Hi guys,

I'm planning for the day when my ol' Tikka Supersporter .22/250 starts to show symptoms of a long hard life and am starting to weigh the options - rebarrel/restock the old girl (I'm mighty fond of my old Tikka Supersporters) or retire her and go for a custom build from new.

The Ackley issue crops up and given that most of my varminting is done by high powered lamplight at night in the UK against foxes, not often any further out than 250 yards I wonder if AI would be anything more than a bit of gun-nuttery on my part and a craving for something a bit out of the ordinary.

Comments on the back of blank cheques/checks please to me at.....

What is wrong with a proper dose gun-nuttery, if I may ask?

Here is a novel idea. Set back your barrel, rechamber to AI, but run it at 250 velocities. Your cases will last forever, your barrel won't wear out (lower pressures) near as fast, and you shoot a wildcat, just like the big boys...... JMO, Dutch.

Second Dutch and to add that everyone should have at least one improved or wildcat cartridge. There is no common sense to it. It's sort of like been there done that.

I agree, it just takes all the fun out of it when you say "I have a 22-250", and 5 guys in the room respond "So do I".

Pete, I was ready to respond that a regular plain Jane 22-250 will suit your needs just fine till I read the other posts. They are right, a 22-250 Ackley Improved is just the thing since you are apparently a true gun-nut.

I would just rebarrel your 22-250 to 22-250 AI and go have fun. I rebarreled a Rem 700 to 22-250 AI over 10 years ago and have shot a ton of varmints with that thing. I used a Hart barrel and I have had lots of fun with this combination.
I used to shoot some "varmint silhouette" competitions out to 500 meters and sure put it on the guys with standard 22-250's when the wind was up. I have killed about a cajillion ground squirrels and prairie dogs with this gun and a whole pile of coyotes. (The way it drops coyotes
it should be devastating on a fox.)

Do not be concerned with barrel life so long as you do not over heat the darned thing. I have shot over 4000 rounds through mine in the neighborhood of 4000 fps and it still shoots under an inch. Yeah, it is getting tired, but I am just babying it along now. Cannot decide what wildcat to make it this time.

Good Luck, R F

Pete,

I agree with the comments of the previous callers. The type of shooting you are doing, doesn't require an increase in velocity, and a rechamber to an improved version.
However 30 years ago, I was in a similar position to you, with the only exception being I did want to extend the range as much as possible.
I decided to go the wildcat route (my first experience)and never regretted it.

I had my existing barrel (1500 shots old) rechambered to the Ackley Improved with 28 degree shoulder. Most people these days seem to go with the 40 degree shoulder.

The existing Remington cases which had a capacity of 43.9 grains, increased to 48.0 grains when fireformed in the Ackley chamber.

With the Sierra 53 grain HP, my maximum load of 36.5 grains IMR 4064 gave 3,775 fps, and in the Ackley, 40.5 grains IMR 4064 gave 3,995 fps.

If you decided to rechamber, I think that the suggestion to run the Ackley version at near 22/250 velocities has a lot of merit, as you will certainly increase case and barrel life.

My experience with over 10 Ackley type wildcats since then, has shown that they tend to work best when using a case with a powder loading density of around 95 - 100%. This means that to keep the pressures down, you would have to use a powder that is slightly slower, than you might otherwise use. Good luck.

Pete
Do it! I have a 22-250 AI custom job. I could have gone to a plain old 22-250 but everybody has those.

Bakes

One thing nobody thinks of is how will the rifle feed? I have had a 243AI and have a 6.5X257AI and both have their problems. A friend has a 6X250AI on a short action Rem. and it also has it's moments. So what if everyone else has a 22/250, Just don't hunt with them. Then You'll think you are all alone in the world.
When one of my 2 22/250s or my Swift barrel burns out I want to make it a 22/243. No "short square" cases that have a habit of jumping out of the rails for me.

PS. You might ask J.Belk what he thinks about the 22/250AI and feeding.

FWIW, proper feed, be it in a push feed or controlled feed action is a matter of proper 'smith work in the first place. If you have a grumpy 'cat, take it back to the guy who made it that way. It's a matter of polish and proper angles on the proper parts. It's a common error to assume that existing magazines will feed an AI evolution. Usually need to start with a wider mag box. BTW, the 22-250 AI is a premier cartridge with unwordly performance. So too is the 22-6mm Rem...particularly with a quick twist and 100-125 gr bullets. For good advice this subject look up Gordy Gritters via Longrangehunting.com or at Gordy's Gun Shop, advertised in Varmint Hunter Association at Varminthunter.org or 641/628-3044(shop # Pella, Ia.)

Feed problems won't actually present a problem. Though I use magazine feed now, I'm experimenting with a longer COL which would preclude mag feed so as long as I've got a means of keeping a few rounds to hand, the mag doesn't matter.
In fact, if I restock the old girl, I'd go for a single feed arrangement.