Does anyone have any contact info for a knowledgeable person from the now OOB company RCC, Roberson Cartridge Company? I acquired some cases headstamped .25-06AI cases. IMO AI generally refers to the 40 degree shoulder version. These cases would not chamber in either of my 6.5-06AI rifles. Running it through the FL size die didn't change that. Looks like 35 degree or even 30 degree shoulder. I wonder why they did that.
From L to R.
6.5-06 RCC case 6.5-06AI.

The trouble with non standard cartridge is that they are not standard.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
The trouble with non standard cartridge is that they are not standard.

True, but just checking and I see that Redding offers dies for the 40 degree version, but not any others. In cases NPI where there is more than one version IMO it should be reflected on the headstamp. The gent I got them from took them back so I wasn't out anything.

there's like 5 different versions of the Ackley 7X57.
I can't swap between my two, and the die set only fits one of them.

Remington-Nosler also changed the original AI version when they done the 280 cutting case capacity down a few grains.

The other thing I noticed was that I had to work at getting the case into and out of the RCBS shellholder which I've had for like 47 years. Would be easy to spill powder out of a full case if one wasn't careful. I would like to ask someone from RCC why they did what they did since a prospective buyer would have no idea of what they were getting. My main reason for wanting them was hopefully to end up with 6.5-06AI cases of the proper 2.494 length.

quote:

These cases would not chamber in either of my 6.5-06AI rifles. Running it through the FL size die didn't change that.

The sharp shoulder may be making it hard to properly set the shoulder back. I would anneal then run them through a standard 6.5/06 die, then fire form. I know that with the 257 AI there was an RCBS version that I believe was a 30* variation. So technically it wasn't an "Ackley" Improved, it was an RCBS Improved.

agree on using a more sloped shoulder die to push things back enough to chamber and fire-form.
I done that with some 40* 257 cases that got a bit long using a standard 7x57 die.
just a squish till they chambered then I annealed and loaded.
if I annealed first it tried to roll in the case at the neck shoulder junction, it never fired out and I knew the case life was gonna be very limited as soon as I seen it.

I have plenty of 6.5-06AI cases and I really don't want to mess with them for a little extra case length that likely doesn't matter much. I just returned them since the seller offered to take them back. I did keep one case back tho because it wasn't new like the others after I messed with it.

Would love to find some once-fired .270Win Improved tho. I once considered buying a cheap .270Win and having it rechambered to the Improved version and fireforming 500 cases.

You'll have to find a different source for your answers. I tried to place an order in Dec '22 and was told they were not taking any orders until further notice. They have since folded their tents and moved out of town.

The pain of wildcatting dwindles as you age, thank goodness..wildsats are the attempted salvation of a non existenting problem, expensive and foolhardy!!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
The pain of wildcatting dwindles as you age, thank goodness..wildsats are the attempted salvation of a non existenting problem, expensive and foolhardy!!

Until the wildcats become main stream.

Then they become even more of a PITA because everyone assumes and wonders why they don’t work in their rifle…