The 98 mauser actions I own (VZ24 & Czech/persian 98/22) measure the magazine to 3.300". The standard 30-06 OAL at 3.340" per Accurate Smokeless Powders manual #2. The magazine length does not allow seating the bullet as close to the lands of the barrel as I would like using a standard reamer. This usually makes up all of 0.08" but when you want try to seat a bullet .050" off the lands for accuracy..........you see the problem? Am I just splitting hairs?

I see the problem, and I can't specify a gunsmithing solution, except to look into separate reamers for chambering and throating, and then do the throating 'short'.

I recently had my first custom barrel built, and I requested a shorter throat, to permit mag feeding and to postpone throat wear. I don't know how it was accomplished, but it was. The origin of the rifling is .030" 'shorter' than the factory barrel it replaces.

Actually, although 'good practice' recommends seating to a specific distance off the lands, and there will very likely be an optimal 'jump' distance, this is not a precise science, and each rifle will tolerate mismatches to a different degree. A lot of it is dependent on ogive profile and throat angle, both of which can very quite a bit.

If you build the rifle with the throat long, you can'r 'shortenb' it without rechambering and re-establishing headspace. If you build it short, you can make it longer if you feel the need. You simply ream the throat deeper, or wait for throat wear to do the job for you.

What I'm saying here is that you need not accept the SAAMI standards, either for OAL or throat depth. Myself, I would opt for the shorter throat, and handload my rounds accordingly. I would also be cautious not to feed factory ammo into a short throated chamber, as the bullets could jam into the rifling, and possible resulting pressure spikes could cause harm.

Greg

You can file some of the metal off the inside rear and front of the magazine to lengthen it. Or if you cut the front of the box and add a piece to lengthen it you'll usually have to alter the stock and maybe the feed ramp. I've also seen them heated in the front of the magazine box and recontoured to lenghthen them. I hope this helps.

Voldamort,

It might be a good idea to first see how the gun will perform with the bullet seated closer to the lands before looking for a fix to a possible nonissue.

Seat the bullets out to where you want them and then single feed them and see how they perform down range. If indeed seating the bullet closer to the lands provides the results you want, then there are things that can be done to get you closer to the lands and still house and feed your ammo. This way the only investment made is at the loading bench...

Good luck,

Malm

Good post Malm. - Dan