XP,

I have been talking with my reamer manufacturers(JGS), discussing the dimensions for the 6.5 WSM. They have a reamer print on file but I do not care for its design, built strictly for a short action bolt rifle.

Changes I will make to increase the accuracy potential of this reamer will be to tighten the neck down to a few thousandths over the diameter of a loaded 6.5 WSM using the 270 WSM case. This would prevent the need to turn your necks unless you wanted, which I would just to true them up. This would also allow the handloader to use one of the larger caliber WSM cases, which would produce slightly thicker case necks, so that one could perfectly fit the neck to the chamber for a 0.0005" to 0.00075" neck release on each side of the bullet when fired.

Another dimension that I will be changing on the reamer I have built is the throat length and diameter. I have my reamers cut anywhere from 0.0002" to 0.0005" over bullet diameter. For a hunting or factory round I use the larger, for a match or wildcat, I use the tighter. The variation in the factory ammo is the reason for the larger diameter. Compared to factory specs, this is still extremely tight, a huge accuracy advantage over the loose factory throat.

Please understand, and I am sure you do, that a tight throat has nothing to do with tight necks which need the loader to turn necks.

Also, I would increase the length of the throat to a range of .125" to .175". THe print they have has no throat at all for use in the very shortest bolt action rifles. In the XP and single shot match rifles, obviously this is of no concern.

Still, I do not like long throats in general and have found this range of throat length has performed very well allowing very good neck purchase on bullets from light weight varmint bullets up to the heavy VLD's without cramping into the case capacity significantly.

Right now I am looking to order my 6.5 barrel in the next week or two and will probably order the reamer soon after.

I have been designing a bedding block system for the XP center grip so that the recoil lug will bare directly on the metal bedding block, as well as the receiver sitting in a V machined into the same block. The entire unit will be bedded into the stock and the aluminum pillars will be used to support the action screws from the outer edge of the stock to the bedding block.

I have not yet decided if I will extend the bedding block to include the rear action screw or not but I have designs for both types. Just need to get them finished and tested and see how they perform.

I am also testing a new, heavy duty recoil lug which I machine out of a Holland Comp recoil lug which is much thicker and has alot more surface area then the factory lug. It is also surface ground to within 0.0002" thickness and has performed amazingly well in my Rem 700 rifles that I have put together for customers. The benefits of this stouter lug should increase the stability of the XP to an even greater level.

Will keep you posted on the progress.

Good Shooting!!!

50

50,
Greg double pinned the 6.5-284 lug to give me consistent repeatablity. He also re-inforced the V-Block in the H-S stock because it was flexing to much. In fact, Greg will no longer work on H-S stocks for XP's anymore, because of the flexing V-block problem. He recommends the McMillan for Center-grips now.
It sounds like you don't throat seperately. Is there a reason for that? I like the changes you suggest on the reamer and approve wholeheartedly. I also like the way you do your throats 0.0002 over bullet diameter--in that it extends the life longer in the throat area and in a sense aligns/forces the bullet to be straight (especially in standard chambers where there is a lot of flopping around).
Your heavy duty recoil lug sounds really good. Maybe by the time you get your 6.5 WSM built you can either build or rebarrel something for me. If you want to try something different (within reason & that we both agree on) I would be glad to test it and share the results. I seem to be getting in the testing mode lately.