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Issues with “finding the lands” / 6 BR / possible throat issue

I re-barreled ( Shelin) my Savage PTA in 6 BR.
I'm trying to work up new loads. The old rounds are jamming in lands ( bbl) and bolt is very hard to close.
I lubed this brass and put dyekem on the 87 Gr Vmax. I chambered a round and closed the bolt / I pushed on the tip of the bullet with a cleaning rod while pulling back the bolt. Have a look at this round. Am I that far into the "lands?" I'm just unsure about what I am seeing... Any ideas suggestions advice?
876BR.JPG
 
Determinging seating depth is one of the simplest operations that hand loaders can do. It's also one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly done operations out there. Here's how to make life easy for yourself with no tools and only a piece of 0000 steel wool:

Normally, I remove the f-pin...with pin assy out, you get a better feel for what's going on. Since the Savages make this impractical, I remove the trigger assy for a better feel for things.

-Full length size the case and neck of an empty case.
-Seat a bullet 'long'.
-Polish the bullet with 0000 steel wool.
-Try to chamber that round. If the bolt won't close, remove the round. If the bullet sticks in the barrel, take it out with a cleaning rod. You'll clearly be able to see the marks on the bullet.
-Resize the case again.
-Adjust the seating depth .005 longer.
-Repolish the bullet with 0000 steel wool.
-Try to chamber the round again.

Eventually, it will chamber. Looking at the rifling marks, you'll see them get shorter each time you adjust the seating depth and the bullet is seated deeper into the case. Keep repeating this process until the rifling marks on the bullet just disappear. Record this seating depth as your 'zero'. Now you can go in or out and know where you're at.

Once you get this method down, it takes about 5 minutes to find your 'zero' or 'to the lands' measurement.

Hope this helps. -Al
 
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It is a new barrel never fired. Set with Go gauge. Scotch tape on head and bolt will not close. I worked with a dummy round and it seems like the throat is really tight. I'm new at doing this.. But compared to my other 6 BR's the bullet is now is very deep in the neck.... I ran a brush down the bore and ran some Boretech cleaner thru.. It seems like the machining is maybe too tight. Maybe call Shilen and see what they say. I just dont know..
 
I worked with a dummy round and it seems like the throat is really tight.
Do you mean the neck is tight in the chamber? The throat is ahead of the end of the neck in the chamber. Also, make sure what 6BR chamber is in there...the originals were 1.520 long versus the later Lapua 1.560 length. And verify the chambers neck diameter with them and compare it to your lcases neck diameter with a bullet seated.

Let us know what you find out. -Al
 
the neck seems ok. What I tried to explain is that the bullet immediately runs into interference. I did the Scotchbright polish and insert exercise. Here's where I am now. This is compared to another Savage factory PTA 6 BR.
F638C6D5-6EF3-42F8-81BE-55B246AC09F8.jpeg
 
I believe that @Coyotefurharvester nailed it. I went and seated an 87 Vmax at touch in a zero freebore chamber. See pics for measurements.
 

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@markT, Sir, check the freebore inside diameter surface with a borescope if you have access to one. I sent pictures of the freebore to the vendor and were forwarded to Shilen. Shilen contacted me to get back the barrel to further inspect it. They ran the reamer back in to clean up the freebore diameter. Turnaround was 2 weeks total. Before I sent the barrel back, I did the "plunk test". Factory loaded ammo was sticking out of the chamber more than in the original barrel, ~0.090 inches. Should have done this test and the borescope before installing the barrel in the first place. I also did the same thing you did sir, marked up some dummy rounds with red permanent marker to find out the lands originally.
 
I re-barreled ( Shelin) my Savage PTA in 6 BR.
I'm trying to work up new loads. The old rounds are jamming in lands ( bbl) and bolt is very hard to close.
I lubed this brass and put dyekem on the 87 Gr Vmax. I chambered a round and closed the bolt / I pushed on the tip of the bullet with a cleaning rod while pulling back the bolt. Have a look at this round. Am I that far into the "lands?" I'm just unsure about what I am seeing... Any ideas suggestions advice?
I re-barreled ( Shelin) my Savage PTA in 6 BR.
I'm trying to work up new loads. The old rounds are jamming in lands ( bbl) and bolt is very hard to close.
I lubed this brass and put dyekem on the 87 Gr Vmax. I chambered a round and closed the bolt / I pushed on the tip of the bullet with a cleaning rod while pulling back the bolt. Have a look at this round. Am I that far into the "lands?" I'm just unsure about what I am seeing... Any ideas suggestions advice?
View attachment 1328647
Finding the lands is very simple. Split the neck of new case using a Dremel cutoff wheel. Run the split from casemouth down to the case body. Smooth the inside edge with fine round file. Just sea bullet long and chanber it. Extract and there’s your length to lands. Measure with an ogive gauge on calipers. Not rocket science
 
