I am going to order some new Brux barrels and I have a couple of questions concerning reamers.I do not want to turn necks. . Contours will be #4, 26 inch long and #5's, 27 1/2 long. Barrels ordering for 300wsm, 300 ultra, 338 ultra. Bullets I am going to use:TTSX's 165gr- 300wsm, 200gr TTSX's-300 ultra, 225gr TTSX's- 338 ultra. One gunsmith has min saami spec reamers and the other one has Max saami reamers.
1: Which reamers do you gunsmiths use? Min saami spec or Max saami spec reamers?
2: What freebore do you recommend on the ultras?
3: If i go with a shorter freebore what are the pros and cons?
4: Am I going to loose velocity going with a shorter freebore with increased pressure?
5: Both gunsmiths use PTG reamers.
Any other things I might have missed.
Thanks Todd
A lot of good questions.
1= I use standard SAAMI Reamers. There is no such thing as a minimum and a maximum SAMMI.
They are eather SAMMI or not. What they are talking is something other than SAMMI like
tight necks, or a change in free bore, lead angle ETC. These are called custom grinds/reamers.
I do not recomend any custom reamer unless the person has special needs and knows how
to deal with them.
2=I recomend standard free bores on all high pressure cartriges like the Ultras and the WSMs,
because they keep the pressure under control and allow higher velocities.
3=Shorter free bores increase pressure and lower velocities.
4=Normally you have to reduce the powder charge and will lose velocity at safe pressures.
(A good example is the big 378 based Weatherby cartriges like the 30/378). If you do away
or reduce it you will not be able to shoot Weatherby factory ammo because it is loaded for
maximum velocity and will be over loads in the modified chamber.
5=PT&g. Clymer and Dave Manson all make good reamers.
A side note: most gunsmiths have a reamer charge (You may not see it but it's in there most
of the time) or they rent reamers that may be ok or they could be bad. I recomend that if you
are going to the trouble to build a/several custom rifles. Buy the reamer new and keep it so if
you ever re barrel the rifle you have the same reamer. and if you dont re use it you can sell
it for more than half the price of the reamer especially when it has been used only once.
The gunsmiths should not object to you furnishing your own reamer if it is new.
A new reamer is some of the best money spent. (Standard reamers are around $100.00).
There is one other thing about out of SAAMI spec. reamers. The dies should be custom to work
well. and all standard dies are based on "Standard Reamers".
Just my opinion for what it's worth.
J E CUSTOM