I have only chambered nine barrels. I made a rookie mistake on barrel #3 and had to put it back in and dial in again. The reamer holder "hung up" and I wound up with a chamber .002" oversized in the back, though the throat looked good. My first match with it I was first for six target agg (3 LG and 3 HG). At a later match I shot three consecutive sub 2" three-shot groups at 1000 yds on tuning day. Over the next two days my six target agg was 5.37", good for third place.
I chambered a 33-28 Nosler that gave me a 1/2" group at 100 yds with hunting bullets. Subsequent tall target testing validated that.
My current LG barrel has won me a couple of 600 yd matches.
In short, my own chambered barrels have shot as well for me as the barrels I had chambered by real gunsmiths. When I look at my throats they look even.
That said, I do not pretend to be close to the level of
@Alex Wheeler,
@DaveTooley,
@butchlambert,
@Dusty Stevens, and the rest of the real gunsmiths that post here. However, I
seem to be on the right path, and maybe my experience can help fellow newbies like
@urbanrifleman and others.
I dial in through the headstock (PM 1340GT Lathe) with plain old 4-Jaw and an outboard spider I made. I first get the barrel reasonably straight though the headstock. I do that by indicating the outside of the barrel to within a half thousandth.
I then get it as close as I can using a Grizzly rod, checking at the breech and a little past the throat. I use a Mitituyo .0001" test indicator on the rod. When I have it as good as I can get it, usually about .0002", I check the throat with the long reach Interapid. If it's not exact I go back to the Grizzly rod and work some more. When the Interapid says it's good I start machining. I am not good enough yet to adjust directly off the Interapid.
I cut the tenon, and recheck dial in. I thread and recheck the dial in. I then chamber with a snug but free bushing. My first pre-drilling and boring attempt was not successful.
I chamber .050 to .100 at a time at first, then take lesser cuts as I get deeper in. I pull the reamer completely out each pass, clean all the chips off the reamer and out of the bore. This is a slow process. When I get close I go even slower and check fit.
This is working so far, but I am not through improving and developing my technique.
And yes, the Noga indicator stands rock.