Tomorrows project/ .450 Ackley Magnum.

[Biggerhammer]

Just received the rifle, brass, dies and some bullets from "Jay. Sharkbait".

I was surprised how close the .450 Ackley Magnum is to my .450 Remington Ultra Magnum. The Ultra being slightly larger in case capacity and of course not having the belted magnum case. Which for the 450 Ackley magnum is not a bad thing. With such a small shoulder on the 450 Ackley Magnum. It will be nice to headspace off the magnum belt.

I will be fire forming .375 H&H cases to .450 Ackley Magnum using cream of wheat and pistol powder.

Thanks Jay for the classy rifle and chambering. I know you have a history with it.

Just keeping it all in perspective, these chamberings arent for the "Talkers" or the recoil sensitive types. Those who have shot true full house safari stuff know the true recoil these chamberings produce with full house 500gr bullet loads. Makes a .458 Win Mag or a .338 Ultra feel like a .308 Winnie.

Left to right

.450 Ultra Magnum/ 500Gr Hornady Interlock
.450 Ackley Magnum/ 500gr Hornady Interbond
.375 H&H Case(Parent case of the .450 Ackley Magnum).
6.5 Grendel cartridge/ 120gr Nosler BT
500gr Hornady Interbond bullet



.450 Ackley cartridge/500gr Interbond
.375 H&H case/ Parent case
500gr Hornady Interbond bullet

[Boss .300 winmag]

Did you find some mastodons to hunt owner there? 

[Biggerhammer]

Did you find some mastodons to hunt owner there? 

If I could find one, I'd give it a go with either of those wildcat .458 chamberings. So far this is the largest victim one of my .458 wildcats has planted.

[NRA4LIFE]

That is a cool looking rifle.  How do you fire form the .375 cases to the Ackley?

[257 Wby Mag]

Very cool project Landon! Is that a 1917 enfield? Got one sittin was thinkin 375 or 416 ish just because...

[HUNTaHOLIC5]

Tagging. Love the looks of that rifle 

[CAMPMEAT]

I've got a name for your gun, " BLONDIE ", because she rocks your world...ya think ?

[Biggerhammer]

That is a cool looking rifle.  How do you fire form the .375 cases to the Ackley?

You use a ample charge of faster burning pistol powder, which is considerably less than a full house charge of rifle powder. You drop the pistol powder charge in the case, then I pack a small wad of tissue on top and pack it with a proper sized wood dowel. I then use a powder funnel and fill the case with dry "Cream of Wheat cereal, then pack another small wad of tissue on top. Chamber it and fire it, the pressure of the faster burning pistol powder blowing the cereal out of the case expands the .375 H&H case to the .458 Ackley chamber. I then load the case with a mid range .450 ACKLEY load and fire it. Then the case is completly formed and its time to stuff as much powder in it as the case is capable of handling.

[jay.sharkbait]

Very cool project Landon! Is that a 1917 enfield? Got one sittin was thinkin 375 or 416 ish just because...

Yes. it's a modified 1917.

I would recommend .416 Taylor. Much easier to form brass (necked down .458 WM) and feeds better.

[Biggerhammer]

Very cool project Landon! Is that a 1917 enfield? Got one sittin was thinkin 375 or 416 ish just because...

You can use both those cases to form .450 Ackley cases.

[BULLBLASTER]

What kind of velocity dpes the ackley make with 500 grainers? 

[jay.sharkbait]

That is a cool looking rifle.  How do you fire form the .375 cases to the Ackley?

You use a ample charge of faster burning pistol powder, which is considerably less than a full house charge of rifle powder. You drop the pistol powder charge in the case, then I pack a small wad of tissue on top and pack it with a proper sized wood dowel. I then use a powder funnel and fill the case with dry "Cream of Wheat cereal, then pack another small wad of tissue on top. Chamber it and fire it, the pressure of the faster burning pistol powder blowing the cereal out of the case expands the .375 H&H case to the .458 Ackley chamber. I then load the case with a mid range .450 ACKLEY load and fire it. Then the case is completly formed and its time to stuff as much powder in it as the case is capable of handling.

I've had as much fun fireforming brass for that rifle as shooting it.

Just to put it into perspective, you can push a 500 Grain projectile at 2400 FPS with something like 6500 ft lbs of muzzle energy. Shooting the rifle does require proper form and correct shooting techniques. I don't think the rifle has ever been shot from the prone or a bench.

Here's to peeling your t-shirt off  your shoulder!!!!

Have fun, and I'm glad it went to a good home.

