Savage 12BVSS
Well-Known Member
Posting up a pic of the newest member of the family, built it originally as a coyote gun, then I realized that groundhogs were in short supply up here and coyotes weren't. It was a 22-250 that was fun to shoot, but already had one and wasn't heating up the barrel on a hog or coyote every now and then that I needed two 22-250's Had a new barrel that had been made by McGowen years back, gave them careful instructions when I ordered that I needed a small shank stainless with a throat to handle OAL out to 2.900. Well it arrived a large shank, bad day I guess. They sent me another barrel to replace it and told me to keep it, now I will say they were all right in my book for handling it that way, ya can't complain when its free. Well got the idea to have the smith I know breath some new life in it and make it 7mm-08 and make it usable to put it on in place of the 22-250 for a long range deer and coyote rifle.
You know sometimes you need to quit while you're ahead and not get bright idea's. Day 1....he rethreaded it for small shank and took out a nasty edged hump that was infrt of the barrel nut, recrowned it cause it had burs that would cut your finger if you run it around the opening (ask me how I know ) Went home and headspaced the barrel on the action and checked how far to the lands It was 3.080 to the lands and the neck of the cases were coming out with scratches in them. Day 2....he cut .200 off the back of the barrel and rechambered it with his reamer, looking at it he commented the reamer must have been shot that they used and he couldn't believe the throat length. Mumbled about a 260 reamer maybe with the throat done in a separate step. Wow this is getting sad and probably expensive...I'm afraid to ask. At this point I ask him if he's got any of his brakes in stock and would he thread the barrel while its off so I can try one. He's been making brakes for year's and everybody seems to love em so why not? Finally got home last night so this morning I headspaced it again and confirmed the exact OAL to lands 2.83, things aren't so bad today . Put the barreled action in the stock and indexed the brake, it shoots like a 223! Guess I need more of them TWS Brakes and less McGowen barrels in the future. Will start load work Monday and hope its a shooter also got to work on the barrel finish all that lathe work took a toll.
You know sometimes you need to quit while you're ahead and not get bright idea's. Day 1....he rethreaded it for small shank and took out a nasty edged hump that was infrt of the barrel nut, recrowned it cause it had burs that would cut your finger if you run it around the opening (ask me how I know ) Went home and headspaced the barrel on the action and checked how far to the lands It was 3.080 to the lands and the neck of the cases were coming out with scratches in them. Day 2....he cut .200 off the back of the barrel and rechambered it with his reamer, looking at it he commented the reamer must have been shot that they used and he couldn't believe the throat length. Mumbled about a 260 reamer maybe with the throat done in a separate step. Wow this is getting sad and probably expensive...I'm afraid to ask. At this point I ask him if he's got any of his brakes in stock and would he thread the barrel while its off so I can try one. He's been making brakes for year's and everybody seems to love em so why not? Finally got home last night so this morning I headspaced it again and confirmed the exact OAL to lands 2.83, things aren't so bad today . Put the barreled action in the stock and indexed the brake, it shoots like a 223! Guess I need more of them TWS Brakes and less McGowen barrels in the future. Will start load work Monday and hope its a shooter also got to work on the barrel finish all that lathe work took a toll.
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