Those of you with a 95 Palma reamer, how does it work with regular factory ammo? I wan't another 308 reamer that is tighter and better designed for the 155-168 type bullets but will work safely with regular factory ammo.
95 Palma reamer
- Thread starter dennisinaz
- Start date
The 95 Palma Reamer will serve your purpose well. The throat is .3085 instead of .310.
Great reamer for bullets up to 175gr.
Keep your gun clean as the chamber is tighter. I would recomend brass cleaning, full length sizing, and trimming your brass before fire forming and about ever third loading there after.
Nat Lambeth
Great reamer for bullets up to 175gr.
Keep your gun clean as the chamber is tighter. I would recomend brass cleaning, full length sizing, and trimming your brass before fire forming and about ever third loading there after.
Nat Lambeth
OK, I just measured some different 308 ammo. I seated some 168 Bergers in Lapua brass and Fed Gold medal brass. The Lapua measured .338-.339, the Federal was .338.
Norma factory measures .3335 or so, Remington and W-W were about .335". Unless you want to neck turn, it sounds like the .342" is a safe bet to be able to shoot anything factory and use Lapua brass for accuracy loads. I just want a reamer that I can use for Palma and F-class rifles that will be safe if someone tries to shoot Wal-Mart ammo in it.
I have a few prints that I got from PTG and one of the one they recommended was a Dennis Flaharty Palma Fullbore and a Palma Bisley finisher. I have heard several people mention the 95 Palma is why I asked.
Looking at these other two reamers, they have .3445 and .3435 necks! I wonder what a SAAMI spec neck is- it's gotta be huge. I don't trust trying to measure it with a caliper.
I also want to make sure the base isn't too tight that a standard reloading die won't size the brass enough to work.
Norma factory measures .3335 or so, Remington and W-W were about .335". Unless you want to neck turn, it sounds like the .342" is a safe bet to be able to shoot anything factory and use Lapua brass for accuracy loads. I just want a reamer that I can use for Palma and F-class rifles that will be safe if someone tries to shoot Wal-Mart ammo in it.
I have a few prints that I got from PTG and one of the one they recommended was a Dennis Flaharty Palma Fullbore and a Palma Bisley finisher. I have heard several people mention the 95 Palma is why I asked.
Looking at these other two reamers, they have .3445 and .3435 necks! I wonder what a SAAMI spec neck is- it's gotta be huge. I don't trust trying to measure it with a caliper.
I also want to make sure the base isn't too tight that a standard reloading die won't size the brass enough to work.
Its all about setting depth and magazine length. A 95 Palma reamer will work with just about any reloaded ammo. I am sure the neck diameter is SAMMI. Palma ammunition is used the world around. I don't think the 95 Palma chamber or Dennis' 2011 Palma chamber would deviate from SAMMI dimensions. But please check the reamer dimensions first.
The only problem with Palma ammo I am aware of, is the when the world Championship were held (as I remember) in South Africa. The Palma bullets were metric in size and about 1 thousandth of an inch larger in diameter. Other than that I think even a SAMMI .308 Winchester case will chamber in a Palma chamber.
Again it is setting depth of the bullet (the ogive) or magazine length (like Berger bullets with their 14 to 18 radius ogive will not fit in a magazine; to long) that determines a safe chambering of a .308 Winchester cartridge in a Palma Chamber.
The only problem with Palma ammo I am aware of, is the when the world Championship were held (as I remember) in South Africa. The Palma bullets were metric in size and about 1 thousandth of an inch larger in diameter. Other than that I think even a SAMMI .308 Winchester case will chamber in a Palma chamber.
Again it is setting depth of the bullet (the ogive) or magazine length (like Berger bullets with their 14 to 18 radius ogive will not fit in a magazine; to long) that determines a safe chambering of a .308 Winchester cartridge in a Palma Chamber.
The '95 Palma reamer (if you have an unmodified one) will have a throat that is shorter than normal. When using the Sierra 155 (old 2155 bullet) I had to set them to an OAL of 2.785 to get a .020 jump with the bullet. This is shorter than the standard 2.800 OAL of a loaded round. So, if you're using factory ammo be sure to check to see how it works in your chamber, you may be real close to the lands and some pressure issues. Otherwise choose another chamber.
Just a word of caution. 2.800†is the maximum COAL. It is not a SAMMI set length. Its just a maximum.
It is the ogive of the bullet that sets the COAL not the throat length. You will not find very many factory cartridges that are a full 2.800†in length. The standard ogive is 6 diameter radius for a standard hunting bullet. The new scent type ogives are more like 4 diameter radius but again with a much high BC. The average SA cartridge will have a COAL of about 2.670â€. Some very heavy to caliber bullets with a high BC will have a 2.800†COAL. As I wrote above bullets with 10, 14 to even 18 diameter radius ogives, they will have COALs of 2.900†to even 3.020â€.
