Terry, usually it takes 20 rounds, but if barrel has heavy chatter - machine marks MGYSGT suggested firing 100 some rounds, its not just him, its known and I've heard many times over that Savage barrel requires 100 - 200 rounds through before best accuracy can be achieved. I just thought why not just fire Tubbs bullets to cut time to get best optimal performance out of factory barrel.
Savage 12 LRPV in 6 Norma BR or should I reconsider?
- Thread starter LR_Shooter
- Start date
JB bore paste ( in the blue container) is not abrasive enough to remove the amount of metal required to smooth up some factory barrels, and fire-lapping can remove too much in a short time. It's common for the throat to be lengthened, and I've experienced the bore diameter opening up from a slugged .308" to .3088". The rifle went from a "good" shooter that heavily copper fouled, to one that cleaned up easier, but group sizes more than doubled. I would never touch fire-lapping again. Try the barrel, see what it does, and if it's not up to your standards, replace it with a lapped after-market premium barrel. Just my opinion, based on my experience, and what I would do. A factory barrel is a crap shoot. Some very good, some fair & others just plain junk.
got my order from Midway, with reloading equipment and Norma brass, that brass for 6 br does look short compare to what I been using before, but I think I'll become used to it ;-) The only thing missing now is the rifle.
Tubbs Finial finish might be a bit much for Savage or Wilson barrel. The barrels are true enough that there's no reason for the heavy grits. When I broke in my daughters Wilson I used some Tubbs TMS bullets. 3 or 4 cycles of 3 shot and clean, 9 or 12 bullets total. The barrel has never been a fouler and a very good shooter.
Abrasive bullets move throats back.
Abrasive bullets move throats back.
so how about KG-2 its fine 1200 - 1400 grit liquid, I usually use it on 223, 260, 270 and 308 to get copper out but leave it in micro fractions? Manufacture is also stating that it can be used in fire polishing.
I was working on Norma brass last night and when I was using primer pocket uniformer tool I had hard time turning and pulling it out, its like primer pockets are very tight, never had anything like this. Tight primer pockets are usually good, better then loose like on Federal brass, but this is to tight I think.
got my rifle yesterday and today I took time off to do break-in, which is complete! Average groups indeed 0.6"@100 yards, this rifle uses 3 pillars to support its action, basically this is exactly Model 12 Bench Rest stock, just barrel 3" shorter. It looks like pressure is not equally distributed along the action. One side of the stock where action resides is steeper, so when tightening action screws barrel almost touching stock on one side, while leaving huge gap on the other. Proper bedding will fix this I hope. Norma brass seemed to worked well, I don't have any issues so far. Primers I used for my loads were CCI 400, my local store didn't have any 450 or BR. Using 29.5 and 28.5 grains of Varget showed lots of pressure on the primers, I even had one with punctured hole. I guess I will need to back down my loads. What is safe load using Varget with 105 gr Lapua's and CCI primers I have?
LR_Shooter: It's those CCI400's that are your problem. Check out the Technical Article page by Jim Calhoun about primers. 400 cup thickness is .020", BR & 450's are .025". I use nothing but BR4 with some 450's, 107 SMK with 30 grs. of Varget and have no pressure problems. Reducing your load to meet the limitations of the primers is like buying a Porsche and feeding it regular gas. Beg, borrow or steal (just kidding) some good primers. Until then, I would back the load down to 27 grs. of Varget, and add a little jump (.020" off the lands?), and gradually work up.
I'm searching for primers and so far found Federal 205 Match, but no CCI BR or 450, there are more stores in my area eventually I'll find them. I tested my loads using .015" and .025" of lands and all showed cratering. I'm thinking to get this done if problem persist with magnum primers.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2007/07/tech-tip-bushing-firing-pin-holes-for-performance/
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2007/07/tech-tip-bushing-firing-pin-holes-for-performance/
Federal 205M are shown as .0225" cup thickness, a little better than the 400's, but not as good as the BR4"s & 450's. You might try a box of 100 to see if they help. I do prefer the BR4's & 450's with varget and the Federal 205/205M's with VihitaVouri. Yes, the primers do look nasty, very close to blanking out for a complete rupture, and as said your next course of action may be having the firing pin hole bushed. What I did notice though is that the rounded edge of the primers are still round, not flattened.
fdshuster, do you recall when I posted about my brass preparation and I had hard time turning primer pocket uniformer because of the tight primer pockets, I guess primers didn't move back to get flatten, instead they try to blowup the top because of the tight fit.
LR-Shooter: Yes, I do remember that. I've just never seen cratering like you have without the flattened primers. Was talking to a friend & he thinks your firing pin could be out too far. There is a max & minimum spec. length, I'm not familiar with it, but you may want to consider that also. Keep us informed/ an "interesting" problem.
Jackpot, found store it had so many BR4 primers, but no 450, so I bought 1000. I think it will last for a year. Yes I will post my results when I test new primers, but I need to get bedding done first. Thanks for the help!
I tried CCI BR4 primers today
Now I'm figuring hard bolt issue, on many of my loads it was very hard to close and open, I only neck sized previously fired brass, which was virgin prior to that.
Now I'm figuring hard bolt issue, on many of my loads it was very hard to close and open, I only neck sized previously fired brass, which was virgin prior to that.
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
If bolt is hard to close you need to full length size your brass. Bolt will be easier to open as well.
Make sure you lube the bolt lugs also.
Make sure you lube the bolt lugs also.
Its hard to close with FL sized brass as well, I asked my wife to open close it she hardly closed it but couldn't open it.
Had issue resolved with hard to cycle bolt and scratches on the brass, factory chamber was cut off center relative to the bore, plus it had heavy reamer marks inside, firing pin had to be adjusted as well, it was to far out. The only thing left to work on is its accuracy, I get fliers very often, I did play with a torque on action screws so far nothing consistent.
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