I recently had a Remington Model 7 rebarreled to 250-3000 Savage. I tested some handloads and it is very accurate yet I may have one problem. I found that I have to seat the bullets very low or I will hit the lands. I have to seat them so low that I wondered whether the throat was cut below industry spec.

So I went to the local sporting goods store and bought some factory loaded Winchester Silvertip 100gr cartridges. Sure enough, they touch the lands. These factory loaded cartridges measure 2.467" and start hitting the lands at 2.431". The cartridge will load put I have to moderate pressure when closing the bolt to push the bullet into the lands.

I immediately thought that this couldn't be factory spec, so I called the gunsmith. The gunsmith offered to extend the throat for me which I really appreciate. The gunsmith said the throat is currently within spec because the SAAMI drawing says zero throat space for the 250 Savage after 1985. I've never heard of having to push a factory cartridge into the lands.

I'm pleased with the current accuracy of the gun and don't want to mess with it unless I need to for safety reasons. And I'm happy the gunsmith made the offer to extend the throat. My main concern is that I can safely shoot factory cartridges. Should I have the throat extended?

I had mine chambered long throated and it's just fine. It puts the cartridge in a different catagory. roger

Duckboat,

I don't blame you for not wanting to mess up a gun that's shooting well, but compressing the powder .030 on every factory load would not only scare me a little, but I think I'd get irritated by it fairly quickly.

Did the gunsmith recommend leaving it as is or having him re-throat it? If you're going to shoot lighter than 100gr only, maybe you'd want to leave it tight.

If you really don't want to expand the neck, you might shoot through a chronograph to check velocity actual vs velocity advertised and also check case head expansion.

If it was me, though, I'd have the throat lengthened, though.

Steve

My drawing shows a minimum throat length of .105 with a 3 degree lead.

Thanks for the responses.

I think I will have the throat extended. I just don't feel safe pulling the trigger on factory ammunition that is pushed into the lands. I hardly ever shoot factory ammo, but just in case I do, I want that option. The gunsmith insists the chamber was cut to factory spec after he remeasured the reamer, but he still left me the option on what to do.

The gun just loves 90gr Sierra HPBT. Before I found out that the gun won't fit factory ammo, I bought 500 bullets. I hope after the throat is extended it still likes these Sierras.

Atleast I will have more options than now. On the 100gr corelokt, 100gr barnes, and the 115gr barnes I am now not even able to reach the first cannelure. Having the throat longer will open up my options on bullets.

quote:

Should I have the throat extended?

I would! To me, any throating that makes the bullet in a factory round touch the rifling is throated too short for safety!

Take an empty, unprimed, resized case and seat the bullet you plan to use as long as the magazine will allow. Give this dummy to the gunsmith. Have him extend the throat to where the lands are 2mm further out than that bullet's ogive.

I don't believe this change is going to cost you any accuracy.

Curious as to why you would extend the throat to nearly .08 past touching at max magazine length? I've always set bullet depth to just shy of touching. My thought would be to match that length, wear would lengthen it in time. Just curious as to the advantage of the Weatherby style freebore?

quote:

Originally posted by ole_270:
Curious as to why you would extend the throat to nearly .08 past touching at max magazine length? I've always set bullet depth to just shy of touching. My thought would be to match that length, wear would lengthen it in time. Just curious as to the advantage of the Weatherby style freebore?

Just curious as to why you would extend the throat to 'just shy' of touching at maximum length. You can obtain "just shy' of touching by seating the bullet in a little deeper. There are instances when bullets seated into the lands perform best. Since maximum length is determined by several factors, magazine length being one of them, I don't believe one should handicap himself by giving up that "into the lands" option when having a custom length throat cut.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:
[QUOTE] Since maximum length is determined by several factors, magazine length being one of them, I don't believe one should handicap himself by giving up that "into the lands" option when having a custom length throat cut.

I'm not sure,Westpac, if I totaly understand you. However, It would seem that if the magazine length will allow it the throating length should be maximized to accomodate the heaviest (longest) bullets so they just touch and don't go farther back than the shoulder neck junction.JMHO. roger

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:

It would seem that if the magazine length will allow it the throating length should be maximized to accomodate the heaviest (longest) bullets so they just touch and don't go farther back than the shoulder neck junction.

That works, provided the customer wants to use the heaviest bullets. Regardless, whichever bullet he chooses and whatever OAL he chooses, I usually set the throat to make contact.

I generally don't seat into the lands on hunting ammo, to guard against the rare occurance of having the bullet pull out if I need to unload without firing. By just short, I mean under .005. I'd rather not push the bullet too deep into the case, taking up powder space. That all said, my two .250-3000 rifles both have fairly long throats. In the case of the old M99 I can't reach the lands with the 75 and 87's that will shoot well in the 1-14 twist barrel. The newer Ruger M77 gives a few more options.

I have a 700 classic,and most bullets measure from 2.55 to 2.65 ocl,this just touching the lands

In a 250-3000 what is the longest COL that can be loaded to using 120 gn bullets? Not counting magazine box limitations.

Allen

Be sure to match your chamber length to the magazine box. My m7's have a shorter box than a SA m700.

The trouble with most gunsmiths today is they never cut the throat to fit the magazine and that is a pet peeve of mine.

Most bullets have to make a big jump to the lands if they fit the tight magazines..I want the bullet seated out as far as the magazine will reasonably take then the throat cut to match...That seems to work best for me.

<In a 250-3000 what is the longest COL that can be loaded to using 120 gn bullets?>

Allen, 2.70" is length with Speer 120s with the base of the bullet seated to where the neck meets the shoulder of the case.

I sent in a dummy cartridge to my gunsmith at 2.50" seated with the 100gr round silvertips, so the throat will be extended about .10". I expect I'll be able to load sleaker bullets like the barnes 100 to about 2.60". I mostly will be using lighter bullets so I didn't want to make the throat much longer than needed to clear the factory cartridges.

My model 7 magazine would have allowed up to 2.75".

Nope, he didn't test fire the gun. I wish he had, but that's not his normal policy. In the future, I'll pay an extra $25 so he can buy a box and test fire. It sure is a simple way to spot such a problem.

Thanks for letting me know the COL of the Remington ammo. I think Winchester and Remington are currently the only sources of factory ammo. Since they are both under 2.50", I feel confident I won't have a problem now.

quote:

Originally posted by duckboat:
<In a 250-3000 what is the longest COL that can be loaded to using 120 gn bullets?>

Allen, 2.70" is length with Speer 120s with the base of the bullet seated to where the neck meets the shoulder of the case.

This is exactly what the one sent to ER Shaw for my barrel measued. roger