.308 bore diameter?

[Freestate101]

This may sound like a stupid question on the surface, but bear with me please.

A little over a year ago I purchased a barrel from a friend who has since moved to WV. It was a 308 Kreiger Palma barrel that he had Kreiger chamber and headspace to his 700 action. He had changed to a 6 Dasher for XC and had no use for this barrel. I took it to my B.I.L. this past Thursday and had him cut the front sight and tenion stub off, re-crown and re-thread it for a Savage small shank action. All went well untill he started to re cut the chamber, here's where things went south. The pilot on the 308 Clymer reamer would not enter the bore from breech or muzzle end. Thinking that he may have gotten a bad reamer, we tried a 30-06 reamer, the pilot was still to large. Well the obvious thoughts came to mind; could Oz have sold me the wrong barrel, and in a different caliber? We tried a 280 reamer, the pilot flopped around in the bore like a fish out of water!
Ok guys, what gives, does Kreiger make a smaller bore size barrel for XC shooters using the 155 gr. bullets, or what?
I wish I could ask Oz, but he is not listed in the super pages anywhere in Buckhannon, WV and I will have to wait untill Monday to contact Kreiger. Any and all help will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance guys!

Jim Berry

 

[Freestate101]

gunamonth, I suppose the only way to know for sure would be to slug the barrel and measure it. But even after I have obtained the bore measurement, how would I get my hands on the correct reamer without buying one? It would be cost prohibitive to buy a reamer to chamber one barrel.

Jim

 

[bwgdog]

Just purchase the correct reamer pilot bearing-after slugging bore.

 

[Freestate101]

The reamer my B.I.L, has is a solid pilot, it does not have a pilot bearing.

Jim

 

[dennisinaz]

You won't be able to chamber that barrel unless you have the proper reamer! Either get a Palma reamer or a 308 with a live pilot and a smaller diameter.

I don't think you are going to like that .3065 bore.

 

[Freestate101]

Not sure if it's a .3065, .3070, or .3075, won't now untill my B.I.L. slugs the barrel and gets a true measurement. Anyone know of a source to rent a .308 reamer with the proper size pilot bearing, once we determine the actual bore size?

Jim

 

[AlNyhus]

The Palma bore diameters run around .002 smaller in both bore and groove dimensions than 'normal' .30 cal. bores. Palma bores will be in the .298/.306 area as compared to .300/.308. This goes back to the days when Palma competitors had to use the ammunition furnished by the host country and many counties used bullets a bit smaller than .308. I'm not a Palma shooter or historian, but that's the nickle tour.

You can check the bore size w/o slugging the barrel by using a pin guage set. Any good machine shop or gunsmith will have a set of these. Once you find one that fits, you can measure the diameter of the pin guage and then you'll have an idea of what pilot bushings to get with your reamer.

This company rents reamers..might be worth a try. -Al
http://www.reamerrentals.com/

 

[clowdis]

Palma barrels usually come in three different bore sizes: .298, .299 and .300. Groove diameters can be from .3065 to .308 depending on what the shooter has ordered. A solid pilot reamer is usually ground to fit a .300 bore size since this is the standard size. The only way you can get this barrel chambered is by using a reamer with interchangable pilot bushings. Find which bushing fits the bore and proceed.