New chamber too tight? Rounds not fitting in new custom barrel

Buelrdr29

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Feb 10, 2020
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Hey there hand loaders. I just rebarreled my 7mm Rem Mag, old barrel was shot out. I ordered a carbon wrapped barrel prefit and chambered for my action and caliber. I had a local gunsmith put on the barrel, but it was chambered by the maker. The head space seems to be fine and I know the gun smith tried a go and no go gauge to ensure it was a decent fit.

So the problem comes because my rounds will not chamber without jamming the bullet into the rifling way too hard. I am following reloading specs from the manufacture and having issues. For instance the 160 GR Sierra Game King calls for COAL of 3.230, to get the bolt to close it needs to be 3.16 or less, this seems like really seating the bullet too deep. The barrel was ordered with a faster twist to handle larger bullets like a 175 gr, so when I start load development for those longer bullets I am sure there will be even worse issues with jamming the bullet into the case too deep. I am afraid this could also lead to pressure issues and each load would have to start low in the specs, sacrificing speed.

Is there a way to ream out a longer neck and transition to the rifling, or am I missing something with my understanding of the process and bullet seating depth?


I will be calling the gunsmith to make him aware of the issues and I am sure he will know what to do, but just wanted to also see anybody elses thoughts or experience. This is the first custom barrel I have ordered and it has not been a good first experience.
 
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Mar 21, 2020
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Sounds like a verry short freebore on reamer, contact barrel manufacture and explain situation. Other wise you will need a throating reamer to get desired length. There is alott more to be checked out by your smith to determin what is really going on.
 

gbflyer

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Feb 20, 2017
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Shoot it with reloads starting at the low end. The throat will grow. It might really be a hammer, be a shame to mess with it if that’s the case.
 

brushape

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Nov 13, 2013
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Are you shooting previously fired brass from your old barrel and are you sure the bullets themselves are hitting the lands I just went through this thing myself


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

prm

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You could shoot some Tubbs Final Finish through it. That will move the lands out a little. If you were to shoot just a few each of the coarser grit bullets and 5 of the last two finer grit you’ll move it out ~.015. Could do more or less depending on what you want. Have a nice smooth, even bore when you‘re done too.
edit: make sure the brass is not a bit too long. I recently had a barrel that requires me to be more diligent about brass length. Reason I mention that, is it will dramatically increase pressure if the neck is getting pressed to the front of the chamber. Though that should not happen with a belted cartridge. I won’t pretend to know anything about dealing with the belt. I’ve not had bullet touching the lands make the bolt particularly difficult to close. The bolt closes easily on brass without a bullet?
 
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Harvey_NW

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Where is the end of the bearing surface in relationship to the neck/shoulder junction when seated where it will chamber easily?
 

Vern400

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Aug 22, 2021
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I have my free bore reduced slightly so I can get bullets 0.010 off the lands and still mag feed. Funny I pay to have my rifle set up like yours. With many rifles long pointy bullets can't get close enough to the lands to shoot well and fit the factory magazine. You got a lemon, so make lemonade. It might be a tack driver if you let it be
 
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Oct 15, 2021
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Will it chamber factory ammo? If not, the throat is too short and a throating reamer will set it. I doubt it's the shoulder since the 7RM is a belted mag.

I am not a fan of throating reamers if you don't need them, or anything that lengthens the throat or wears the rifling of a magnum rifle. They will do enough of that on their own in short order.

Long, high BC bullets usually have an ogive that won't contact the rifling w/o seating pretty far out anyway.

Another note, you may have a gem on your hands, 95 Palma reamer comes to mind. Handloaders dream chamber for the .308.

My suggestion is to run with it. Find some slick high BC freedom seeds and seat them 0.020" off the lands. Who cares if they arent as long as stretch arm strongs... arm.
 

j33

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Jun 11, 2020
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Will it chamber empty brass?
Hijacking this old thread. Bought a used savage 110 storm in 6.5 creedmoor and the same thing is happening to me. Two different off the shelf ammo manufactures, both rounds get stuck. Empty brass comes out and goes in. Curious what your thoughts are before I bring it by the gunsmith and figure it out with the seller.
 

