A wildcat not often seen or heard about. 257 Roberts Ackley Imp necked up to 270 cal. Anyone have any experience with this cat ? Ackley claimed 270 Win performance with less powder . Anyone have a set of dies that they no longer use and would part with ?? Shoot me a PM if you have a set

I have often thought about this cartridge also. While I do not have one I do have a 270 IHMSA. Basically a 300 Savage case necked down to take a .277 bullet. Much like a 270 Creedmore. I do have some old reloading data from the late 50's for the 270/257 Rob Ack Imp. The data shows that it would be a good round. I think it would best be used in an intermediate or long length action.

Full circle, the Chinese used a 6.8X57mm round some 100+ years ago.

H.F.I had always heard,one hand on your wallet + one on your privets.I like yours better.As to the subject in point,when in the 80's I was building rifles + had an immense concern in developing a "NEW SUPER CALIBRE".Long story short,everything I came up with,Parker had designed many years before.Just one more study in humility.

Doesnt appear that this was very popular. The 270-308 cartridge and various improved versions is another cartridge that performs quite well. Very similar to a 7mm-08. Anyone have a set of dies for a 270-308 or maybe even a 270-284 they would part with ?? I've got this new 270 cal barrel that I have to do something with.

quote:

Originally posted by snowman:
Doesnt appear that this was very popular. The 270-308 cartridge and various improved versions is another cartridge that performs quite well. Very similar to a 7mm-08. Anyone have a set of dies for a 270-308 or maybe even a 270-284 they would part with ?? I've got this new 270 cal barrel that I have to do something with.

CH4D offers dies in those cartridges. I've considered rebarreling one of my 600s in either the 270 Redding or 270 IHMSA, just too many projects ahead of it for now.

Couldn't you use a Redding type-S FL or neck bushing die for the 257 R-AI and get the appropriate expander button and neck bushing for the .277 diameter?

I know that going DOWN in neck size is easily accomplished with dies like this but going up seems equally as simple.

Zeke

Contacted CH4D No dies in stock and wait time is almost 2 yrs.

quote:

Originally posted by snowman:
Contacted CH4D No dies in stock and wait time is almost 2 yrs.

What a shame, sounds like many sources of custom dies are drying up.

Yes indeed.2 years ago I called RCBS to place an order + was told they could not now sell to the public.I told them I had been buying custom dies for years. He said,not in the last 18 months you have'nt.TRue.The opposition is just chipping away one piece at a time.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Yes indeed.2 years ago I called RCBS to place an order + was told they could not now sell to the public.I told them I had been buying custom dies for years. He said,not in the last 18 months you have'nt.TRue.The opposition is just chipping away one piece at a time.

I would suspect it's more that every year there are fewer of us that appreciate the obscure /obsolete/ wildcat cartridges. Supply and demand at work so to speak.

I was a bit surprised, but then Mr. A was always surprising an ignorant youngster like me. He said in his books that Bliss Titus, gunsmith, equalled the .270 WCF in the 99 Savage with the .250 necked up to .277 and the pre WW II powders/.270 loads. When surplus 4831 came on, thank you Mr. Hodgdon, things were a bit different. II). The other maneuver that comes to mind, the 6.5 Jap rifles were often rechambered to 6.5/.257 Roberts to have cases or so I have read. Bit before my time. Some were quite loose in the bore and I have to wonder how many ended up shooting .277 bullets to get some accuracy. ??
When RCBS sold, the custom shop became "Huntington Die Specialties." Haven't done business with them in decades. With all the "anti" pressure, no doubt things are "tighter." Basic machine shop work, but who wants to get busted for something that might need an FFL... Luck. Happy Traills.

Found a set of 270/308 Ackley Imp with 40 deg shoulder dies so I think thats what this 270 barrel is going to become. Cheap brass and something new to play with.

quote:

Originally posted by snowman:
Found a set of 270/308 Ackley Imp with 40 deg shoulder dies so I think thats what this 270 barrel is going to become. Cheap brass and something new to play with.

Keep us posted on how it works out; curious minds and all that.

hogfarmer,I well understand the supply + demand issue but this is more than that.RCBS has always had a special division that dealt in custom dies not carried by any suppliers.Now that is gone.I can't complain for me because I have bought all I needed over the years;but I don't like the thought that they are now unavailable to others. I don't see a red/socialist behind every bush but I do question why a product is now unavailable(kinda like wheel weights.)Besides the tone of the RCBS clerk was that he was not allowed to sell them,not that they were discontinued.He gave me a free bushing for my press to shut me up + got off the line.

