I was just turned on to this site and I must say that I love the discussions that go on here!

Anyway here is my question, I just recently purchased a VZ24 in 8mm-06. The rifle needs to be finised as it is in the white and the stock is unfinished. Is it worth it to Ackley Improve the round since I'm taking it in to have the rest of the metal work done? Am I going to gain much by doing this in the way of MV and ME?

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:
I was just turned on to this site and I must say that I love the discussions that go on here!

Anyway here is my question, I just recently purchased a VZ24 in 8mm-06. The rifle needs to be finised as it is in the white and the stock is unfinished. Is it worth it to Ackley Improve the round since I'm taking it in to have the rest of the metal work done? Am I going to gain much by doing this in the way of MV and ME?

NO roger

Depends on who you talk to. I'm working on a 8mm-06AI, but its only in 8x57 now. By converting to 8mm-06 (or AI) I can "clean up" the throat on the military barrel (which has good rifling, but also needs to be shortened and re-crowned). So I did a little research, and the "AI" guys are getting another 100-150 fps with the AI, with carefully developed handloads. These loads are stepping on the toes of .300 Win Mag, but using several grains less powder.

Having said all that, I'm not sure there's all that much practical difference with the AI, as you already have 8mm-06, which is a good round to start with. To me it would depend on cost. If its not expensive (say under $50)to have it rechambered, I'd probably do it, just to have that little extra. But I wouldn't regret not doing it either.

In short what I've seemed to notice with AI conversions, is that you gain alot more with smaller cases, but not so much in the larger ones.

Antoher reason I was thinking of improving the chamber is that I own serveral 06 variants and didn't want to get the ammo mixed up. I'm not so much worried about my .270 and 35 Whelen because they have different head stamps. My big concern is my .30-06 and my .338-06 are both using 06 headstamps. I've been using nickel plated brass for my .336-06 to keep them seperated.

The added MV is only part of the equasion.

The Ackley Improved variant will allow you to up the pressure and still get great brass longevity. Insipient head case seperation will be litle factor as primer pockets were the usual factor in case failure after 12-15 loadings.

Remove as much material as possible from the front and back of the magazine and you will be able to load to 3.34" or perhaps slightly longer.

!80gr Nosler BTs @ 3000fps, 200gr Nosler Par, @ 2800fps from a 23 3'8" military length barrel.

IMR 4064 similar powders for the 180, IMR 4350 or similar powders for the 200

Look at the 8mm Gibbs also. The AI usually gives 3-5% more powder capacity, while the Gibbs gives you 8-10% more. Depending on all the various factors, you will probably end up with 100-200 fps more velocity than the std 8-06. YMMV.

MM

My personal opinion after having played with a 35 whelen ai is that the ackley chamber generally isn't worth the effort and expense.

If one keeps to std recomended opperation pressures, the ackley is good for another 50 fps, which has no appreciably improvement in trajectory or terminal performance.

What the ackley fans claim is that you can get an extra 100-150 fps, and if you run high pressures, like 70,000 psi and beyond, you most certainly can achieve those velocities. I personally don't think running those pressures is wise, especially in a military surplus action.

The ackley round won't feed as smoothly out of the magazine, requires more expensive dies, and has to be fireformed. In my book that is not worth an extra 50 fps. If you really wan't more speed, then open up your bolt for a belted case, and open up your chamber for a 8mm-338 mag or something of that ilk.

My 8mm-06 just arrived today, I had purchased it off of gunbroker.com. I'm a little dissapointed in it, the barrel has been cut down and recrowned to just over 19". I know this will reduce the fps that my rounds can acheive. I want to rebarrel the rifle to a standard 22-24" barrel, I want to keep the 8mm-06 chamber, who makes a good barrel out there for a hunting rifle. I'm looking for a #1 or #2 contour that I can get for around $300.

http://www.itdcustomgun.com/

Itd will supply a Douglas, install and blue for less than $300.

As to the AI issue. I have more wildcats than factory. Most blown out with the shoulder moved forward. For my money unless you simply want a wildcat go standard and load to 63-65,000 you will get most of the realistic gain. Based on my pressure testing with several AIs the high velocities many quote I couldn't reach until I was above 70,000. What I found was a load would read 70,000+ show no normal pressure signs and .5gr more powder and I would blow the primer. Primers would blow in the 73-75,000 range.