What kind of reamer?

[peterf225]

I am looking at getting a 243 win reamer for a project and I'm wondering what kind of reamer would be recommended (whether a solid pilot or a live pilot reamer). Any and all advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Peter

 

[JRS]

Unless you are performing the work yourself, ask your gunsmith which he prefers.

 

[Preacher]

Most smiths will use a live pilot reamer for a better fit..
Call Dave @ PT&G he will steer you in the right direction..

 

[brian923]

are solid pilot reamers bad? i ask because i have a solid pilot reamer for my 6.5x55 project. am i better off selling it and getting a piloted reamer?

 

[Preacher]

No--- solid pilot reamers are not bad, you just don't have any control over how well they may fit in a particular barrel..
For a hunting rifle I would not hesitate to use one..
If your looking for every single tiny bit of edge, the piloted reamers are a plus..
If your looking for that edge, have Dave Kiff @ PT&G cut it for a bushing.......

 

[Dave L Kiff]

Solid pilot reamers have a one size fits all pilot diameter and this can create many different problems from time to time. I have always tried to get folks to use removable bushing tools ( live pilot ) . Thanks Dave Kiff PTG Custom Shop.

 

[Scott Harris]

Peter,
I've bought a few 243WIN reamers from Kiff over the years and my preferences have evolved. After a lot of experimenting, I'd suggest the following:
1. Ask for a 243WIN Match reamer.....throat length will accommodate a large range of bullets.
2. Use a SAAMI minimum .276 neck. I played around with a lot of dimensions, but the .276 neck is safe and works very well.

The throat length is what most people want to play around with. each reamer will have a different throat length....a different approach is to get a reamer with zero freebore and also get a uni-throater reamer from PT&G. This will allow you to customize the throat length for whatever bullet you choose. The PT&G uni-throater reamer can be used by hand or in a lathe.

 

[butchlambert]

OK, now for the other opinion. I do not want my reamer wandering around following a crooked bore. I indicate the throat and taper bore to that point. I want my reamer following my taper bored hole, not a crooked bore.
All of the different opinions aside, both methods will work fine on a hunting rifle.

 

[LesWard]

Butch, When you say a "crooked bore" are you refering to the original bore from the manufacturing process?
Just trying to picture in my mind what takes place as the reamer travels down the bore axis, ( hopefully that is ).

Thanks for all your expertise.
Aloha, Les

 

[butchlambert]

The deep hole bores are not perfectly straight. Some are damn good and some aren't . You can put them on rollers with a light on one end and spin it and you would be surprised that you can see a very small crook real easy. Did some experimenting several years ago with real crooked barrels. If you set up properly and chamber it, they shoot well.
Now, that is why I don't allow my bushing to fit the bore snugly. If you do as the reamers works it's way around the bore it tends to cut the base of your chamber wider, not cam shaped, just larger. Since I do this for my self, time doesn't matter. I first indicate both ends with my Deltronic pins. They are in .0001 increments. I predrill the chamber to allow my Mitutoyo indicator body to reach inside the drilled chamber. It has a short stylus that I like. I indicate the throat area. I want the bullet to see the center of the bore at that point. Actually in about 1.750" was only about .0001-.0002 off of the initial indication with the pins. I cut and thread my tenon. Now I set my compound to taper bore the chamber at the angle of my reamer. Now I ream with a flat pusher in the tail stock. I do not use a floating reamer holder or hold my reamer in the tailstock. I want the flutes of the reamer to follow my taper bored hole. I do not want my reamer following a tight bushing in a possible crooked hole. I know my chamber is straight and concentric to the throat.
You can use whatever method that you choose, but indicating different ways will not straighten a crooked barrel bore. I've tried the Gordy method and it just didn't show me anything better than what I am doing. There are several ways to chamber, I like my way, my BR buddies like their way, and Speer likes his way. My machinest background leads me to do it my way, but others shoot well doing it otherwise.

 

[STS]

The deep hole bores are not perfectly straight. Some are damn good and some aren't . You can put them on rollers with a light on one end and spin it and you would be surprised that you can see a very small crook real easy. Did some experimenting several years ago with real crooked barrels. If you set up properly and chamber it, they shoot well.
Now, that is why I don't allow my bushing to fit the bore snugly. If you do as the reamers works it's way around the bore it tends to cut the base of your chamber wider, not cam shaped, just larger. Since I do this for my self, time doesn't matter. I first indicate both ends with my Deltronic pins. They are in .0001 increments. I predrill the chamber to allow my Mitutoyo indicator body to reach inside the drilled chamber. It has a short stylus that I like. I indicate the throat area. I want the bullet to see the center of the bore at that point. Actually in about 1.750" was only about .0001-.0002 off of the initial indication with the pins. I cut and thread my tenon. Now I set my compound to taper bore the chamber at the angle of my reamer. Now I ream with a flat pusher in the tail stock. I do not use a floating reamer holder or hold my reamer in the tailstock. I want the flutes of the reamer to follow my taper bored hole. I do not want my reamer following a tight bushing in a possible crooked hole. I know my chamber is straight and concentric to the throat.
You can use whatever method that you choose, but indicating different ways will not straighten a crooked barrel bore. I've tried the Gordy method and it just didn't show me anything better than what I am doing. There are several ways to chamber, I like my way, my BR buddies like their way, and Speer likes his way. My machinest background leads me to do it my way, but others shoot well doing it otherwise.

Sounds like a very crude way of doing it if you ask me. ;D Just rattling your cage a bit there Butch. Your method is exactly the way I chamber barrels. Taper boring the hole is the key to the whole thing. You get that hole bored correctly and bushing fit is meaningless.

 

[tac284]

A few question's for you Butch,

I like your method and am thinking of trying it next time.

First, can you tell me what boring bar and insert you are using for taper boring?

Second, If you taper bore it why does it matter if you use a flat pusher or a floating reamer holder. The reamer will follow the tapered hole.

Thanks!

 

[butchlambert]

I had my toolgrinding shop make me a couple of small solid carbide boring bars, no insert. To keep them from pushing off they are short. A floater may be OK as the reamer should be following the taper bored hole. I haven't used my floating holder for years

 

[shortgrass]

Floating holders work fine, as long as you've done your due diligence leveling your machine and striving for "as perfect as you can get" headstock to tailstock alignment. I won't stand for less, as I use my machines for other tasks, too. Just keeps error to minimum that way. No bells, no whistles, just the way it was done 'old school'.

 

[jscandale]

Why is leveling the machine so important in your assessment?

JS

 

[butchlambert]

JS,
I'm going to butt in. I think taking the twist out is important. I don't think a lathe tilted back or forwards, or left or right matters, just the twist. Mine is leveled in all planes, but the twist is the only important thing in my opinion.

 

[jscandale]

Me too. Get the twist out if there is any. I pitch the lathe bed a slight bit to the tail stock so the coolant runs to the drain. Both of my lathes are so big and rigid, I can't believe that it could twist as long as all of the adjustable feet are set propertly with equal pressure.

JS

 

[shortgrass]

Why is leveling the machine so important in your assessment?

JS

Removing the twist in the ways, to me, is part of leveling. Most every 'floor' lathe I've ever dealt with has slope in the chip pan for coolant return. The chip pans under bench lathes are usually flat so........ Big lathes, and I've helped move and setup lathes as big as 36"x 120", all need to be leveled with the twist in the ways removed. I don't move machinery for a living, but over the 36+ years in machining, I've helped move more than one. From engine lathes, turret lathes & mills (horizontal & vertical) to multiple spindle screw machines and now CNCs, too.

 

[treeman]

I agree that takeing out the "twist" of the ways is what is important