[Biggerhammer]

What kind of velocity dpes the ackley make with 500 grainers? 

It can push close to 2500 FPS  with a 500gr bullet. My .450 Ultra will push a 500gr Hornady slightly over 2600 FPS.

[BULLBLASTER]

  and i thought my h&h sending a 300 grainer at 2550 was painful!
You and sharkbait are a different kind of crazy! Id like to try one sometime tho.. 

[Biggerhammer]

But the real performers in these type cases are the CEB Dangerous Game Non-Cons (Tipped). They have been supper fast and accurate out of my 450 Ultra Magnum.

Here is a .458 CEB 370gr , Tipped Non-Con next to a .300 WSM case. Serious speed, penetration and expansion. What more could a guy ask for?

[Boss .300 winmag]

That is a cool looking rifle.  How do you fire form the .375 cases to the Ackley?

You use a ample charge of faster burning pistol powder, which is considerably less than a full house charge of rifle powder. You drop the pistol powder charge in the case, then I pack a small wad of tissue on top and pack it with a proper sized wood dowel. I then use a powder funnel and fill the case with dry "Cream of Wheat cereal, then pack another small wad of tissue on top. Chamber it and fire it, the pressure of the faster burning pistol powder blowing the cereal out of the case expands the .375 H&H case to the .458 Ackley chamber. I then load the case with a mid range .450 ACKLEY load and fire it. Then the case is completly formed and its time to stuff as much powder in it as the case is capable of handling.

That's got to be expensive, how many times can you reload with full charges before she cracks the cases? 

[jay.sharkbait]

That is a cool looking rifle.  How do you fire form the .375 cases to the Ackley?

You use a ample charge of faster burning pistol powder, which is considerably less than a full house charge of rifle powder. You drop the pistol powder charge in the case, then I pack a small wad of tissue on top and pack it with a proper sized wood dowel. I then use a powder funnel and fill the case with dry "Cream of Wheat cereal, then pack another small wad of tissue on top. Chamber it and fire it, the pressure of the faster burning pistol powder blowing the cereal out of the case expands the .375 H&H case to the .458 Ackley chamber. I then load the case with a mid range .450 ACKLEY load and fire it. Then the case is completly formed and its time to stuff as much powder in it as the case is capable of handling.

That's got to be expensive, how many times can you reload with full charges before she cracks the cases? 

There isn't  anything cheap about the big 45's. Throwing 90-100 grains of powder at a time makes short work of a pound of powder and decent projectiles aren't cheap either.

That said, you don't do a lot of plinking with it.

[Biggerhammer]

Ive lost very few wildcat cases over the years due to cracked necks or belts. I only neck size after the first fire form load, bump the shoulder a little when needed and anneal religiously. I loose far more cases to pushing a cartridge hard and loosening primer pockets. If one loads sanely, brass can last a long, long time. I have 100 pieces of 7x57 brass that I have loaded numerous times for over 27 years and it's still good to go.

[Dan-o]

My shoulder hurts just reading this.......

[xXLojackXx]

I want a video of this bad boy being sent down range.

[j_h_nimrod]

I have one of these built on a stainless Montana Rifle Company 1999 action, it is certainly a serious rifle and I love it! It does not look as nice as yours but is functional.

For plinking I like using a 350gr Hornady at about 3200fps   I have formed magnum basic brass and A-Square brass and was very disappointed in the quality of the A-Square. The primer pockets needed a lot of work and are still difficult to seat primers in. You are good off forming from .375 and should be happy. If you can stand being a few hundreths shorter you can shoot .458 Lott as well and it fire forms nicely.

Accuracy is great and recoil stout. I have a couple videos of some guys shooting reduced loads and still getting set back on their heels, if I can find it I will post.

[JimmyHoffa]

Is that tiger maple?  Looks like an awesome rifle.  Gotta be a fun project!

[Alchase]

When I started reading "Tomorrows project/ .450 Ackley Magnum." I thought I was in another AR build thread, 
I was like "that sounds awesome, ..................................wait what the!!!!! 

The round bullets gave you away,
LOL

 

[sled]

Might as well stand behind a donkey and kick him in the ass!   have fun :tup:interesting for sure.

[Biggerhammer]

I have one of these built on a stainless Montana Rifle Company 1999 action, it is certainly a serious rifle and I love it! It does not look as nice as yours but is functional.

For plinking I like using a 350gr Hornady at about 3200fps   I have formed magnum basic brass and A-Square brass and was very disappointed in the quality of the A-Square. The primer pockets needed a lot of work and are still difficult to seat primers in. You are good off forming from .375 and should be happy. If you can stand being a few hundreths shorter you can shoot .458 Lott as well and it fire forms nicely.

