Is there an ideal neck size for a .308 bolt gun

[Max]

I'm planning to purchase a Shilen .308 barrel and am wondering what neck size is the best for bench shooting. They offer the following neck sizes: .3455, .340, and .332. I expect to use Lapua brass and am not adverse to neck turning but would like to be able to use premium ammo like Federal's Gold Match. Is a .340 chamber too tight for the latter as .3455 seems excessive.

 

[Scott Harris]

Get a SAAMI neck if you want to shoot factory ammo: .344 or larger. A larger neck is safer and won't adversely effect accuracy.

 

[hogan]

Are you SURE Shilen is selling anything other than barrel blanks? Maybe you're looking at old info? Brownells used to sell their short chambered barrels for Rem 700 and Savage guns.

If this is a short chambered barrel, pretty sure I would go with the .332 and let my finish reamer determine the neck diameter. .340 and .3455 seem awfully big for a custom barrel... If you intend to shoot factory ammo, take some measurements and see what the neck on your finished ammunition of choice mics out at. Also worth looking at the case body measurements. A SAAMI chamber is going to be pretty over size. Go with .0015-.002" over size of your finished ammunition.

If only going to handload, and intend to turn necks consider chambering to tolerances you expect to use. Dave Kiff is very helpful in talking best dimensions etc.

Thinking a .336 neck and a .334 or .333 bushing would work very well for no-turn, relatively close chamber that would still accept factory rounds. To get the most of your job, have the headspace set for .0005-.001 over Go-Gauge or that much over virgin case oal dimensions. If you will be the only shooter, you can get all you want out of your chamber...

 

[Chappy]

According you my smith, a .342 NK is considered a no turn.

 

[Max]

HOGAN: Shilen does make drop-in barrels for the Savage Model 12 and others. I already have four in different calibres. I measured the neck thickness on five pieces of fired Winchester brass (using a tubing mike and three measurements around the circumference) and found the average thickness to be .01323". Doubling this figure and adding the dia of the bullet at .308 plus allowing for .002 expansion I get .3364 as a no-turn chamber neck. It would seem that the closest they have to offer is a .340 reamer