Cutting a .222 Remington Chamber

[skeeljc]

When cutting a .222 Remington chamber in a new ss barrel would you pre-bore or just cut it with the finish reamer?

 

[HillbillyLongRifle]

Are you chambering this barrel? If so have you drilled and prebored before?

 

[jackieschmidt]

I drill out stock and prebore all of my chambers after indicating the barrel exactly where I want it.

But Will admit I have never done a 3/8 head case chamber that way.

it calls for smaller tools. I do have a Interapid indicator with a 1 1/2 inch long stylus, that might get you close enough to where the throat will be.

 

[skeeljc]

Are you chambering this barrel? If so have you drilled and prebored before?

This is my first time cutting a chamber. I have cut a test chamber in a piece of 416 ss deep enough to verify the reamer (.222 Rem, .250 neck, zero freebore, 1.5 degree lead).

 

[Lucky Shooter]

I've done a few chambers with this head size.

As Jackie mentioned, drill and prebore after indication
is the way to go.

Some claim good results with straight-in boring, as
opposed to taper boring-----I haven't figured out
how to make this work.

Taper boring works well for me and keeps thing simple.

No offense intended for those who can make other methods
do the job.

A. Weldy

 

[skeeljc]

I have a 1/4" carbide boring bar. I can use a N drill (.302") and then bore to .315" diameter to make the pre-bore concentric.

 

[spitfire_er]

Can be treated normally based on your method. Can be ran in to do the whole thing or pre-bored. Depending on who you ask, many different opinions. After doing just about every method out there. I've settled on the Pre-bore method.

Even though the 222 is a small case, you can still pre-bore, just need a little smaller boring bar and an indicator that'll reach.

 

[skeeljc]

So what are the advantages of pre-boring?

 

[Will Henry]

The advantage of pre-drilling is that it saves time and wear on the reamer. Boring after drilling, gives the reamer a true start; assuming the barrel is dialed in perfectly. I started gunsmithing pre-PPC so 222's, 222 mags, and 6x47s were the most common chambers I cut. A good drill bit will follow the bore very well. Drill only as far as the pilot will allow. On a 30/06, for instance, the chamber has to be done in two steps; drill, ream, drill, ream. On the second drill go to within about 50 thou of finished headspace.
To dial in at the throat, I use a twelve inch rod with a pilot near bore diameter. The rod is held against the tailstock center with an elastic band and the dial gauge reads on the rod close to the breech end of the barrel. If the indicator is 3 inches back from the point being indicated, the reading is 75% of actual TIR. The closer the better, of course. WH

 

[HillbillyLongRifle]

This is my first time cutting a chamber. I have cut a test chamber in a piece of 416 ss deep enough to verify the reamer (.222 Rem, .250 neck, zero freebore, 1.5 degree lead).

If this is your first chamber job i would just use the finish reamer for the whole job. Just make sure you have the barrel indicated in well and take .050 cuts until you are close to headspace and than go .025 cuts until last cut to set headspace. Im not saying you cant drill and bore it but if it was my first chamber job again id do it this way myself. Opinions will vary.

 

[skeeljc]

Thanks everyone. I will probably use the reamer all the way. The .222 Rem is pretty short.

 

[HillbillyLongRifle]

You can always practice drilling and boring later down the road!

 

[skeeljc]

NEW QUESTION: I have a Douglas premium CM barrel chambered for .222 Rem Mag. I want to try re-chambering it in .222 Rem and putting in back on the same action it was on. My first thought is to cut it off a bit more than the difference between the two cartridges. If I indicate the bore 2" ahead of the chamber the body of the .222 reamer will follow the old chamber. Is this a problem?

 

[spitfire_er]

Maybe, if the original chamber isn't concentric, your odds of creating the best chamber possible as less.

I would cut it off and start over. Then you won't second guess what the old chamber did or didn't do. If you are trying to ether learn, or hone your skills, relying on someone else's work to work off of doesn't help ether. If you have a proper fitting bushing, it might straighten back out by the time you are finished, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[Lucky Shooter]

I have a question for those who straight-bore.

If you bore to slightly less than shoulder diameter, how
do you get your pilot into the throat area to hold the front
end of the reamer on-center ?

Repetitive passes when taper boring allow the reamer to
eventually move forward into the chamber enough that
the pilot can engage the throat----holding the reamer center
line closer the bore center line.

I'm always willing to look at easier methods that work but have
found nothing simple to replace taper boring.

A. Weldy

 

[Will Henry]

You just don't bore too far but the ideal is to bore slightly over shoulder diameter for a little bit to give the reamer a fair start and allow the pilot to engage. This is what is done when rechambering to a larger cartridge as well. Dial in the throat, bore far enough to give the reamer a fair start then proceed. WH

 

[Hal]

NEW QUESTION: I have a Douglas premium CM barrel chambered for .222 Rem Mag. I want to try re-chambering it in .222 Rem and putting in back on the same action it was on. My first thought is to cut it off a bit more than the difference between the two cartridges. If I indicate the bore 2" ahead of the chamber the body of the .222 reamer will follow the old chamber

 

[JPB3]

I do drill with a bit maybe .05 under finish diameter, but no deeper than 1''. You want the pilot of your reamer to still reach well into the rifling.. Then have a small boring bar I ground from a h/s blank. I then bore the first 1/2-3/4'' of the chamber. Then ream it.. The reamer should be held true in the front by the pilot and in the rear by the now bored true face of the chamber.. It's all downhill from that point..

 

[butchlambert]

I

I have a question for those who straight-bore.

If you bore to slightly less than shoulder diameter, how
do you get your pilot into the throat area to hold the front
end of the reamer on-center ?

Repetitive passes when taper boring allow the reamer to
eventually move forward into the chamber enough that
the pilot can engage the throat----holding the reamer center
line closer the bore center line.

I'm always willing to look at easier methods that work but have
found nothing simple to replace taper boring.

A. Weldy

f you taper bore why do you need a pilot. Think about it.

 

[skeeljc]

I have a question for those who straight-bore.

If you bore to slightly less than shoulder diameter, how
do you get your pilot into the throat area to hold the front
end of the reamer on-center ?

Repetitive passes when taper boring allow the reamer to
eventually move forward into the chamber enough that
the pilot can engage the throat----holding the reamer center
line closer the bore center line.

I'm always willing to look at easier methods that work but have
found nothing simple to replace taper boring.

A. Weldy

Whether you taper or straight pre-bore as long as the reamer pilot engages the lands before the body engages the pre-bore you should be good.