New 6mm AI

[ar24095]

Going to order my new custom 6mm AI this week. It will be my first full custom rifle and cant wait to get it I'm just excited and thought I would post a few pic's of what it will look like and a few spec's on it. The next 6 months is gonna seem like a year but I think it will be worth it
6 MM Ackley Improved
It is a 6 MM Ackley Improved with a .274" no-turn neck. The action is a Bat 3-lug with a Holland precision lug, Jewel BR trigger, Bat 20 MOA rail and a Krieger 14 tw. heavy varmint contour barrel with a muzzle dia of .920" at 27" The rifle is pillar bedded into a model 10 stock in the Rutland Green Mt. Camo color. The pad is a Pachmayr and the guard is a Bat SS.

 

[taliv]

sounds awesome! what are you going to do with it? benchrest? varmints? NRA long-range high power?

which gunsmith are you using?

BATs are very nice actions

 

[ar24095]

It will be my main varmint gun and I think I will try some of our locale egg shoots. In the next year or two I hope to go out west and take a speed goat. If work allows for it. It will be built by Richard Franklin from Richards custom Rifles

 

[NCsmitty]

That's a real nice looking rifle. I'm not familiar with the Bat action, but it certainly looks like quality. A thumbs up from taliv is all I need to hear.

Did I read right, you plan on using a 1in14" twist?



NCsmitty

 

[taliv]

well, don't take my word for it, as I haven't actually owned one. the 6br website is where i'd go to do research on benchrest actions. BAT is well-regarded there, along with pierce, stolle, nesika, and a dozen others.

i missed the 1:14 comment earlier. what bullet you plan to shoot?

 

[ar24095]

I will mainly be shooting 75Gr v-max's Although I have considered a 10tw barrel to shoot a heavier bullet. Here is a link to an article on Richards 6mm AI
http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek042.html

 

[sansone]

you lucky dog, I'm jealous. My "pet" rifle is a .243 and I'm forever seeking the perfect recipe (powder, pill, OAL, etc.) 6mm is awesome for my shooting & reloading needs. ENJOY buddy

 

[ar24095]

Thanks I have wanted a nice rifle for years and Richard is getting ready to retire so I thought now would be the time. Now I just need to decide what glass to put on it thinking about a NightForce 8-32X56 and my wife must be thinking the same thing because She is sitting beside me shaking Her head

 

[NCsmitty]

I will mainly be shooting 75Gr v-max's Although I have considered a 10tw barrel to shoot a heavier bullet.

If you want to take advantage of the 6MM high BC bullets in the 105-115gr range, I'm sure you know that a 1in14" twist won't do it.
A faster twist barrel can often still handle varmint weight bullets well, but like many things in life, it will require a compromise to handle a wide range of bullet weights.
Whatever you decide, I'm sure that you will have fun with it.



NCsmitty

 

[sansone]

10 twist will shoot 85gr pills and under. How heavy can you go with 14 twist?.........EDIT: I just researched and answered my own question: too fast a twist will ruin a bullet's trajectory at long range. Basically the nose of the bullet will be angled upward on its downward arc towards the target. Sure it will be stable but "nose-up" is as bad as "wobble" (which results from under-stabilizing the bullet)

 

[NCsmitty]

10 twist will shoot 85gr pills and under. How heavy can you go with 14 twist?

It depends on the bullet and it's length. A 10" twist will usually handle up to 100gr bullet with a flat base at 6MM or 243 top velocities.
A heavy VLD boat tail style bullet probably needs a 1in8" twist to get the rotational speed for stability, due to it's length.
A 6MM AI could provide enough velocity difference to fudge the numbers and stabilize the longer bullets with a bit slower twist, but there is no guarantee.
Rotational speed sometimes provides the stability with heavier bullets.
A slightly modified Greenhill formula can give you the twist requirements for each bullet.



NCsmitty

 

[ar24095]

I appreciate all the information. I have to meet with my G.S. next week and we will discuss twist rate then. I do know and have seen with my own eyes the groups His guns are getting with a 14tw barrel but it was a varmint only set up shooting 75 grain V-max.
I will be using it for more than varmints so I will probably go with a 10tw barrel and hope it will stabilize up to 100 grain bullets and still shoot the 75 grain V-max the way I want it to.

 

[rangerruck]

mmm.... commencing with drool bucket...