Determinging seating depth is one of the simplest operations that hand loaders can do. It's also one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly done operations out there. Here's how to make life easy for yourself with no tools and only a piece of 0000 steel wool:

Normally, I remove the f-pin...with pin assy out, you get a better feel for what's going on. Since the Savages make this impractical, I remove the trigger assy for a better feel for things.

-Full length size the case and neck of an empty case.
-Seat a bullet 'long'.
-Polish the bullet with 0000 steel wool.
-Try to chamber that round. If the bolt won't close, remove the round. If the bullet sticks in the barrel, take it out with a cleaning rod. You'll clearly be able to see the marks on the bullet.
-Resize the case again.
-Adjust the seating depth .005 longer.
-Repolish the bullet with 0000 steel wool.
-Try to chamber the round again.

Eventually, it will chamber. Looking at the rifling marks, you'll see them get shorter each time you adjust the seating depth and the bullet is seated deeper into the case. Keep repeating this process until the rifling marks on the bullet just disappear. Record this seating depth as your 'zero'. Now you can go in or out and know where you're at.

Once you get this method down, it takes about 5 minutes to find your 'zero' or 'to the lands' measurement.

Hope this helps. -Al
Real easy. Chamber a bullet in a slit neck case and use an aogive gauge on the calipers to measure seating depth to lands. Simple and quick.
 
@ Newhouse: Thank you sir!!
I called Shilen just now and I talked with someone. They are going to pull the paperwork for this barrel. I have had this barrel since 2-24-2017... She will call me back after paperwork is reviewed and see what the drawing / specs say...
 
Determinging seating depth is one of the simplest operations that hand loaders can do. It's also one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly done operations out there. Here's how to make life easy for yourself with no tools and only a piece of 0000 steel wool:

Normally, I remove the f-pin...with pin assy out, you get a better feel for what's going on. Since the Savages make this impractical, I remove the trigger assy for a better feel for things.

-Full length size the case and neck of an empty case.
-Seat a bullet 'long'.
-Polish the bullet with 0000 steel wool.
-Try to chamber that round. If the bolt won't close, remove the round. If the bullet sticks in the barrel, take it out with a cleaning rod. You'll clearly be able to see the marks on the bullet.
-Resize the case again.
-Adjust the seating depth .005 longer.
-Repolish the bullet with 0000 steel wool.
-Try to chamber the round again.

Eventually, it will chamber. Looking at the rifling marks, you'll see them get shorter each time you adjust the seating depth and the bullet is seated deeper into the case. Keep repeating this process until the rifling marks on the bullet just disappear. Record this seating depth as your 'zero'. Now you can go in or out and know where you're at.

Once you get this method down, it takes about 5 minutes to find your 'zero' or 'to the lands' measurement.

Hope this helps. -Al
Thank you buddy I’m gonna try it out also
 
@ Newhouse: Thank you sir!!
I called Shilen just now and I talked with someone. They are going to pull the paperwork for this barrel. I have had this barrel since 2-24-2017... She will call me back after paperwork is reviewed and see what the drawing / specs say...
You're welcome sir. When I was trying to find the touch to the lands on my Savage, I disassembled the bolt and removed the cocking pin and reassembled. I also cut a notched with a dremel cutting disk on the rim of the case where the ejector pin would push. I place the dummy round with the notch in the bolt end aligning the ejector on the notch and insert the bolt in the action carefully. I also guide the dummy round with either a popsicle stick or something similar into the chamber as I push the bolt. If the bolt does not close, I take it out and seat the bullet deeper and repeat the process again.
Note that you can take the ejector out if you do not want to cut a notch on your dummy round case.
 
Real easy. Chamber a bullet in a slit neck case and use an aogive gauge on the calipers to measure seating depth to lands. Simple and quick.

That's how I have done it for 30 years. I can't hardly convince anyone to do it... I have no idea why. works better than anything I have tried. Fast too.
 

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