This is my first post-I hope I'm doing this right. I just purchased my first custom barrel on a friend's recommendation. It was sold as a 222 rem 23.5" barrel with a 1 in 14" twist. It is stamped "222 Rem/.244NK" Can someone tell me what the ".244NK" means? Thanks in advance for info, and for reading this post
Ike

Ike,
It sounds like you bought a very old benchrest barrel. It is chambered in 222 Remington and has a tight neck. You will have to turn the neck on the brass so it will chamber.
Butch

Thanks, Butch. I suspected as much, but wasn't quite sure.

My gunsmith installed the barrel this morning onto a rem700 blueprinted action pillar bedded in a custom laminated stock. First 10 shots 40gr sierra varminters went into .503". Very happy with this. Next 5 shot group 40gr vmax measured .293". I have a feeling this is the beginning of a great relationship.
Ike

My post wasn't to say it wouldn't shoot. I was just trying to identify it for you. I think that it will serve you very well.
Butch

Butch,you were right about the tight neck. After turning the neck to.010" and seating a .224" bullet,I feel a slight resistance as I chamber the round with my finger. After firing, the neck measurements have not changed, and no sizing is needed to seat the next bullet. I just deprimed and cleaned the cases, and reloaded. I don't know anything about benchrest or match chambers, but I assume this is maybe one of the benefits of the tight neck?
My heartfelt Thank You to all military personnel (former or current) for the freedom we live in. There are still a few of us who stop on November 11th to reflect on the sacrifices made by you and your families (Canadian or American).
IKe

Wow! Do people still stop at 11 am for a minute in Canada? That is truly great!
The .244 NK is the outside diameter of the neck with a seated bullet, you have to allow for twice the thickness of the neck wall, and then leave a very small gap so it can chamber.Your results are very interesting as the bullets you are using are on the lighter end of the .22 spectrum. I will have to try them.
Peter

I believe crosshair was referring to stopping for a minute on November 11th, to remember our veterans, who have served their countries, so that we all enjoy the freedom we have.

Eddie if are you referring to my post. I am very well aware of that, that is why I asked whether they still do that in Canada. BTW it is NOT the veterans, that is what they do in the USA. It is the war dead that are remembered in England and the Commwealth countries, hence the term Remembrance Day. It is not a time for cheerleaders to lead parades down main street, it is a rather solemn occasion.
Peter.

So, the OP is turning his necks to .010 for use in a .244 chamber?

ANYBODY ELSE SEE A PROBLEM HERE?

He has a line to line fit in the neck.
I would prefer a little bit of clearance for a beginner.

Fitted necks are not a problem as long as very strict attention is paid to the necks. I've been shooting Homer Culver's old PPC, .265 nk rifle, with fitted neck brass, for years. He shot it that way and neither he, nor I, have had any problems so far.

Fitted is ok but zero clearance is asking for a problem with a beginner.

you have 10thou neck well thickness, correct? and a .224 bullet means you have a loaded round that measures .244? which is 0 clearence as you chamber it? you want about 1 or 2 thou clearence a side so the case can expand in the chamber to release the bullet.

id suggest making those neck walls either 9 or 8 thou thick. a measured round of .242 is desirable.


nice shooting by the way!

For those concerned for my safety, thank you! I have been shooting and reloading dozens of calibers for 25 years, safely. This was my first custom chamber. Zero clearance is working very well for me, since this is strictly a bench rifle and I'm loading each round with a light neck tension. As long as there is no resistance during the last 1/4 inch of chambering the round there should be enough clearance for consistant and easy release of the bullet. I have fired hundreds of rounds with this rifle now, with no pressure problems and I don't have to resize at all for up to 15 firings of the same case.
Ike

You should find that with a couple thous. clearance, you won't need to resize brass each time either. Find a good article on neck turning such as in various reloading handbooks.