Which company to chamber hunting barrel?

[Schippergreg]

I’m looking at getting my sako finnbear rebarreled in 6.5x55. I’d like a profile similar to the factory 30-06 barrel and have everything reblued so that it matches. I’m wanting a freebore for 130-140 gr bullets( I believe around .200) I contacted one company with a great reputation and asked if they could email me their reamer prints for 6.5x55 but was essentially told that they don’t keep any reamer prints. I was told that they get their reamers from pt&g, so I asked for the reamer numbers and I’d contact pt&g to get the prints from them. No reply since Monday. Not going to state the business name. Possibly I got someone new, but if I pay for a custom barrel to get chambered I’d like to know the dimensions of the chamber. That being said, who would you recommend? Thanks

 

[ebb]

I have not had any work done in several years, but if I were in the market, it would be Zack from Old Dominion. I have never heard bad word about him. Everyone seems to love all of his work.

 

[cmysix]

Where are you? also it's getting a little late for this years hunting season. juut plug in your #'s in the search box at PT&G and they will pop up, or just go thru the caliber list, really not that hard.

 

[wk4036]

Mark Penrod, Penrod Precision

 

[Sandstorm]

Jim Borden..I hear is pretty good.

 

[Schippergreg]

I’

Where are you? also it's getting a little late for this years hunting season. juut plug in your #'s in the search box at PT&G and they will pop up, or just go thru the caliber list, really not that hard.

if they gave me their reamer #’s it would be easy. It feels like I’m beating a dead horse when dealing with this company. It seems crazy to me that a large, well known barrel company doesn’t keep reamer prints on file.
I’m not worried about this season, it’s a project that I’ve been putting off for too long.

 

[David Milisock]

I’m looking at getting my sako finnbear rebarreled in 6.5x55. I’d like a profile similar to the factory 30-06 barrel and have everything reblued so that it matches. I’m wanting a freebore for 130-140 gr bullets( I believe around .200) I contacted one company with a great reputation and asked if they could email me their reamer prints for 6.5x55 but was essentially told that they don’t keep any reamer prints. I was told that they get their reamers from pt&g, so I asked for the reamer numbers and I’d contact pt&g to get the prints from them. No reply since Monday. Not going to state the business name. Possibly I got someone new, but if I pay for a custom barrel to get chambered I’d like to know the dimensions of the chamber. That being said, who would you recommend? Thanks

This fellow built a custom dangerous game 450 Marlin bolt for me for when I used to do guide work, https://therifler.com/
I had him specifically cut to my 500 grain dummy cartridges, it's a proprietary belted magnum, with iron sights, a 2 stage trigger, it feeds flawlessly, a Shilen air guage barrel that prints 1 hole groups at 50 yards and 3 shots in 1 ragged hole at 100 yards. I'm too much of a pussy to shoot 5 shots from a proper bench.

30 years ago McGowan Rifle Barrel built a 358 Norma Magnum for me on a Remington 03 that shoots 1 1/16" at 300 yards, feeds even when it's upside down and worked slowly. Custom cut chamber and stock bedding, it really shoots.

I can recommend both of these peoples work.

 

[cmysix]

I’

if they gave me their reamer #’s it would be easy. It feels like I’m beating a dead horse when dealing with this company. It seems crazy to me that a large, well known barrel company doesn’t keep reamer prints on file.
I’m not worried about this season, it’s a project that I’ve been putting off for too long.

PT&G does have reamer prints just go to your caliber in the list, .30-06 they show the German Salazar and the others who have made slight mods to the chamber and the sammi is right there too.

 

[Schippergreg]

I understand that pt&g has the information on their site, the barrel company is not providing the reamer numbers that they have in their shop. If they would I could easily find the prints.

 

[pintopete]

I understand that pt&g has the information on their site, the barrel company is not providing the reamer numbers that they have in their shop. If they would I could easily find the prints.

 

[pintopete]

View attachment 1363573

This reamer was sold to me for the exact purpose you are searching for. Before you ask, my reamer is not for sale LOL. However, you can call them and order the same one. They were about $185 from them not long ago. The other alternative is a rental which most smiths know about quite well. There are many good smiths around. I would suggest that you choose the one you like, and move forward. As much as local is nice, it’s not always possible, especially for this type of work. Many exceptional smiths listed above.

Best of luck with your project, Peter.

 

[ebb]

There is a local smith that really got in to fluting barrels a few years back. i looked at one he did with the calipers and I believe that the flutes were so deep that you could see the bullets go down the barrel at night. I avoid local at all costs. Get someone that knows what they are doing.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

There is a local smith that really got in to fluting barrels a few years back. i looked at one he did with the calipers and I believe that the flutes were so deep that you could see the bullets go down the barrel at night. I avoid local at all costs. Get someone that knows what they are doing.

You dont shoot much at nite though do you?

 

[Schippergreg]

There is a local smith that really got in to fluting barrels a few years back. i looked at one he did with the calipers and I believe that the flutes were so deep that you could see the bullets go down the barrel at night. I avoid local at all costs. Get someone that knows what they are doing.

This company isn’t local and is the barrel manufacturer itself. I honestly believe that the person that I’ve spoken with and emailed doesn’t understand what I’m talking about. I believe that it’s a secretary and not one of the smiths.

 

[ebb]

Not when i am in the position to see the barrel from the side. My neighbor was a door gunner in Vietnam, he told ne has seen bullets go down the barrel of his 50. But he said he had been getting shot at and he was ignoring the army's recommendation on sustained fire. And was sure the rest of the crew would have shot him if he thought that was the time to let it cool .

 

[INTJ]

The key when picking a company to chamber your barrel is to find someone who will fuss with dialing in the barrel on the lathe using a direct reading indicator. This may be a single man shop, a small company, or a larger operation.

They also need to know how to bed the barreled action in the stock stress free. The good news is that there are lots of shops like this, but they typically have a long lead time.

There are some shops that still do rust bluing, but a lot of us have gone to Cerakote. You can cerakote the entire barreled action and get it all the same color even if you have a mix of metals.

 

[Bill K]

Unless you have a real late hunting season, I think you are too late, for having it done this year, with how most gunsmiths are backed up on jobs and taking them as they come in.
You could try someone like Pacnor in Oregon and see if they could get your job done by the hunting dates you are working with.

 

[tobnpr]

I don't see why a SAAMI spec reamer/freebore wouldn't work with 140's- heavier would be pushing it a bit.
You can certainly go to the expense of having a custom reamer ground, but that is probably unnecessary from what you're describing. Smith should have a SAAMI spec reamer, and he can throat it longer if needed to accommodate your dummy round.

JMO YMMV

 

[Schippergreg]

I don't see why a SAAMI spec reamer/freebore wouldn't work with 140's- heavier would be pushing it a bit.
You can certainly go to the expense of having a custom reamer ground, but that is probably unnecessary from what you're describing. Smith should have a SAAMI spec reamer, and he can throat it longer if needed to accommodate your dummy round.

JMO YMMV

My understanding is that saami spec reamers are throated for 160gr round nose. To reach the lands with a 140 vld, the bullet is barely in the neck, with a 130 jump is the only option.

 

[Schippergreg]

Unless you have a real late hunting season, I think you are too late, for having it done this year, with how most gunsmiths are backed up on jobs and taking them as they come in.
You could try someone like Pacnor in Oregon and see if they could get your job done by the hunting dates you are working with.

I have plenty of rifles to hunt with so I don’t need it done this season, it’s a project that I’ve been meaning to do but kept putting it off. I plan on refinishing the stock while the action is gone.