Update on braked rifle, bullets keyholing

[sambo3006]

For those of you who read my previous thread about bullets keyholing from a newly acquired rifle, here is an update as I'd rather not bring the old thread back up to the first page.
The rifle was supposedly a 300 Ultramag and turned out to be a 338 barrel blank that was chambered with a 300 Ultramag reamer. After much stress and grief, I finally got in touch with the gunsmith who originally did the work (actually done by a person no longer employed by that gunsmith). He has ordered a 30 cal select match SS blank from Shilen as was originally intended for the rifle. He is going to rebarrel the rifle correctly and gave me assurances that he is personally going to do all the work. At this point, we are just waiting on the blank from Shilen. I'm certainly happy that there is a resolution in sight but I'll still be holding my breath until I actually get the rifle back in my posession and put a couple of hopefully tiny groups down range.
I'll update after I receive the rifle, should be 7 or 8 weeks on the blank according to Shilen.
Thanks for all the input on the previous thread.

Sam

[geargrinder]

Good, glad to hear things have worked out.

[Chas1]

I remember your original post. Just a reminder...make sure the smith actually test fires it this time before he ships it to you. Hope all works out well for you.

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by sambo3006

For those of you who read my previous thread about bullets keyholing from a newly acquired rifle, here is an update as I'd rather not bring the old thread back up to the first page.
The rifle was supposedly a 300 Ultramag and turned out to be a 338 barrel blank that was chambered with a 300 Ultramag reamer. After much stress and grief, I finally got in touch with the gunsmith who originally did the work (actually done by a person no longer employed by that gunsmith). He has ordered a 30 cal select match SS blank from Shilen as was originally intended for the rifle. He is going to rebarrel the rifle correctly and gave me assurances that he is personally going to do all the work. At this point, we are just waiting on the blank from Shilen. I'm certainly happy that there is a resolution in sight but I'll still be holding my breath until I actually get the rifle back in my posession and put a couple of hopefully tiny groups down range.
I'll update after I receive the rifle, should be 7 or 8 weeks on the blank according to Shilen.
Thanks for all the input on the previous thread.

Sam

Sam that is a scary scenario and I would have thought it could not have happen.

I'm glad it was a larger bore instead of a smaller one.

You probably have not hurt the barrel( I have heard of people shooting smaller bullets
in larger bores to fire form them and they said it did not hurt the barrel ) I would never do it
to find out.

Good luck

J E CUSTOM

[royinidaho]

Hmmmm, so you were shooting 300 RUM loads in a 338 Edge?

If that ain't a heck of a deal!

Its a wonder that a bullet didn't touch the brake! Brake must be 338 bored?

I've shot several "flash tubes" down the bore with full loads with no negative affects on the barrel or brake. Just good luck following a bad idea, I guess

Glad you have it sorted out.

[Eaglet]

Originally Posted by geargrinder

Good, glad to hear things have worked out.

GrindingGear, would you not be able to see right away when reaming that something is wrong? Would you not have to be drunk to do that without noticing? Just asking because I've never done it and don't know any better.

[Fitch]

Originally Posted by sambo3006

For those of you who read my previous thread about bullets keyholing from a newly acquired rifle, here is an update as I'd rather not bring the old thread back up to the first page.
The rifle was supposedly a 300 Ultramag and turned out to be a 338 barrel blank that was chambered with a 300 Ultramag reamer.

Wow. How could that happen? It takes so many errors in a row. One would be "certain" to find out it was the wrong reamer as soon as a) one picked a .300 slug to slug the bore before chambering (mandatory quality check IMO) and it fell through the bore untouched, or b) picked a range rod or deltronic pin or Grizzly rod or <whatever> (and selected the bushing to be a good fit in the bore) to align the bore in the headstock, or c) checked the reamer pilot bushing for fit in the bore, or d) saw the slop0 when starting the reamer into the bore, or e) the rifle was test fired as a (mandatory IMO) quality check.

Five times one is certain to see the mistake and it was missed? Were they all drunk?

I wish you luck in getting a good rifle back ... but if it were me, I'd run a patch thorugh it and check with a borescope to see if it had been fired before I put a round through it. If you know what you are looking at, get a borescope and check the chambering job before shooting it - if not go to a local smith that has a borescope and have him look at it.

Fitch