Accuracy is great and recoil stout. I have a couple videos of some guys shooting reduced loads and still getting set back on their heels, if I can find it I will post.

Yes, you can shoot .458 Lott or .458 Winchester through it. The .458 Winchester form with almost no neck. I was reading some history on the cartridge and read where a PH in Africa used his .450 Ackley Magnum with factory .458 Winchster ammo to cull buffalo due to the fact he had no Ackley ammo and it worked just fine. Of course the .458 Winchester brass is worthless after being fired in the Ackley chamber due to it being so short and having a non existent neck after firing.

[carpsniperg2]

That's some cool stuff right there

[Biggerhammer]

By all means carry on!  That's great stuff, I have a old school 7x57 that I would really like to have stocked in a classy dark Bastogne Walnut.

[jay.sharkbait]

Yea it gets better:













Enough of hijacking Bigger Hammer's post.     I will start another thread if you want to see more photos.

A stock duplicating machine!!! In PA.......

PM OTW

[fastdam]

Thats a beautiful rifle and this is a cool thread.

[257 Wby Mag]

Ya that's for sure.. love nice wood, this has t he wheels spin in, I'm thinking 416 rem mag on my enfield....

[CAMPMEAT]

I just told my wife about who many talented people are on HW. My hats off to you.

The only thing I know how to do is part my eyebrows with my tongue....

[2labs]

I just told my wife about who many talented people are on HW. My hats off to you.

The only thing I know how to do is part my eyebrows with my tongue....

That's why your still married, Meat!

Disclaimer : don't take that in a bad way.

[CAMPMEAT]

I just told my wife about who many talented people are on HW. My hats off to you.

The only thing I know how to do is part my eyebrows with my tongue....

That's why your still married, Meat!

Talented, right !!

[CAMPMEAT]

Woodhunter, the older the violin, the sweeter the music.................and I'll be 62 in June.

[yorketransport]

You know that you're just going to hurt yourself with that right? Obviously, when a caliber that size is fired it causes the Earth to shift off of it's axis and cause catastrophic climate change. You should just put that away and go back to slumming it with ARs .

Andrew

[Boss .300 winmag]

You know that you're just going to hurt yourself with that right? Obviously, when a caliber that size is fired it causes the Earth to shift off of it's axis and cause catastrophic climate change. You should just put that away and go back to slumming it with ARs .

Andrew

If BigHammer shoots the big Ackley enough the ice age and Mammoths will return, giving me a use for my 450 Rigby.

I think his shoulder would be mush by then Woodhunter, he might be tough but not that tough! 

[Dan-o]

You know that you're just going to hurt yourself with that right? Obviously, when a caliber that size is fired it causes the Earth to shift off of it's axis and cause catastrophic climate change. You should just put that away and go back to slumming it with ARs .

Andrew

If BigHammer shoots the big Ackley enough the ice age and Mammoths will return, giving me a use for my 450 Rigby.

I think his shoulder would be mush by then Woodhunter, he might be tough but not that tough! 

It really is a beautiful rifle.....   But I'd be afraid to shoot it.

[yorketransport]

It really is a beautiful rifle.....   But I'd be afraid to shoot it.

That rifle not only deserves to get shot, but to be hunted with!

[jay.sharkbait]

It really is a beautiful rifle.....   But I'd be afraid to shoot it.

That rifle not only deserves to get shot, but to be hunted with!

The rifle has been hunted and has killed a cow elk.

Just not as a 450 Ackley, It spent a year as a .458 WM

[yorketransport]

The rifle has been hunted and has killed a cow elk.

Just not as a 450 Ackley, It spent a year as a .458 WM

You can't kill elk with a .458 WM! It's a good thing that rifle was rechambered to a proper caliber.

[Dan-o]

It really is a beautiful rifle.....   But I'd be afraid to shoot it.

That rifle not only deserves to get shot, but to be hunted with!

Not by me!!!!     

I'm flinching at my keyboard just thinking about it.

[Biggerhammer]

They all die the same with a .458 bore... QUICK!!!!

[iusmc2002]

They all die the same with a .458 bore... QUICK!!!!

Looks like that poor animal was tied to a tree so you could "sneak" up on it with that giant mothe$@&!?)(-/;g rifle   

Very nice rifles you have btw

[Biggerhammer]

Allot steeper than it looks, keeping him from falling off the planet.


"Sled" may have been responsible  for the rope???