Help with a reloading question

[rocknut]

I have been playing with a Mauser chambered in .308 for a couple of years and run several thousand rounds thru it. It was fun and shot 3/4 to 1 moa with hand loads. I have been shooting SMK 155 & 168 mostly. I decided to build a Savage model 10 in .308 as I like the cartridge and have all the dies and brass etc. So I bought a nice Shilen bull barrel and head spaced it with a forester gauge. It felt like a nice tight chamber. I took my brass that is lightly sized and has a cut in the neck so I can insert a bullet and chamber it to get an idea of the OAL to the lands. In my mauser I got 2.860 to 2.865 on most bullets. I would buld rounds with a OAL of 2.840 and they were quite accurate. So I did the same procedure with my new rifle. The 155 smk's came in at 2.818 to 2.820. Tight but reasonable. Then I tried several 168 smk's. They are coming in at 2.730! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I can handle seating the 155's to 2.810 or even 2.80 as that's pretty standard for commercial ammo. But I can't get my head around seating a 168 at 2.715 or something. Anybody heard of a chamber that short? I'm really at a loss.

 

[Buzz]

What twist is your Shilen?

 

[rocknut]

Twist is standard 1:10. The barrel was engraved with the .308 1:10 on the barrel face so I'm pretty confident I got the right barrel.

 

[Buzz]

Ok. I was just asking because they throat the prefits based off of twist. My stock barrel has the 175's well over 2.8 (can't recall exactly of the top of my head) at -.020 jam. Have you checked the chamber with the go/no go since you tightened down the barrel?

 

[rocknut]

Yea, I checked it before I cranked down the barrel nut. Then checked it again after I torqued it to 30 lbs. (with the barrel nut wrench taken into account) The I tried a piece of brass that was full length resized for my mauser which also has a tight chamber. It fits perfectly. The bolt closes with no resistance when the shoulder was bumped .001 or .002. Everything looked great till I tried the 168's. I am going to try the 155's at a low start load at 2.80 OAL. I'm lost on what to try on the 168's

 

[jonbearman]

When you seat your 168 sierra's do they stick down past the neck shoulder junction?

 

[Buzz]

If you think there is an issue I'd definitely get ahold of Shilen before you put any rounds through it. It sounds like factory 168 ammo would be jammed, which can't be right.

 

[rocknut]

I can't actually tall if the bullet is seated below the shoulder junction, but my guess is it is. The bullet is seated almost to the point where it starts to curve toward the point (ogive?). I think I will call Shilen tomorrow. I'll probably have to remove the barrel. Dang it! I head spaced it about a half dozen times to get it perfect....

 

[Buzz]

The sierra 168's are 1.215 long. At 2.715 you're a ways into the case.

 

[nastynatesfish]

Ya that's like my ftr savage. I seat at 2.79 with 175s I got a bunch of 155s to try after I run out of 175s.

 

[nastynatesfish]

Or take it to somebody and have them throat it some. Seat it for your OAL for 175s and just load the 155 long

 

[jonbearman]

Rocknut,take a loaded round and just a bullet and at least eye the bullet against the one in the case and you should see that it isnt below the neck junction but a ways in there which is no problem.I have a remington rifle the same way and when the 168 is seated it(the bearing surface is above the neck shoulder junction and the boat tail is just above the junction.It is like they chambered for nothing longer than a 150 soft point or something.

 

[Buzz]

That works too. I just feel like Shilen has a lot more money than I do and I shouldn't have to fix their mistakes. Try pac-nor next time. You choose your chamber specs and you still get the plug and play benefit of a prefit.

 

[rocknut]

Thanks for the input guys. I guess I was unaware of chambers shorter than the usual oal of 2.80. I had planned to use 155 palmas for the most part. I think they would work out, but it would be nice to have the option of something heavier. I will seat a bullet in my guage case and see where the shoulder is in relation to the bullet. Good thought. I will call Shilen before I tear it all apart.

 

[mac86951]

Can never hurt to try a Cerrosafe cast of the chamber.
I've seen troubles that could easily be fixed by a finish reamer.

That said, you shouldn't have to fix a manf. mistake, but headspace and free-bore are two different things. I've heard of barrel manfs. leaving the end user to do the finish reaming by hand so by leaving it short you can set the free-bore to whatever bullet you want.

-Mac

 

[jonbearman]

Pac-nor is a great idea but alot more money.Shilen will do a pre-fit with your reamer if you have one.Jim at Northland supply will set it up for you. 1-763-682-4296

 

[rocknut]

That's a thought Mac. I just thought they would have set the throat at something reasonable as these are ment to be installed by a end user without reamers etc. I have used finish reamers on my Mausers before, but never felt very comfortable reaming on a $350 barrel....That is a thought though. I started on Savages because I didn't want to deal with gunsmiths anymore. I waited for 8 months for a trigger job on a pistol once. Sort of put me off. I will call Jim at Northland as well. He is who I bought the barrel from.