Talyn
SAINT
The .250 Ackley Improved
The .250 Ackley Improved was developed by Parker Otto Ackley, P.O. Ackley, was an American gunsmith, barrel maker, author, columnist, and wildcat cartridge developer. The Ackley Improved family of wildcat cartridges are designed to be easily made by rechambering existing firearms, and fireforming the ammunition to decrease body taper and increase shoulder angle, resulting in a higher case capacity. P.O. Ackley improved not only standard cartridges, but also other popular wildcats, and was the first to create a .17 caliber centerfire cartridge.
The .250 Ackley Improved was a multi-purpose round, and it was taking advantage of the latest technology. Its parent case was the hottest cartridge at the time when the .250 Savage was announced in 1915. It had a staggering velocity of 3,000 fps with an 87 gr bullet. The .250 Ackley Improved performance, reaching about the maximum velocity obtainable in the .25 caliber with powders of that era.
P.O. Ackley described the .250 Ackley Improved as one of the best of the so-called “improved” cartridges. He went on to add that “it shows a greater percentage of increase in velocity than almost any other.” In that statement Ackley was comparing the velocities of his maximum-pressure handloads to 100-grain factory ammunition that at the time had the same velocity rating of 2,820 fps as today.
Maximum velocities for 100-grain bullets from the .250 Savage shown in various reloading manuals vary quite a bit. It can be safely assumed that pressure generated by the loads that produced those velocities did not exceed the SAAMI maximum of 45,000 CUP in those barrels. Appropriate powders are those with medium-slow burn rates such as H-4350, IMR-4350, Accurate 4350, W-760, IMR-4451, H-414 and RL-19 handle all bullet weights in the .250 .
When both are loaded to the same chamber pressure and fired in barrels of the same length, the improved version will be about 100 fps faster than its parent. Velocity will vary slightly depending on how much or how little body taper the parent case has. The original Ackley version had a 40 degree shoulder angle but 30 degree versions are also used.
The .250 Ackley Improved is a handloading-only proposition, as there are no factory loads currently manufactured for it.
The .250 Ackley Improved case is created by fire-forming a .250 Savage (shown on left in image) in the .250 Ackley Improved-chambered rifle, although custom cases are available from some custom manufacturers.
.250 Savage ammunition and component cases are difficult to find, but readily-available and inexpensive .22-.250 Rem. brass can first be resized through a full-length .250 Savage resizing die. A mid-range .250 Savage handload and fired in the .250 Ackley Improved barrel will fire-form the case, which will then need to be checked for propper lngth and completed in the appropriate .250 Ackley Improved dies.
The .250 Ackley Improved was developed by Parker Otto Ackley, P.O. Ackley, was an American gunsmith, barrel maker, author, columnist, and wildcat cartridge developer. The Ackley Improved family of wildcat cartridges are designed to be easily made by rechambering existing firearms, and fireforming the ammunition to decrease body taper and increase shoulder angle, resulting in a higher case capacity. P.O. Ackley improved not only standard cartridges, but also other popular wildcats, and was the first to create a .17 caliber centerfire cartridge.
The .250 Ackley Improved was a multi-purpose round, and it was taking advantage of the latest technology. Its parent case was the hottest cartridge at the time when the .250 Savage was announced in 1915. It had a staggering velocity of 3,000 fps with an 87 gr bullet. The .250 Ackley Improved performance, reaching about the maximum velocity obtainable in the .25 caliber with powders of that era.
P.O. Ackley described the .250 Ackley Improved as one of the best of the so-called “improved” cartridges. He went on to add that “it shows a greater percentage of increase in velocity than almost any other.” In that statement Ackley was comparing the velocities of his maximum-pressure handloads to 100-grain factory ammunition that at the time had the same velocity rating of 2,820 fps as today.
Maximum velocities for 100-grain bullets from the .250 Savage shown in various reloading manuals vary quite a bit. It can be safely assumed that pressure generated by the loads that produced those velocities did not exceed the SAAMI maximum of 45,000 CUP in those barrels. Appropriate powders are those with medium-slow burn rates such as H-4350, IMR-4350, Accurate 4350, W-760, IMR-4451, H-414 and RL-19 handle all bullet weights in the .250 .
When both are loaded to the same chamber pressure and fired in barrels of the same length, the improved version will be about 100 fps faster than its parent. Velocity will vary slightly depending on how much or how little body taper the parent case has. The original Ackley version had a 40 degree shoulder angle but 30 degree versions are also used.
The .250 Ackley Improved is a handloading-only proposition, as there are no factory loads currently manufactured for it.
The .250 Ackley Improved case is created by fire-forming a .250 Savage (shown on left in image) in the .250 Ackley Improved-chambered rifle, although custom cases are available from some custom manufacturers.
.250 Savage ammunition and component cases are difficult to find, but readily-available and inexpensive .22-.250 Rem. brass can first be resized through a full-length .250 Savage resizing die. A mid-range .250 Savage handload and fired in the .250 Ackley Improved barrel will fire-form the case, which will then need to be checked for propper lngth and completed in the appropriate .250 Ackley Improved dies.