Well, I finally got off the dime today. I took my post 64 mod 70 in to my gunsmith. It's getting complete job. Douglas Premium barrel 9" twist, beautiful custom walnut stock, and bedded. I'm also having it done in 257 Ackley instead of Roberts. It will be my Coues whitetail and antellope gun when it's finished, about 4 months from now. I can't wait. The stock will take the longest, it's only rough shaped now.

One of my favorite rifles is a 257 AI. I built the rifle in 1979. First one I ever shaped from a full blank. Classic stock, commercial 98 Mauser action, barrel was a Federal brand. How many of you guys ever heard of them? Originally the barrel was a 220 Swift. Killed truck loads of coyotes, a few whitetails and one mule deer. Finally wore the barrel out and sent it off to get it rebored to .257 bore for 65.00 about 1985. When I got it back I chambered it to 257 AI, refinised the stock, reblued a rust blue, and checkered it with a fluer-de-le pattern.

The 220 swift was very accurate and my thinking was the barrel probably was stress free and had some good metalurgy so if I got it re-bored it too would be accurate.

This was one time my instincts was right. It shoots Nosler 100 gr partitions and Nosler 100 gr BT under 3/4 inch regularly and both bullets the same point of impact. I carry partitions in the chamber for big hogs and a magazine full of BT for whitetails.

It shoots extremely flat, little recoil and report. The first two years I used it I had a run of 11 shots and 11 head of game killed.

I can almost garuntee you will like your 257 AI

Good Hunting,
Craftsman

Craftsman,haven't heard about Federal bbls. in quite a while. Had Federal Firearms Pa. put one of their diamond lapped bbls. on a full stock 7x57 in the early 70's. They did nice work, don't think their still in busniess. Still got the mauser and shoots fine.Love them prices from the old days.