Gentlemen I think there is some confusion here. I think RCBS has sold the specialty dies to Huntington Specialty Dies. So technically RCBS does not make the odd calibre dies anymore but Huntington does. If someone has more info on this please feel free to set the record straight.

The .270 Win. is so good that trying to duplicate it with a smaller round just didn't fly and never will..

Besides the 7-08 is so close it would be folly to try...These wildcats are for bored wildcatters that have run out of toys.

BTW the difference in a 277 and a 284 is 7 and that ain't much.

RCBS has always been Huntngton sorta, they are next doorto each other so to speak and Ive order many dies from Huntington and Fred told he would go across the street to get them.

Today Huntingtons stock has been so depleted that one wonders how long they are going to be in business..Ive done business with them for more years than most around here can count.

I picked up a Sukalle barrel for a small ring Mauser in 270 Titus not too long ago.

22 L. R. = 22 short

270 WCF = 270 short (270/257 Ack IMP)

Why not use less powder to duplicate what your after,

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
22 L. R. = 22 short

270 WCF = 270 short (270/257 Ack IMP)

Why not use less powder to duplicate what your after,

Well, it's darn tough to shoehorn that 270 Win into a short action.

Ray,I have been buying specialty dies from them since Christ was a corporal but no more,+ yeah,Fred Huntington + RCBS were esecentially one + the same.They had CCI and a few others as well in their corp.I don't need any more dies now but a source would be nice to have.

Hogfarmer,
Im aware of that, but was under the opinion that you were still in the talking stage of this project..Some 257s both Ackley and Robts are on std. actions such as my Ruger 77 so bullets can be seated out and the std action gives you the needed magazine length to match the chamber was the intended suggestion of my post, but further thought suggested one might as well go with the .270 in that case..Just food for thought was the intent.

Norm,
Like most great operation they don't last forever, Huntingtons was the gun worlds savior for so many years, I hate to see it tumble. I used to order and we would have a good conversation then order, it was always like old home week..

NOrm,
Its all but impossible to come up with a wildcat that ain't been wildcatted, close but no ceegar these days..The 270, 25-06, 243, 30-06, 300 win. mag, 7 mag. 7-08 just to mention a few have flooded the dike..Today its just a game, it used to be needed, and that need has eaten itself out of house and home.

277 vs 284 improved ....

hmm, you can't feed a hummingbird on the difference

if you dont get it, a 257 is a 7x7, necked down to .257.. a 270 is a 7x57, necked down to 257, necked up to .277 ... and a 7x57 is a .284...

and the 7x57 AI is the best of all of them ....

though, frankly, a 257 ai is just a waste of time, load the bob to 61K and call it day.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
NOrm,
Its all but impossible to come up with a wildcat that ain't been wildcatted, close but no ceegar these days..The 270, 25-06, 243, 30-06, 300 win. mag, 7 mag. 7-08 just to mention a few have flooded the dike..Today its just a game, it used to be needed, and that need has eaten itself out of house and home.

yeah, yeah you can
neck em all to my 49 caliber ... .498 groove, .490 bore .. i literally own the only tooling to do such

quote:

Originally posted by hogfarmer:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
22 L. R. = 22 short

270 WCF = 270 short (270/257 Ack IMP)

Why not use less powder to duplicate what your after,

Well, it's darn tough to shoehorn that 270 Win into a short action.

do it this way
take a 348 win -- neck it to 45, improve it, then turn the rim off, make it rimless, with a .550 rim to match the body, then neck it down to 30 caliber, in steps that include 8mm, and further, then take it down to .277 ..

call it
270 WSM....\
underload load THAT, even at short action length, to stop EXCEEding the 270 WCF

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
RCBS has always been Huntngton sorta, they are next doorto each other so to speak and Ive order many dies from Huntington and Fred told he would go across the street to get them.

Today Huntingtons stock has been so depleted that one wonders how long they are going to be in business..Ive done business with them for more years than most around here can count.

Huntingtons were always great to deal with. Phone up from Australiq with your Viss card and 10 days later dies or whatever would arrive.

Year ago a mate of mine (he is on AR as Blir338RUM) wnated to get Northfork bullets (I am 99% sure it was those bullets) but they did do the export stuff. So Huntingtons bought them for him and he bougt them from Huntingtons.