Need your advice again guys. I have a Browning A-bolt 300wsm. It has a max magazine length of 2.850. I love Bergers and they touch the lands at a 2.970 OAL.
How can I make these fit in the mag, yet touch the lands?
I am assuming a new barrel and rechamber, but can you please explain my options.

I assume yuo're talking about trying to shoot the VLD Bergers. While they shoot best for me when seated to touch the lands I understand from Berger that long jumps (as much as .120) work pretty well too. They suggest loading the VLDs to different C.O.A.L. and trying them in your rifle to see. I'd sure do this before modifying the rifle.

clip or no clip?
how does it shoot at 2.840 OAL?

I did a Creighton Audit test from 300 yds the other day and they made a 5" group out of 8 different loads. I steel bedded the rifle today and will take it out again on Saturday to let you know how my loads shot.
I just found out that you can't re-barrel a Browning A-bolt from a Browning gunsmith. That sucks!

Can't rebarrel an A-bolt? WHY NOT?

You can do it but it may be tougher than most bolt actions. Is your A-bolt stainless?
God Bless, Louis

Nope, not stainless. He told me if they try to remove the barrel, the entire threading comes off the action. Sounds pretty stupid to me. He said, "once your barrel is done, you might as well throw it out and sell the stock." I guess he use to work for a gun shop that did browning repairs.

never heard of this on any firearm but it can happen especially on stainless.
Stainless has a bad habit of galling if the threads are not treated with antiseize before assembly.
It is possible though.

quote:

Originally posted by MRAMSAY10:
I just found out that you can't re-barrel a Browning A-bolt from a Browning gunsmith. That sucks!

Don't tell that to the Gazillion and one shitload of A-Bolt customers who's guns I've rebarreled over the past many years.

BTW, you can adjust the length of the throat unless you are a Browning Gunsmith.

Westpac,
Are you kiddin me? Why are there so many "know-it-alls" that run gunsmithing shops! The guy swears up and down that it can't be done and even gives me examples! So is there anything special to it .... or does he just not know what the H he is doing?
I am running out of competent gunsmiths in my area!

quote:

Originally posted by MRAMSAY10:
Why are there so many "know-it-alls" that run gunsmithing shops! The guy swears up and down that it can't be done and even gives me examples!

So the local Proctologists have clients? I don't know. They guy has either never done one, or, screwed one up.

BTW, I wasn't exactly truthful in my prior reply. I haven't rebarreled a "Gazillion and one" of anything. That would be a lot. With all the talk of "illions" coming out of Washington, I got caught up in "financial speak". I've edited that reply to better reflect a more accurate count. Sorry.

You mean someone made a disposeable rifle?Thats a new one on me,learn something every day.

I guess it is possible that some of the Brownings were assembled without lubricant on the threads and this 'smith ran into one or two. It would surely make me a little shy about rebarreling the type. Probably wouldn't hurt to CYA with the customer when rebarreling any stainless/stainless combination. You never know what the factory did.

What lubricants? Everyone I've pulled down has a thread locker that is very similar to the stuff Remington uses.

the concern about rebarreling an abolt is galling on the threads on the stainless actions .. there is some concern about it .. but not really much ...

"Can't" be done should be reserved for press fit barrels .. and those CAN be done, its just not anything like cost effective.

But, when a man tells you he CAN'T do a thing, and you try to force him to do it, it's likely he's right ... but the next guy might be better!

Send it to Malm ..

But, to my question, how does it shoot when it fits in the mag?

Hey Westpac, it might be different but remember that "BBR from Elm Street" you did for me? If I recall you had hell with it. Turned out to be a real shooter though.

When you going to finish my 375 Ruger?

Jeff,
I guess I can't complain. I took it out this afternoon and my first 4 shots were within a quarter at 200yds from my bipod with my backpack(filled with a jacket) as my rear stock support. I am just trying to fix things that probably could be left alone .... for now Where would I find a list of caliber choices for my short mag action for down the road? I was actually considering turning it into a 7 wsm or 7 stw, but dont know if the later is possible.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
Hey Westpac, it might be different but remember that "BBR from Elm Street" you did for me? If I recall you had hell with it. Turned out to be a real shooter though.

When you going to finish my 375 Ruger?

The BBR is quite a bit different than the A-Bolt. As bad as the BBR can be, particularly if the lug insert slips out of alignment with the bolt, it can still be rebarreled. It just requires a bit more care when disassembling and reassembling the 3 pieces.