SDHNTR

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Hijacking this old thread. Bought a used savage 110 storm in 6.5 creedmoor and the same thing is happening to me. Two different off the shelf ammo manufactures, both rounds get stuck. Empty brass comes out and goes in. Curious what your thoughts are before I bring it by the gunsmith and figure it out with the seller.
Do rounds go into the chamber smoothly? Or is the bolt hard to close?

Unfired rounds get stuck too? Or just fired ones? The spent brass then chambers and ejects smoothly?

Take a new round. Remove your firing pin, or at least keep pointed safely and do this at a range. Color the bullet and the neck and shoulder of the brass with a sharpie. Chamber and eject the round. Check it and see where the Sharpie rubbed off. Report back to us.
 
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Get a cbto comparator set, tool, modified case and measure the cbto to the lands.
Back off 20-30 thousands and start from there.
Oal is a poor way to measure as bullet tips are inconsistent.
Read you rifle not the book.
 
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j33

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Do rounds go into the chamber smoothly? Or is the bolt hard to close?

Unfired rounds get stuck too? Or just fired ones? The spent brass then chambers and ejects smoothly?

Take a new round. Remove your firing pin, or at least keep pointed safely and do this at a range. Color the bullet and the neck and shoulder of the brass with a sharpie. Chamber and eject the round. Check it and see where the Sharpie rubbed off. Report back to us.
-an unfired rounds need some force to get it in. Out of the 3 bullets I chambered I could only get 1 out with a lot of force, 2 needed to be fired in order to be removed (two of us tried to remove it). The Spent brass then can be ejected.
-ran a bore snake a few times through it, some minor Carbon buildup but no improvement
-2 attached for the 2 spent rounds vs 2 new rounds
-see attached for 1 spent round with a sharpie that was cycled and ejected (more force to eject was needed with sharpie marker on it)
 

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SDHNTR

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Looks like some scratching of the case body. I think I see that in the pictures. Is the chamber rough? Put a few cotton balls on a cleaning jag so it fits tightly and slowly swirl around in there a few times. When you pull it out slowly, does it grab a few whisps of cotton? Look in there with the muzzle pointed at a light and see if you spot any cotton strands sticking to scratches/gouges in the chamber.

I’d also like to see a loaded round sharpied up, chambered and removed. I want to see if bullets are jamming into the lands of the barrel’s rifling.

Im also unclear if an empty casing chambers and ejects smoothly? Which would help answer the question above.
 
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j33

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Looks like some scratching of the case body. I think I see that in the pictures. Is the chamber rough? Put a few cotton balls on a cleaning jag so it fits tightly and slowly swirl around in there a few times. When you pull it out slowly, does it grab a few whisps of cotton? Look in there with the muzzle pointed at a light and see if you spot any cotton strands sticking to scratches/gouges in the chamber.

I’d also like to see a loaded round sharpied up, chambered and removed. I want to see if bullets are jamming into the lands of the barrel’s rifling.

Im also unclear if an empty casing chambers and ejects smoothly? Which would help answer the question above.
Thanks for the feedback I’ll do the cotton ball test this week. An empty casing is still a bit rough on the ejection, no smooth like it should be although this is my first savage.

I can do a loaded round sharpied up, but can’t eject until it’s fired so will have to head to the range for that one.
 

Ucsdryder

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You can look into the chamber with the bolt open. Shine a light in there and see if it’s smooth.

Also, take your fired brass and put a bullet in their just long enough to seat it. Hand feed it into the chamber and slowly close the bolt on it. Remove the round slowly and carefully and see how long the seated bullet is. That’ll tell you if you’re smashing the bullet into the lands.
 
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j33

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You can look into the chamber with the bolt open. Shine a light in there and see if it’s smooth.

Also, take your fired brass and put a bullet in their just long enough to seat it. Hand feed it into the chamber and slowly close the bolt on it. Remove the round slowly and carefully and see how long the seated bullet is. That’ll tell you if you’re smashing the bullet into the lands.
I was able to get 1 round chambered and after 5 mins of trying I managed to get it out. It had 0 bullet damage, I’ll look for it tomorrow for a picture. Now that I’m at home I’ll try the hand feed. Thanks
 
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