Had a Mod 700 rebarreled to 6.5X284 Norma. When I got the gun back it would not chamber a factory HSM 6.5X284 round with 140 Grain Bergers. Sent it back and the smith reamed it .002 deeper and it chambered a factory HSM round.

Shot it twice both times it was very hard to open the bolt on the fired round. Had to slam bolt open with my hand and slam the bolt to the rear. Fired cases do not want to chamber in the rifle and I did not try to force it.

Barrel is a Hart 1-8 twist throated for 140 grain Bergers.

Gunsmith says I should find some 284 Winchester brass and try that, as HSM uses Lapua brass and that is the problem.. I think his reamer is worn out or ??? The gun should fire factory ammo I think.

Any suggestions.

BigB

Start by making a chamber cast and measure to see what's not standard. First place I'd look is at the neck, and then the throat. Yes, it should chamber and fire a factory cartridge without any excess pressure issue,

John,

thanks for the info, I think the issue is the reamer being used is for a 6.5x284 Win not a 6.5x284 Norma. Now I just need to convince this gunsmith he is using the wrong reamer.

BigB

I'm not the 'smith in question here, but my 6.5 x .284 reamer's marked 6.5 x .284 Win., and Lapua brass chambers no problem. Fires and extracts fine, too. Nosler brass is fine,,,, but Hornaday won't go. "Worn out" chambering reamers just plain won't cut. It's unlikely it'd be worn down on the outside. Anymore, there seems to be alot of variation in "factory loads". Sounds like he cut a minimum dimension chamber, which most seem to want these days to eliminate brass stretching which helps with reloading, and "factory loads" don't want to cooperate. Could be he's got a tight neck reamer, too. Hard to pin down a problem like this without having 'hands on' or even a pic of a fired case. Easier just to claim "he doesn't know what he's doing". Makes absolutely no sense to me to have a custom and shoot "factory", but many do.

It sounds to me like he cut a 6.5x284 Win instead of the 6.5x284 Norma. They are two different specifications, although only slightly. I think BigB you are correct. To convince the smith, refer him to Clymer and ask which of the two reamers he is using. I ALWAYS specify the 6.5x284Win version since I am not shooting the long target bullets.

If you had to "slam the bolt to the rear" your bolt/extraction needs to be timed. If the chamber was "throated for 140g. Bergers" the throat may have been cut with a separate reamer. Didn't send a 'dumby' round for throating? Sounds like you and your 'smith have a communication problem,,,,, you didn't communicate what you wanted, he didn't communicate what tools he was going to use.

Slivers,

Never claimed the smith does not know what he is doing. As far as HSM ammo goes it was available when brass was not. so I bought some to get started a while ago.

When I took the rifle back he removed the barrel and reamed the chamber until the HSM ammo and the Lapua brass I had fit. In a little internet searching it seems as Larry says 2 different reamers are available. PTG even has 3 one for a Norma match chamber, 1 for Lapua/Norma and one for Winchester.

I have sent the gunsmith the info about the reamers and info on the difference between Norma and Winchester chamber specifications.

I am fairly confident this is the problem. We will see how it is resolved.

Thanks

BigB

Slivers,

The spec was 6.5X284 Norma not Winchester long throated for 140 grain bullets. I have had other rifles built by other smiths without a dummy round that turned out fine. I just specified the chambering and the bullet to be used.

The gunsmith knows what I want, a working rifle.
He also installed a Jewell trigger, trued the action and removed the j lock on this Model 700.
Oh and pillar bedded too.
Thanks

BigB

I get to pay for a different reamer with no assurance that will solve the problem. I see no reason to go down that path.

Have some bullets coming so I can try some loads with new Lapua brass. Will see if this makes a difference.

BigB

Do a chamber cast, measure and compare- that will determine/solve the chamber "issue". Depending on how much was removed when the action was "trued" and where in specs the action was previous to the work, the engagement of the extraction cam could now be insufficient to start the extraction process.

My handloads work fine. I have a different lot of the same HSM ammo that works fine also. Guess that 1 box of HSM I have does not like my rifle. I will just use my own handloads and call it fixed.

Never did a chamber cast but may buy some Cerrosafe and give it a try.

Thanks for all the advice.

BigB