Head space Savage 12

[M-61]

First time attempting this, with a lot of help from folks on this site. Savage 12 Target Action and a 30BR barrel. Everything went together quite nicely. My question is that when I set the head space (go & no go gauges) it took me by surprise how little the barrel is screwed into (or out of) the action to make a real difference in the head space. When it came time to tighten the jam nut I finally got it right after a lot of attempts. It seemed like a very small turn of the barrel and the headspace was no good. I am sure lack of experience is the main problem but I wondered about how small a turn and the no-go gauge let the bolt close. Finally I got it it so the go gauge lets the bolt close ( but I read where you should feel a bit of resistance in the final closure and I do not). However the no-go gauge allows almost no downward movement of the bolt handle. (Bolt handle barely moves from its full up position).
There is a question in the above, and I would just like someone to read this and see if it makes sense.

 

[Bobby Bailey]

20 threads per inch is .050 per each turn of the barrel. 1/16 turn is about .003.
The difference between most go and no-go gauges is .003-.004 .
Bobby

 

[chuckbuster243]

Headspace is just a relative number. If you are not shooting a factory round its ok. Just set up your sizing die to bump the shoulder 2-3 thou and roll on. I like to set my Savages so that when I thread up on the go gauge it just touches lightly. Sometimes it does want to slip when I tighten the nut but I just do it again. When I do it this way when I try to close the bolt on the no go it just barely starts to move downward. If I have another gun in the same caliber and want to keep the brass close in dimension to the other. I just tighten up on a several times fired case and then check with gauges. Matt