Rechambering a used barrel

[GNERGY]

Do you find it harder than chambering a new barrel. This is the second used barrel I have done and it was a PAIN. It was a 6.5x47 barrel with over 2000 rounds thru it but it still shot 1 1/4 groups at 500 yards. It was a 30 inch Krieger 1.250 straight, I cut 2 inches off and got a new reamer from PTG. It cut perfect for about an inch and then it seamed it didn't want to cut. I would go in .025 to .030 and it wouldn't give me any chips. I was running around 70 rpm and using Vipers cutting fluid with a floating reamer holder. I would crank it in to about .050 to .060 and then it would give me chips. I rechecked the floating pilot with the range rod and it went in 2 inches farther than I had chambered it with no problem. I noticed it was getting warmer than normal so I would cool it off with a bag of ice. I finally got to where I had .050 left to go and I put it in a T handle and did it by hand. I would give it 5 turns while giving it some pressure and when I removed it there were nice tiny chips like when I first started. I measured it and I had taken out .003 so I continued by hand till I got the perfect headspace that I wanted. Took most of the day.
So do you think I had a tough spot in the barrel or is the reamer dull? But why would it cut good by hand if it was dull. The flutes with a 10x loupe still shows sharp edges on the throat, neck and shoulder area.
PTG wants $70. to resharpen if it is dull.
What do you guys think?
Tarey
A little on my backround, I have been a Maintenance Machinist for 40 years and have been a shooter that long but just got into building rifles for myself and others in the last 8 years.

 

[338 Mollett]

Some other guys have had trouble getting reamers to cut properly. The only thing on a used barrel I had to pay attention to was the throat erosion inducing a taper down the bore causing me to change bushings for a good fit.

 

[SBS]

Barrels that have been shot a lot tend to be hardened towards the rear of the rifling from the heat of the burning powder. Some are so hard that they will chip a reamer. If you had not cut the barrel off, it may have really been hard in the beginning of the rifling. For example, making an Ackley improved out of a standard caliber only involves setting the barrel back a thread or less and rechambering; but, if it's been shot a lot you risk ruining a reamer.

 

[GNERGY]

I cut 2 inches off of it which took off the whole chamber and a little of the throat.
I have read where some guys drill out the chamber before chambering it to make it easier. I will have to find out the correct way so that the bushing will line up with the bore.
Tarey

 

[Erik Cortina]

Make sure you bore after drilling.

 

[butchlambert]

I would never chamber any barrel without predrilling and boring. I would never consider just running a chambering reamer in without the other 2 steps.
Now if you had a radial drill and a die?

 

[Gundoktr]

Yeah, that would be the way to do it!