Thinking of ReChambering

[Clayne B]

I have pretty much decided I would like to shoot 155 SMK Palma Or 168 Berger VLD's

I have loaded both, and can not get the accuracy I want when seated to fit in my mag.

Rifle is a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308 with a 26 inch barrel

Thinking of rechambering it with a 2011 PALMA reamer.

Here are some numbers for the nuts that under stand it.

168gr Berger VLD

Loaded to fit the mag
2.170 to the ogive
2.860 over all to the tip

Measured my chamber with hornady tools

2.350 to the ogive
3.041 over all to the tip

155 Palma #2156

Loaded to fit the mag
2.183 to the ogive
2.845 to the tip

Measured my chamber with hornady tools

2.403 to the ogive
3.062 over all to the tip

Here are the specs on the reamer.
forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3751116.0;attach=866923

Any thoughts or input?

 

[barnesuser28]

with those measurements you should have about .247" of freebore. The link didnt work but i think you could probably go with a .050" freebore reamer, if i can find my applied ballistics book and see the dimensions of the 168 VLD i could get a more accurate #. I am basing the .050" off of the 155 SMK.

 

[benchracer]

I recently had a 22-250 re-barreled because excessive freebore was causing accuracy problems, so I share your frustration. It shoots much better with a new barrel and a shorter chamber.

I am sure that setting your barrel back and having your chamber cut with less freebore will work much better for you.

I do wonder, though, if you want to shoot 168 Berger VLD's, why you haven't considered Berger Hybrids in the same weight. I realize they are virtually impossible to obtain right now, but they would solve your problem with much less expense. You get a nice bump in bc out of the deal, too. I have used the 185 Hybrids and they have not shown themselves to be sensitive to seating depth.

Just a thought...

 

[Clayne B]

They need to fit my AI style mags. Not sure if that 185 would fit, loaded long.

 

[Clayne B]

 

[benchracer]

They need to fit my AI style mags. Not sure if that 185 would fit, loaded long.

I'm thinking that the 168 would fit, though. That's what I was getting at. I only mentioned the 185's to illustrate that I have used Hybrids and found they are not sensitive to seating depth.

 

[Clayne B]

I see what your getting at now. lightbulb

 

[albertakid]

honestly if it were me I would wait till it needs barreled and then rechamber to 6.5 creedmore that's what I think I am gonna do with my cz 308 that way I can shoot the 140 bergers seated out where they need to be and still be mag length and have a way better bc