pdog shooter
Well-Known Member
Friend of mine wanted to get into reloading and long range precision shooting. He is new to the reloading part I am not. Purchased quality reloading equipment and a savage 12 long range precision rifle of 6.5 caliber. We both realize that the rifle was kind of a crap shoot but could easily be swapped to aftermarket barrel. Rifle had very erratic chronographed velocities and every pressure sign imaginable. Keep in mind there are 2 of us with two sets of better than average equipment. Measured and prepped brass to the highest standard I was capable of, measured powder with 2 different scales, 3 different types of brass, multiple bullet weights and brands.
Rifle sent back to savage and the diagnosis was "an unusually tight chamber" polished and returned. Kind of figured that was BS because its easy enough to check head space and there were multiple dies used with no problems chambering. Rifle test fired with the same erratic velocity with the added bonus of breaking the bolt face. Bolt inspected and repaired and aftermarket barrel purchased.
Inter a new tool, "pin gauges", Saami calls for the bore to be .2560 with no + or -. We now have a total of 4 6.5mm barrels for comparison. 256 pin will pass thru 3 of these barrels with nearly no effort it will not pass thru the savage. The 255 has to be tapped thru and the 254 passes easily. I'm putting the bore at 0.2545. Chamber casting poured from barrel in question with no anomalies. New barrel installed and fired approximately 100 times with no pressure signs and velocity in the expected range.
My question is; Has anybody else heard of or experienced this? I've seen several pressure problems posted but cant recall the end result being bore size. How could this happen?
Save the comments of it being dangerous. We were very aware of that.
Rifle sent back to savage and the diagnosis was "an unusually tight chamber" polished and returned. Kind of figured that was BS because its easy enough to check head space and there were multiple dies used with no problems chambering. Rifle test fired with the same erratic velocity with the added bonus of breaking the bolt face. Bolt inspected and repaired and aftermarket barrel purchased.
Inter a new tool, "pin gauges", Saami calls for the bore to be .2560 with no + or -. We now have a total of 4 6.5mm barrels for comparison. 256 pin will pass thru 3 of these barrels with nearly no effort it will not pass thru the savage. The 255 has to be tapped thru and the 254 passes easily. I'm putting the bore at 0.2545. Chamber casting poured from barrel in question with no anomalies. New barrel installed and fired approximately 100 times with no pressure signs and velocity in the expected range.
My question is; Has anybody else heard of or experienced this? I've seen several pressure problems posted but cant recall the end result being bore size. How could this happen?
Save the comments of it being dangerous. We were very aware of that.
