I am looking for info on the 30/30 AI wildcat cartridges. All calibers. Velocities, specs, reloading info. Any information or any source of information or link to any information would be greatly appreciated. Would also love to hear from anyone who shoots one. Thanks in advance.

Safe shooting
Doug

Doug

I think the reason you're not getting a bunch of responses is because your subject area is pretty big. I'd recommend that you buy, beg or borrow several of the "Wildcat" books (including Ackley), get as much info as you can from them and then build on it on places such as this Forum.

Ray

P.O. Ackley
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A .243 Winchester (right) beside the Ackley Improved version; note the reduced case taper and sharper shoulder angle typical of the Ackley Improved cartridgesParker Otto Ackley (born 25 May 1903, Granville, New York, died 1989) was a prolific gunsmith, 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. Ackley improved not only standard cartridges, but also other popular wildcats, and was the first to create a .17 caliber (4.5mm) centerfire cartridge.[1]

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Wildcats and Ackley Improved cartridges
3 Other research
4 References



[edit] Biography
Ackley began gunsmithing full time in Oregon in 1936, but was interrupted by World War II. In 1945, he established a new shop in Trinidad, Colorado, and soon became one of the largest custom gunmakers in the United States. He was also on the staff of the magazines Guns&Ammo and Shooting Times, and was an instructor at the Trinidad State Junior College from 1946 to 1951, where he did much experimentation in the field of firearms.[2]


[edit] Wildcats and Ackley Improved cartridges
The following is a list of Ackley cartridges, both "Improved" versions (requiring only fireforming) and more complex versions involving case length reductions or caliber changes. In addition to being easy to form, firearms chambered for the "Improved" cartridges could fire standard factory loaded ammunition as well, allowing a shooter to use commonly available ammunition if the wildcat loads weren't available.[3][4]

.17 Ackley Hornet, a .22 Ackley Hornet necked down to .17 caliber (4.5mm)
.17 Ackley Bee, a .218 Improved Bee necked down to .17 caliber (4.5mm)
.22 Ackley Improved Hornet, an improved .22 Hornet
.218 Ackley Improved Bee, and improved .218 Bee
.22/.30-30 Ackley Improved, a .30-30 Ackley Improved necked down to .22 caliber (5.56mm)
.223 Ackley Improved, an improved .223 Remington[5]
.228 Ackley Magnum, an improved 7x57mm Mauser necked down to .228 caliber (5.8mm); bullets in this size are hard to find but provide greater weight than .223 caliber bullets, up to 100 grains (6.5g), without excessively quick twist rate.
6mm/.30-30 Improved, a .30-30 Ackley Improved necked down to 6mm (.243)
.243 Ackely Improved, an improved .243 Winchester
.25 Ackley Krag, a .30-40 Krag necked down to .25 caliber (6.2mm)
.25 Ackley Krag Short, a slightly shortened .25 Ackley Krag
.250-3000 Ackley Improved, an improved .250-3000 Savage
.257 Ackley Improved, an improved .257 Roberts
.30-30 Ackley Improved, an improved .30-30 Winchester
.30-06 Ackley Improved, an improved .30-06 Springfield
.30 Ackley Magnum No. 1 and No. 2 short, based on the Holland & Holland belted magnum, the No. 2 version designed to fit in standard length actions (.30-06 class)
.303 Ackley Improved, an improved version of the .303 British Mark VII service cartridge
.35 Ackley Magnum No. 1 and No. 2 short, based on the .30 Ackley Magnum cases; there is also an Improved version of the No. 2.
.475 Ackley Magnum, based on a .375 H&H Magnum necked up to .475 (12mm)

Google always knows......r in s.

Thanks guys. Off to ebay in search of books'

Safe shooting
Doug

To what purpose? If I might inquire?

Mr. Ackley used the case for its popularity and availability and went about as far as it could go. .224 up. Factory straight is the .38/55. In his two volume set of books I found the .25/35 Ack IMP amazing. 3800 fps with 70 grain bullets as I recall. Then it occurred to me that this might have been very high pressure loads in heavy single shot rifles like the 1885 Winchester/Browning. I wrote to ask him, ignorant kid, and as graciously as always, he was a gentleman, he replied, "Nope, we get this in 94 Winchesters and Marlins right along."

.219 Zipper Imp was a bit overbore for powders of the day, but 6mm up short of the heaviest bullets... Quite a deal.

You might find Mr. Brown, eabco.com interesting. He has borrowed from Mr. Donaldson and the .219 Don WASP for his "internationals" and has a line of house cartridges on the .219 Zipper Improved case, 6mm, 6.5 mm, .30 etc. enjoy.

I have a 30-30 ackley and a 25/35 ackley, both are pretty snotty, the 25/35 imp especially so.
with IMR 4320 85 grn@ 3100 and 117@ 2700 in a 24" barreled marlin 336. The loads were worked up with a strain gauge on the barrel and were kept to standard 30-30 pressure limits.

In 1960/61 I had a .22-30/30 AI in a large Martini action. After about only 400 rounds I got rid of it.

Why? Because by then it had literally pounded the heads of the cartridge cases into the front of the breech block deep enough that it became almost impossible to open the action after firing. (The cartridges had "counter-sunk" themselves into the face of the breech-block an amount about equal to the thickness of the rim.)

Don't have a clue what the pressures were, but they were certainly substantial even though the cases themselves showed no signs whatsoever of pressure problems.


BTW, Mr. Ackley's first shop was here in this town, Roseburg, Oregon. There's a motel on the site now, about 100 yards east of I-5, on the banks of the South Umpqua river at the Oak Street bridge.

Sorry I didn't tell the reason for this inquiry. I am planning a custom barrel for my Contender. Looking fo something a little different but, still within the pressure needs of a Contender.Thanks for the input. Any other suggestions will be appreciated.

Safe shooting
Doug

I had a 6.5mm wildcat based on the 30-30, called the 6.5 Grassl Rimmed. It was the 7mm intl rimmed necked down. I traded into the barrel, dies and brass from a friend. It was a 14" contender barrel originally a 6.5 TCU that was re-chambered.

The upside of the round was that it was quite accurate, 3 shot 1/2" groups at 100 yds, and matched 6.5 ssk performance with a few grains less powder. The downside is the round had the improved sharper shoulder, but not the improved straightened body. Combignign the flexy contender frame and somewhat weak 30-30 brass My cases would have incipient case head sepperation after 3 firings. I didn't try forming brass from 375 win brass.

I really like the rimmed case on a contender, but if I were to do it again, I'd base the round of the 5.56X50R case. No problem running the pressure up there in the smaller case.

I recently purchased a 35/30-30 Improved 40° barrel from MGM. It shoots extremely well with fireforming loads and I believe that it will become one of my favorite barrels. I've acheived 2147 fps with 180 gr. Speer FP. In addition, i have my very first "Mickey Mouse face" with this setup. I believe that i can get 35 Rem. performance out of this cartridge using reformed 375 Win. brass.