I have a nice springfield 03A3 action, and as soon as my currant project is done i will be building on it. No question of filling a gap in my collesction here ,i Prety much have all the rifles I need. What I wan't to build in this rifle is a light sporter weight, not real light but about .60 at the muzle,22 or 24 inch I want a cartridge that I can shoot for long periods (mild recoil) has enough power for deer and antilope at say 350 to 400 yards won't burn a barrel to fast and somthin not just anybody has. The roberts improved seems to fill The bill as well as anything other contenders are 65,06 AI and 6mm Rem AI. Mabye 6.5 X 284 , like to here your opinion...tj3006
As long as you seem aflicted with the AI illness I suggest the 6.5-06....it's alrerady a wildcat and the AI designation fits in.
Personally the .25-06 fills the bill you stated quite nicely.......the standard 6.5-06 is a small step up from there.
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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
Thomas, I have a .257 AI and like it, but the truth of the matter is that it is just a good way to get a .25-06 into a .308 length action. Since you are using an 03-A3 action, you might as well stay with 06 case and avoid possible feeding problems.
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Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002
Well gentelmen, the fact is, the project My smith is working on now is a 25,06. It is being built on a MK10 action, witha 26 inch douglas sporter weight barrel. I plan on puting it into a thumbhole stock, and mabye putting a by pod on it. I also have a sweet little roberts, its a ruger RL 20 inch pencil thin barrel, its caries like a 30/30, and I like it quite a bit. 25X284 is not a bad Idea but I just think i would get a kick out of fire forming the roberts cases, and i would likly have to turn the knecks on the 25X284. 6.5,06 AI would be an awsum cartridge, I bet I would like it as well or better than my .270.
I have a couple of 257AIs and think that it is a good cartridge, but nothing exceptional. It does what a lot of other cartridges do, really no better or no worse. I prefer the 25 Souper in short action rifles with short barrels, the 25-285 in short action rifles with longer barrels, and haven't found a niche that needed to be filled with a long action .257 bore.
It seems that many of the attributes that you are seeking have more to do with the shooter than with the cartridge.
Jeff
Posts: 993 | Location: Omaha, NE, USA | Registered: 11 May 2005
Doggone it! I gotta agree with the gentleman who says try a 6.5-06. I have used both rifles, and I will tilt toward the 6.5-06 every time. Sure it's a wildcat, and cases come so easily using .270 WCF or .25-06 as the basic fodder. Performance has always been better than with the .25, and the wildcat is such a rewarding round to work with!!
LLS
Posts: 996 | Location: Texas | Registered: 14 October 2004
A 6.5-06 IMP or a 6.5 X57IMP with as deep a throat as your magazine can handle when you seat the bullets to just touch the rifling lead.The 6.5 has a more sensible heavier bullet selection than the .257.roger
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Posts: 10226 | Location: Temple City CA | Registered: 29 April 2003
I am thinking along the same lines. I can trade for a minty 1951 FN in 257 Roberts and think it would be even nicer in an AI. It has an indifferent custom stock that I can easily upgrade.
Ya got a long action, put a long cartridge in it. 6.5-06. I'm a quarter bore freak, but will freely admit the caliber's bullet selection in mediocre at best. The 6.5 is better by a long shot in that regards. BTW, what's wrong with just using the 30-06?
If yuro'e corseseyd and dsyelixc can you siltl raed oaky?
I agree that while the Roberts Imp. is a great round, with the LA might as well bump it up to a 25-06. If you want the fun of wildcatting, go Ackley with the longer quarter bore.
Gib R I have a 25,06 being built now. My smith does not like the 25,06 AI as he has seen to many of them blown up, he will only build the 25,06 or the 257 Weatherby on a weatherby action. If I go with a long actiob cartridge it would likly be a 6.5,06 AI...tj3006
6.5-06AI would be a fun one. I can't possibly imagine though that a 25-06AI has an inherent tendency to kaboom. Sounds like a few of your 'smiths clients tried to hotrod them a little to far. Maybe I've missed something,I could be wrong.
A 6.5-06 IMP or a 6.5 X57IMP with as deep a throat as your magazine can handle when you seat the bullets to just touch the rifling lead.The 6.5 has a more sensible heavier bullet selection than the 
.257.roger
