185 Berger reamer print

[1000yardstare]

Want to build a specialized .308 F/TR rifle this Winter - Savage action, Shilen Select Match 12 twist barrel, Robertson stock.

My `smith has a reamer for the 155 Berger Fullbore. Asked PT&G for a reamer print for the .308 throated for the 185 Berger BT Long Range. They can`t be certain which of their many .308 prints are for the 185 Berger.

Does a member of this Forum know the Kiff print # for the 185 Berger?

Thanks in advance.
Bill

 

[CacheCropp]

FWIW, Here's some related info from German Salazar, not sure if it answers your specific needs.

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2011/06/reloading-308-chamber-for-175-185.html

here's what I found in searching this forum, some pretty decent info also:

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3754296.0

hope this helps

Mine is a 95 Palma Reamer and I have no problems fitting 185LRBT's over N540 and RL17.

 

[1000yardstare]

BlueRidge.............I notice German doesn`t like the .342 neck on the 95 Palma reamer. Did you specify a custom neck diameter?

My Lapua brass measures .337 with a seated 185 Berger. I don`t turn .308 brass. Will ask PT&G for a .340 neck on the reamer. Will send a dummy round with the order just to make sure.

Bill

 

[Steve Blair]

I find that .004-.005 clearance gives better accuracy in .308, particularly with heavy bullets. I have two long-throat PT&G .308 reamers. One has a .342 neck for unturned Lapua brass and the other has a .337 neck for turned brass, either Lapua or Winchester, with .0125 wall thickness. My .284 Win and .284 Shehane reamers also have .004 clearance. YMMV

 

[1000yardstare]

sleepygator......nice info.

One of my F Class rifles is a Savage .308 VLP for F/TR. Fired Lapua brass in that chamber measures .343. With brass elastic rebound the chamber is probably .344. Sizing to .335 is working the Lapua brass too much and really working Win/Rem/Fed.

I have never noticed any particular accuracy difference between Lapua and Win brass but it is a mass produced 10 twist factory barrel.

So want to rebarrel with a 28 inch Shilen 12 twist with a tighter neck.

PT&G are experts in the reamer business so I would imagine the .342 neck on the 95 Palma reamer is there for a reason.

I will include a Lapua brass/185 Berger dummy round with my order and let PT&G make the decision as to whether the neck diameter on the 95 Palma reamer needs changing.

Bill

 

[GermanS1]

Steve, my experience is also that a closer fitting neck is better. I use a 0.336" chamber neck diameter and also turn to 0.0125" so I have 0.003" clearance. Your 0.337" is essentially the same, either will do the job. I hate the big 0.342" and 0.345" chamber necks in some of the Palma reamers because they just hasten neck splits, potentially hurt accuracy and I don't need all that room! When we were shooting British and Canadian ball ammo in Palma the big chamber neck had a purpose, today, with Winchester brass (my choice) it's counterproductive.

If I were setting up to use only Lapua .308 brass, I would turn to 0.0135" and use a 0.339" chamber neck. On the rare occasion when I use it now, I just turn to the same 0.0125" as my Winchester in order to fit my chamber.

In the .30-06, I use Lapua with a 0.340" chamber neck, turned to 0.0135", or Winchester turned to 0.0125", no problems either way - but .30-06 brass which is more tapered than .308 will begin to separate at the base long before neck splits become an issue. I expect more reloadings from .308, so the neck becomes more important.

 

[1000yardstare]

The 95 Palma reamer is Kiff print # 307. Thanks to the good folks at PT&G for the one hour turnaround on my e-mail request.

The reamer does have a .342 neck. The brass specified is "L2 A2" and the resize neck diameter specified is .338. This would give .340 with a seated bullet. I have never worked with U.S. arsenal brass. Is the brass thicker in the neck than Lapua? This would account for the .342 reamer neck.

Bill

 

[Steve Blair]

My lot of Lapua .308 brass is .338" loaded diameter. The .342" chamber is correct for that. I just measured some '81 M118 Lake City and the loaded neck is .341. That is where the .345" Palma chambers would work. German's approach of always turning necks is the safest. Then, you know what you have.

German is also right about the Winchester brass. Unturned Win brass would need a smaller diameter. The Win brass also has more capacity, almost two grains more water than Lapua. This can be important when a marginal load needs just a bit more oomph to perform well.

 

[Laurie]

The brass specified is "L2 A2"

Bill,

that's the standard UK military version of the 'cooking' 144gn FMJBT bullet 7.62X51mm Nato cartridge, a very heavy case using a Berdan primer so rarely if ever reloaded these days. I've never measured sample necks, but can tell you the brass is very heavy with markedly less water capacity than any commercial make, so would assume necks are also on the thick side.

The Bisley 150 and similar chambers used by UK gunsmiths chambering barrels for our 'Target Rifle' shooters would be designed for this brass as all significant county and national TR competitions long used issued milspec ammunition sourced by the GB NRA. For many years it was the standard L2A2 or its slightly improved sniper 'Green Spot' version using a slightly modified 145/146gn bullet in the same case, later superseded by much better (but still poor by commercial or handload standards) 155gn sniper version. This lasted until two or three years ago when the GB NRA switched from Royal Ordnance Radway Green Limited 155gn sniper stuff to RWS manufactured cartridges finally employing a good quality match standard case and the older 155gn Sierra Palma MK version.

 

[allen529]

I am using the 95 palma reamer throated out +.030 for the 185 class bullets with the .342 neck diameter but I am getting a loaded neck diameter of +/- .3317 roughly as .332 is a soft seat and can be pushed back with some light pressure. I now use a .330 neck bushing and have no issues with my Winchester brass.

This is a tight bore .298/308 barrel so would I "gain" anything if the time came to go with a tighter neck?

Thanks,

Allen