likes the 95 gr Nosler while my 6mmx284 thrives with a now obsolete Barnes 75 gr X bullet. Yeah, sometimes the fireforming can be a drag. Looking foward to some other pics.
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,600
RE: .243 Ackley Improved
ORIGINAL: jeepkid
Looks sweet!
What barrel contour? (I think you told me before but I forgot.)
You might also think about trying the 95gr Berger...
Looks sweet!
What barrel contour? (I think you told me before but I forgot.)
You might also think about trying the 95gr Berger...
I'm gonna use up some old stock to make cases. I'm really hot on wanting to see how this old girl goes.....
#10
RE: .243 Ackley Improved
ORIGINAL: Pawildman
..............Thanks, jk.....It's a # 5 contour. As far as bullet weights, you're probably right. I just want to get a bunch of cases formed and see where we go. When I ordered the barrel, I figured on a 9" twist because the Greenhill formula pretty much matched up to what I wanted to shoot...80 to somewhere around 100 gr. bullets depending on their OAL.
I'm gonna use up some old stock to make cases. I'm really hot on wanting to see how this old girl goes.....
ORIGINAL: jeepkid
Looks sweet!
What barrel contour? (I think you told me before but I forgot.)
You might also think about trying the 95gr Berger...
Looks sweet!
What barrel contour? (I think you told me before but I forgot.)
You might also think about trying the 95gr Berger...
I'm gonna use up some old stock to make cases. I'm really hot on wanting to see how this old girl goes.....