[5] Today, although surpassed in popularity by other cartridges, it lives on with bolt-action rifles being available from some major manufacturers.

Japanese Type 38 Arisaka rifles brought to the United States as wartime souvenirs were sometimes converted by rechambering to utilize more readily available .257 Roberts cartridge cases because commercially produced 6.5×50mm Arisaka cartridges were scarce prior to distribution by Norma Projektilfabrik A/S.

The neck of the Roberts case would be slightly enlarged to accept handloaded 6.5 mm bullets.

With heavier bullets it produces more recoil, but is capable of taking all but the largest North American game animals.

[9] Making an Ackley Improved cartridge usually meant modifying the chamber to have a steeper shoulder and blown-out sides to provide greater powder capacity while still allowing factory ammunition to be fired safely.