Thread: Anyone played with 223AI?

Pretty much the only downside is fireforming brass and you can't use it for shoots that only allow 223 (not that many).

Supposedly once fireformed brass prep in non-existent.
The extra 100-150fps should be enough to get 85-90gr bullets up near 2800fps with a decent length barrel.

For a competition rifle I think it'd be worthwhile (subject to class restrictions), general plinking/hunting probably not.

I love AI cases - so buy a 22creedmoor. Shoot the heavier pills, but much faster than a 223AI. Massive difference on game with 75eldm or 85.5 bergers.
Im running them slow but accurate - hornadys @ 3400fps w 10mm group, and bergers @ 3155 n 12mm

Originally Posted by muzr257

I love AI cases - so buy a 22creedmoor. Shoot the heavier pills, but much faster than a 223AI. Massive difference on game with 75eldm or 85.5 bergers.
Im running them slow but accurate - hornadys @ 3400fps w 10mm group, and bergers @ 3155 n 12mm

22 creedmoor isn't exactly a cheap plinker though.
Between the barrel life, burning more powder and brass not being "free" it's not really comparable.

It's an excellent cartridge but in a different league to 223 or 223AI.

Yeh, personally I don't get AI.
If you don't think a 223 is doing enough just buy a 22-250. If the 308 is lacking buy a 30.06

There are plenty of cartridges to choose from.

But if it floats your boat, go for it.

If you look at the modern case designs , creedmore , PRC etc it seems they are following the P O Ackley recipe with less taper on the case and steeper shoulder angles. There is little to improve on latter designs and the 223 rem is in that camp. It is really an improved 222 rem with the shoulder blown forward , a very short neck and minimal case case taper. Older designs left significantly more room for improvement.

My only experience with an Ackley Improved cartridge has been nothing but positive. I bought my wife a Cooper Custom Classic in 250 Savage AI and fire forming the Win cases was not only very easy but they proved to be very accurate and even the fire forming loads passed the Cooper 3 shot in less than a 1/2" at 100 yard guarantee.
With a 40 grain load of RL15 using Winchester brass and Fed 210 Match primers the Ackley load is producing 3088 fps with 100 grain Sierra GK projectiles, this also shot 5 shot groups that are less that .5" at 100 meters.
There are no pressure signs and the cases expand less than .001" at the .200" mark from new to fully fire formed. These loads are 1 grain lower than the 41 grain max load shown in the 6th Edition of the Sierra reloading Manual.

Fwiw, I turned a 204 case to a 6.5 and in my kimber with 22 inch barrel it shot the 90 gr pills out at 3100 fps. It's just like any reloader you need to make an effort.

And the .224 savage.....yeah that's my point. Lots of pissing around for bugger all gain.

Originally Posted by Jaco Goosen

I've got a reamer if you looking for someone to ackley your 223.

Can you pilot that beast into becoming a 6x45Imp reamer?

the bit that really cracks me up is that the 204 ruger is pretty much a necked DOWN 222 magnum and these days folks are taking the 204 case and necking it UP to .224 yet you very seldom see anyone still using a 222magnum.
your money and your time at end of day.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the bit that really cracks me up is that the 204 ruger is pretty much a necked DOWN 222 magnum and these days folks are taking the 204 case and necking it UP to .224 yet you very seldom see anyone still using a 222magnum.
your money and your time at end of day.

Just shows that there is very little that is really new. Case shapes change but performance not so much.
GPM.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the bit that really cracks me up is that the 204 ruger is pretty much a necked DOWN 222 magnum and these days folks are taking the 204 case and necking it UP to .224 yet you very seldom see anyone still using a 222magnum.
your money and your time at end of day.

Bit of useless info. I only recently got a Forster 223 seating die for my 223. Up until then I used a 222 Rem Magnum seating die. Don't know why I stopped. Worked a treat.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the bit that really cracks me up is that the 204 ruger is pretty much a necked DOWN 222 magnum and these days folks are taking the 204 case and necking it UP to .224 yet you very seldom see anyone still using a 222magnum.
your money and your time at end of day.

Not nearly as impressive as people buying Lapua 6.5-284 brass and necking it back up to 7mm.

222 magnum doesn't really suit today's market, slow twists and the shallow shoulder angle mean you can't run heavy high BC projectiles and will be doing a lot if brass trimming.

Like all new trends, some are just undoing the poor decisions of the past, others are taking improvements that have been discovered and applying them to old cartridges. But in almost every case the new generation of cartridges are genuinely better than the cartridges they've replaced.

Beetroot....the trap with that thinking is the slower twist is NOT FAULT of the cartridge...its the rifles it came in before a lot of us were out of school,if not born.....
.243 22-250 .222 all fall victim to the same until you stop and think about WHY they were given a slow twist to begin with...and when you do it makes perfect sence..... the slow twist was for varmint projectiles as all were designed as varmint guns..... none were made for heavy for calibre projectiles....there were not many of them around back then,and monos were very scarce if could find them at all. the ultra fast cartridges of the time had issues keeping projectiles together as it was,a faster twist and projectiles became a grey cloud of dust in mid air on way to target lol

Greetings All,
After writing my earlier post I started thinking about what hot shot .22 cartridge is about these days? A friend was waving a 6.5 Grendel in front of me yesterday and I wondered if something similar was available in .22. Turns out Hornady had beaten me to it with the .22 ARC based on the Grendel case. Fast twist for heavy projectiles. Yes I know @Micky Duck just like the .22 Savage High-power from over 100 years back. A 30 degree shoulder rather than 40 degrees for the AI and extra pointy projectiles complete the picture. Fits in a short action. I need to sit somewhere quiet for a bit.
Regards Grandpamac.
PS. It does look a bit like the Donaldson Wasp.