Mike, what can you tell me about the 6.5 X .444 Bowers?

By the way, I love your .375 X .444. Sweet and accurate. Excellent work, thanks. But, from what I've read here and other forums, that's the norm.

Yes, Mike's work is indeed a testament to his relentless pursuit of perfection.

Thanks for the kind words, guys. Always appreciated.

Critical as I am, the sword cuts both ways, and I do my utmost to make the "walk match the talk."

6.5x.444 Bowers by any other description is still what has been known for close to half a century as either the .260 AAR (which Atkinson & Marquart said stood for All Around Rifle) or more descriptively, 6.5x.257 Roberts Ackley Improved. Cases are just made from .444 Marlin instead of the rimless .257 Roberts case. Quite easy to neck down and fireform, btw. Annealing is recommended.

Don may or may not have deviated from the neck/shoulder junction location of the originals, but the other dimensions are the same to the point that off the shelf Redding dies are used. If there is any substantive alterations to the dies, I don't know what they are.

Point is that if there is any difference it is quite slight, and the data published in Ackley's books is at least a good starting point so long as one uses the usual back off and work up approach that should be used for all data.

The loads in his books are quite old, so do use them with discretion.

Get the dies from Redding, preferred, or RCBS.

Mike

I knew you would know...thanks.

I'll go ahead and order the dies form SSK and the barrel from you....

HA...HA...Just joking...

P.S. I hope your wife is doing ok.

Yeah, right. Tell my ole bud JD I said hi. Sure.

Some of us are taking a hard look at Mr. Van Horn as a source of barrels to chamber. Since I have not seen any of his work for a long time, I need to do so and will let you all know what my evil eye finds.

Mike