Correct brass dimensions?

[monkeymt]

I am very new to wildcat reloading as I just became the owner of a 22BR which I am becoming very fond of. I got about 100 reloaded rounds as a bonus and they are very accurate. I have taken the next leap and got some Lapua 6BR brass and an RCBS neck turning tool.
All of my books say the dimensions for trim length is 1.520 and the necks turned to .246, however the brass that came with the gun measures a length of 1.48 and the necks are .242.
My question is, should I set the new brass up just like the brass I got or stay with the recommended numbers?
I want to get this right and wondered if the chamber of this gun much tighter and if I have longer or thicker brass would the pressures increase and accuracy suffer?
Mark

 

[expiper]

Stop reading and start measuring....the neck dia. on 22BR's vary as much as 6mmBR's and PPC and everyother cal out there...the one that I had 30 yrs ago was a .244 nk...gunsmithed by Fred Hasecuster...one of the best ever...but things have changed a lot over the yrs...mesure a fired neck...it is usually .001' smaller than the actual neck dia.!!!...but I reccomend measureing the neck dia......nothing beats an actual measurment...or call the guy you got the bbl from or the gunsmith,if he is still alive!!??) ...the books usually give lots of mis-information...whatever the neck dia is...make the loaded round aprox .002-.003 smaller...that will tell you what to turn em to.....OBTW,,,the trim length back in the day was 1.520..but even that can change ....all the reamers were 'custom'....proceed carefully ....HOpe this helps...Roger

 

[monkeymt]

Thanks Roger,
Your information has helped a lot. I have spoken to the guy I got the gun from but as you would expect the man who built it is no longer with us. However, he said he may be able to get the reamer that was made for this barrel. That would really help. With your help I am getting a bit more comfortable with this process. I turned another case today after reading your post and made up a dummy round that is .002 smaller than the fired case that I had no trouble loading into the rifle with a very easy bolt lock-up.
Thanks again.
Mark

 

[expiper]

Great....as you make your brass leave one deliberately long...around 1.530..and see if it will go...and you can find your actual chamber length by trial and error...onece you find it ...trim em about .020-025' shorter than the max...and you will prolly never have to do it again...
One lil note...in these modern days I wuld try some Rx-15 ...it works great in the 6mm versions and shuld do great in the .22's also...,,I dont have anything .22 cal anymore...))let us know how it does...Roger

 

[Ackman]

When the 22BR came out brass was made from 7BR cases with Remington headstamp. That's all there was. Those cases were 1.520' long and of course they had to be neckturned. One of my 22BR's has that chamber and only Remington brass will fit. The Lapua 6BR case is 1.555' and has a longer neck. Made into 22BR it's too long for a Remington chamber. It can be shortened, but better to just have a chamber for Lapua brass. Remington brass isn't as strong and won't take the pressures that Lapua can handle.

 

[monkeymt]

I got over 100 pieces of the Remington 7BR brass you are talking about and you are also right in the fact that the Remington brass is much shorter and even much thinner in the neck. I just went out and shot five rounds of Lapua I trimmed to 1.48 and turned to .242. It shot fine, was just a little tighter when chambering. I have to turn the necks down quite a bit and wish I did not have to.
I also tried the suggestion by Roger to leave some a little longer and I also made some little larger in the neck. These rounds were either very hard to chamber or would not want to chamber at all.
Let me ask you this, can I have the chamber opened up for Lapua brass or even have it opened for no turn brass?
Thank you both.
Mark

 

[Ackman]

can I have the chamber opened up for Lapua brass or even have it opened for no turn brass?
Thank you both.
Mark

Absolutely you can. Either or both. It would be a good thing. I doubt anyone chambers for Remington brass anymore. My #1 gun has a .242'nk chamber cut for Remington brass. The #2 gun has a chamber for no-turn Lapua brass. When primer pockets on the Remington brass are gone, that #1 gun will rechambered with a no-turn Lapua reamer.

 

[monkeymt]

Thank you. I think that I will use up the Remington brass like you are doing and then have the chamber opened up to a no turn. The Remington brass with the loads that came with the gun are very accurate and it is a pleasure to shoot. If nothing else it has been fun to learn how to turn necks. You never know when this might come in handy.
Thanks again.
Mark

 

[fdshuster]

Mark: A suggestion: Invest $6.95 in a 22 cal. Sinclair Chamber Length Gage, part#G-224, page 32, 2009-A catalog), sacrifice one of the Remington cases, and take an accurate measurement of the actual length of your chamber. If the brass is properly fitted to your chamber, it may never stretch enough to reach what is probably .030' to .040' longer than max case length. My 22BR chamber is 1.582', cut with a Clymer reamer-- a lot longer than any of my Lapua cases, even after many firings. If you measure the outside neck dia. of a fired case, you can add approx. .001', and that will be close to your chamber neck dia. As stated previously, a clearence of .002' to .003' is good.

 

[monkeymt]

Excellent suggestion Frank. I think I will get several to check some other rifles I have.
Thank you.
Mark