David wanted a short action .473" bolt face. Shoot far and hunt, so I recommended the 7mm-08 Ackley Improved, because it cheats the wind, and hits the hardest when loaded with a 162 gr ELD-X.



Tikka action
Bartlein 1:8.7, "Rem Varmint" 24"
Harrels Precision brake
Cerakoted O.D. green
EGW 20 MOA pic rail.
McMillan A-3 light fill
Tikka CTR bottom metal and mag
Tikka trigger set at 2 pounds.
Badger Ordnance steel rings
SS 5-20X HD, Mil/Mil FFP

Fouled it with 6 rounds, and then shot the test loads. This was the first charge and it turned out to be the best one. So I rolled with it. Fire forming load is 2660 fps MV.


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After some more shooting, getting it fouled in a bit better, I ran it down the range, and just had to fire a second shot at 800 yards.

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The environmental conditions are documented inside the ammo box. I really like my new labels.

¡Muy bueno!

Very nice!

Is 2660 on formed brass?

How many cuts does that fellars reamer have on it now?
Did you give him AI numbers too?

should be standard 708, AI will get it to 2800 or so

I find it odd to sell a total rifle system with load on non fire formed cases that are 140 fps different than formed brass no?

Jason knows that round better than I know...most things. How is he supposed to provide the AI data? I guess he could do a second development but I doubt it's necessary. I do see what you are saying tho. I have both sets of data but have only used the forming load/dope 190 times, now it's all AI. My money says my AI dope works almost perfect for this rifle. I checked the forming dope and they are almost identical to mine. Good stuff.

Nice job JG. I like the label as well. Know anyone I can get some from?

Clearly it is a more than useful rifle while forming brass. Right now it is a 7mm-08, what won't it kill? How far won't it fly true? Once all his brass is formed, he will get the rifle and the brass back to me, to make his A.I. loads. He got 200 pieces of brass, total, I fired up 40. I suspect 160 rounds will see him past the end of deer season.

Wow! I gotta get me a good bolt gun like that. Thx for posting all the specs!

Didn’t mean to suggest it wasn’t. Simple question with a simple answer. No it is t an AI loading.

Looks great and appears to shoot great too. On the label, what's the wind speed?

5 mph, at 3 or 9 o'clock

Looks good Jason, did you take your tech guys advice on the labels or did you do it the Jason way?

So I’ve got a question, Jason. I’ve never reloaded and I guess I am pretty ignorant on brass and what “ackley Improved” means. What are y’all talking about with “non fire formed brass”? Does the brass change shape after it’s fired? And does that allow for more powder to be added or something? Is that what makes it AI? And if it changes shape, or gets bigger, how will it still fit in the chamber? I always thought the chamber fit real tight on the case. Please educate me a little. Thx!

I hired someone to take care of it. It is called delegation, a trait of effective leadership.

Sooo... the Jason way lol. Hire me next time.

7mm-08 on the left, 7mm-08 Ackley Improved on the right. The case on the right is fire formed, it was the shape of the case on the left before being fired in the chamber. So the chamber shape is a 7mm-08 A.I. and you have to fire form brass to get it there. Then the sizing die is 7mm-08 Ackley Improved as well. And yes, on the second load development it holds significantly more more powder, generating significantly more velocity. The second loaded brass can pickup 120 fps with a 162 gr bullet. The Ackley Improved case geometry is extremely efficient. My .223 A.I. is knocking on the door of .22-250 speeds, but doing it with a third less powder, efficient...

The Ackley Improved case changes the shoulder and allows for more powder and a longer brass life while increasing velocity at the same pressure. The new chamber is reamed for the improved shoulder but factory brass for it is often not available. When this happens you have to use factory brass as shown on the left of the picture to “fire form” it to match the new shoulder. Once this is done you can load it to new specs for increased velocity.

Edit: sorry, looks like you covered it while I was typing.

I tried, you weren't equipped for it, you said.

So it still fits tight in the chamber length wise, but there is room in the shoulder area for the case to be stretched out when it is fired. Real cool. Thanks guys!

I am no after I built my print shop

I think I want something like that, in a left-hand pull.

Two statements. Nice rifle congrats to the new owner.

KR - when have you ever seen him not do it the Jason way?

Holler at me, and it can happen.

Lefties can be tough to get, but it is do-able.