Is a Remington short action suitable for a 257AI project? Is a short action Browning?

It depends on what bullet you plan on using. If 100gr or smaller bullets are going to be your main fair, a 2.8" box will work great. If you want to use 120gr and seat them to the base of the neck, a 3.0" box is better. You can use the Remington and its 2.8" box and be happy as long as you know the 120 grainers will have to be seated a bit deeper.



The newer Brownings have a 3.0" box on some models. The bolt head can also be changed out to what you need.



Feeding is an issue you should look at first. I have a intermediate mauser in 257 AI. The very first thing I did was get some AI hulls to see if it would feed which is critical in the mauser as it feeds off of the feed lips on the action; I didn't want to have to alter them to get the feeding right. I don't know what the Remington feeds off of; I believe the Browing feeds off of the magazine.



Aaron

a SA browning is suitable for a high priced fishing sinker. Go with the 700. Have several in different AI calibers. Both SA and LA. Feeding has never been an issue.

So the REM. short action is the way to go for a 257AI?

I would say no, based on my experience with the 6mm Rem. The mag box is 2.8" which was too short to seat bullets where I wanted them in relation to the leade. I later put that barrel on a long action Rem where it belonged.

My two cents

Redial

for a 257AI...yes the 700SA will do fine. The 6mm is a tad longer if my memory serves me right. My 7-08AI is built on a SA and it screams. No need for a LA on that one. Now if you were building say a 6.5-284, I would definitely go LA especially if heavier bullets were going to be used. You give up powder space going the SA route on that one. At least too much for my tastes. But there are quite a few built on the SA. I am about to build a 25-284 and it will be on a 700SA. Hope I havent confused ya too much. You just have to remember to take into account the purpose of the rifle and the intended bullet weights to be used. The smaller calibers especially have long bullets when you start going heavy. But the 257AI is gonna shine with 100 grain bullets. And they wont infringe into the powder space. So no need for the extra weight of a LA on that one.

Yes, a 722 or 700 SA will work fine. BTW, the industry OAL is actually shorter for Bob (and therefore Bob AI) than the 6mm OAL. I believe it is 2.775" for Bob. If you're worried about reaching the lands, just tell your smith to keep make the throat shortish.

Another idea would be to go with a 250 AI, and have it made with a longish throat. Or, you could go with a suitably throated 25 Souper, which will give you very respectable numbers with less case-forming hassle than Bob AI or the 250 AI. Just some thoughts...

Sorry to disagree w/ a couple of guys here but the .257, .257AI, 6mm Rem., 7X57, etc. are all based on the same 2.2" case. With a 2.8" mag. box, you will limit yourself quite a bit on COL w/ longer bullet. Same as the 6.5x.284 really. The .250AI or .25-08AI would be a better fit.

I had to make a sim. decision when I wanted to rebarrel my M700SA. I went .260AI instead of 6.5x.284.

Interesting Mark!
- mike

Dear Kimber222,
Many years ago I did an experiment in Hawaii. I built a 257 R on a long actioned 700. I chambered with a reamer with NO leade at all and then cut the leade to accept 100 gr bullets, namely the Sierra GK 2.775[mag max].I worked up to max and then backed down 1.0 gr and recorded the velocity. I did the same with 120 Sierras backet up to the 2.775 oal also and recorded their velocity as well.Then I extended the leade to allow the 120s to sit to the base of the neck. I now worked up to max with the 120 and also the 100 gr bullets and backed down a grain so there were no signs of pressure ie: sticky bolt, flat primer etc. Velocity was recorded and the resulting gain was less than 40 fps gain with either bullet with the most gain going to the 100gr as I would assume , because of the new free-bore.
The barrel was set back .009 and rechambered to the Ack IMP and the whole thing done again. Results were about the same tending to make me believe that setting the bullet out further to make 120s give more case capacity didn`t amount to enough gain to make it worthwhile to me ,anyway. The barrel was subquently re-installed on a SA, the 120s were never used and it still shoots very well with the 100 gr Sierras moving out at about 3300. This was in a Rem 700 ADL, 22" Douglas XX barrel, 257 AI reamer by JGS, Standard reamer by Clymer. This was done in 1982 so newer powders "might" make a difference, I don`t know.
Aloha, Mark

AaroninUtah,



So did the 257AI feed in the intermediate 98 action without altering the feed rails?