A proper set COAL for factory ammunition is when the bullet is about .020†off the lands. This does not mean the bullet can't be in the lands or .100†away from the lands. There is just a difference between Factory and Handloaded target or hunting ammunition.
Again the maximum COAL is not a set thing. Its just a maximum.
It is the ogive of the bullet that sets the COAL not the throat length. You will not find very many factory cartridges that are a full 2.800†in length. The standard ogive is 6 diameter radius for a standard hunting bullet. The new scent type ogives are more like 4 diameter radius but again with a much high BC. The average SA cartridge will have a COAL of about 2.670â€. Some very heavy to caliber bullets with a high BC will have a 2.800†COAL. As I wrote above bullets with 10, 14 to even 18 diameter radius ogives, they will have COALs of 2.900†to even 3.020â€.
A proper set COAL for factory ammunition is when the bullet is about .020†off the lands. This does not mean the bullet can't be in the lands or .100†away from the lands. There is just a difference between Factory and Handloaded target or hunting ammunition.
Again the maximum COAL is not a set thing. Its just a maximum.
Okay, I can't find my 95 Palma chamber drawing but it looks like the 95 Palma chamber has a nominal .2135†throat. The .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO round has a SAMMI maximum .2211†throat.
Also, the 95 Palma seems to have a .339†neck diameter. SAMMI is a maximum of .3435â€
So the differences are 76 ten-thousands of an inch. Or for you folks from Rio Linda, 8 thousandths (.008â€) of an inch shorter in throat length for the Palma 95 Chamber. And 45 ten-thousands of an inch. Or again for you for you folks from Rio Linda, 5 thousandths smaller in the neck diameter.
Clarification: SAMMI maximum will allow for -.008†which means even with a .0045†smaller neck of the 95 Palma case, the nominal size of the .308 Winchester case will be .004†smaller than the 95 Palma Chamber.
This means there is no problem with neck diameters. And the .308 Winchester case will fit in any Palma 95 Chamber. As for the throat length some factory ammunition may have the bullet seat into the land as much as 8 thousandths of an inch. Please check your setting depth.
However, I strongly doubt with most factory ammunition you will have a problem. The problem is with high quality handloaded target ammunition. Or at least that's my opinion.
Also, the 95 Palma seems to have a .339†neck diameter. SAMMI is a maximum of .3435â€
So the differences are 76 ten-thousands of an inch. Or for you folks from Rio Linda, 8 thousandths (.008â€) of an inch shorter in throat length for the Palma 95 Chamber. And 45 ten-thousands of an inch. Or again for you for you folks from Rio Linda, 5 thousandths smaller in the neck diameter.
Clarification: SAMMI maximum will allow for -.008†which means even with a .0045†smaller neck of the 95 Palma case, the nominal size of the .308 Winchester case will be .004†smaller than the 95 Palma Chamber.
This means there is no problem with neck diameters. And the .308 Winchester case will fit in any Palma 95 Chamber. As for the throat length some factory ammunition may have the bullet seat into the land as much as 8 thousandths of an inch. Please check your setting depth.
However, I strongly doubt with most factory ammunition you will have a problem. The problem is with high quality handloaded target ammunition. Or at least that's my opinion.
wow- more confusing than ever now. If I read this right, there is a chance that with a 95 Palma chamber, some factory (hunting?) ammo may have such a long ogive that the bullet will be jammed into the lands?
2.8" is simply the magazine length on a short action Remington. I doubt there is any factory ammo out there that is loaded this long.
2.8" is simply the magazine length on a short action Remington. I doubt there is any factory ammo out there that is loaded this long.
Don't forget, the '95 Palma reamer was made to fit the 7.62 NATO ammo used in the 1995 Palma matches in New Zealand. No match bullets, just the 147 (?) grain NATO bullet that was used in the New Zealand military ammo that was supplied by the host country. There are better reamers out there to use today. Most have moved on to the 2011 team reamer also know as the .308 Gamboa, .308 Fullbore and maybe a couple other names.
I don't like the .344 neck on the Gamboa one. Also, is there a best diameter at the base what works with a stadard Redding reloading die?
Most of the "custom" reamers only vary slightly from standard SAAMI body dimensions. The main changes occur with the neck diameter and throat. If you buy a custom reamer don't worry about the body dimensions and make the changes you want in the neck and throat. You can also have your chamber cut with a '95 Palma and then throated deeper to suit your requirements. The 2011 reamer has a larger neck dia. because the team's chambers had to pass an ICFRA plug gauge check in Australia. I haven't seen any effect on my brass from using the larger neck diameter of the 2011 reamer or the Bisley 150 for years before that.
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