As far as the .375 Ruger goes, the barrels on, I'm just waiting on your magazine, follower and bottom metal to make sure she feeds.

quote:

Originally posted by MRAMSAY10:
Westpac,
Are you kiddin me? Why are there so many "know-it-alls" that run gunsmithing shops! The guy swears up and down that it can't be done and even gives me examples! ...

You are a very lucky guy to have "learned" a bit about the alleged Gun Smith - with Zero $$$education$$$ expense.

By the way, you could shoot it as a Single Shot until you decide to have the Barrel set-back or replaced. Or Seat the Bullets to fit your magazine and run a series of Tests with them Seated a bit deeper. One o fmy rifles does really well with the Bullet jumping 0.264" to the Lands.

Or you could go to "Real" Hunting Bullets and avoid this entire fiasco with the Target Bullets. I know people "claim" they make great Hunting Bullets, but some folks also think 22cals are good for Deer.

Best of luck to you.

Hotcore,
That is quite a jump! I though mine from 2.840 to 2.970 was far. "Real" hunting bullets? I have read a ton about these being exceptional hunting rounds. I have used Speer hotcores my whole life till now and couldn't resist but to try them. I have never shot an animal with one though, so my opinion is based on research and not founded with experience (dangerous combination). Why don't you like the Berger VLD for hunting?

quote:

Originally posted by MRAMSAY10:
...Why don't you like the Berger VLD for hunting?

Because they have ALWAYS been a great Target Grade Bullet, then "nothing at all was changed in the Design" and people began claiming how great they did Hunting with them.

I have no first-hand experience with them on Game either - and never will have. Way too many real Hunting Bullets Like the Speer Hot-Cor Bullets(you mentioned), Hornady Interlocks, Nosler B-Tips & Partitions, Sierra GameKing & ProHunter, Remington CoreLokt and Plated Hollow Points(PLHPs), Winchester Power Point,etc... for me to take a chance on Wounding Game with a Bullet Designed for Paper.

I understand the Gun Rag writers need something to stir people up with and they need somehow to "repay" the manufacturers for supplying them with FREE Bullets. But to recommend a Bullet Designed for Paper from the beginning, for use on Game, just rubs me wrong.

Now, that said, I can imagine they did indeed Kill some Game with the Bullets. I seriously doubt they actually outright Lied. But, I would guess(never having read the trash) that they left a few things out. Like what would happen if the Bullet entered the Shoulder, or attempted to Exit the Shoulder. Or that if they had enough brains, they used Heavier than normal Bullets for the Game. Probably did not mention to totally avoid a bad angle shot.

There is a guy who occasionally posts on here who's Tag Line is by the great Bob Hagel:
"A hunter should not choose the caliber, cartridge, and bullet that will kill an animal when everything is right; rather, he should choose ones that will kill the most efficiently when everything goes wrong." Bob Hagel

That is the kind of Wisdom missing in " ALL " the Rag writers I've seen in the magazines lately. They will promote a 22cal for Deer if they think it will get them a FREE Hunt and make fans of people to ignorant to know other wise.
-----

You should use whatever Bullet "you" desire as long as it is Legal. However, you may eventually find that having a few extra Points of Ballistic Coefficient, is not as big of a deal as some people will lead you to believe.

If you use the "Find" Button on the Reloading Board and wham in Berger Bullets, you can find a lot of high praise for them. I do have some, but they won't be used on Game.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

Berger does have bullets designated for "Hunting" and "Target". I have been told that the target bullets just poke a hole like the fmj bullets. I can speak first hand that the hunting bullets perform well on game. Wish I was computer literate enough to post some pics. Just make sure you have the "Hunting" bullets and not the "Target" bullets when hunting.

God Bless, Louis

The story about A bolts is absolutely true! I may have been the "test case" While at Gander Mountain. the boss took in an A bolt (stainless) to rebarrel..gave the job to me.

By the time I knew I was galling the threads, there was nothing to do but "keep unwiding" Sure enough the damn thing locked up...couldn't go either way.

So..I cut off the barrel right close to the receiver and indexed the action in the lathe and started a careful "boring"

Just as I hit the minor diameter, the barrel threads "sprung" out. That saved the action!

I finished up the re-barrel and used plenty of anti-sieze.

Gander Mountain was a BIG Browning dealer and brought this incident to the attention of the Browning folks.

Their answer: "Do not attempt to remove the barrel on A-bolts..this will void the warranty"
Doubt me? Contact Browning!

This is about a close to a throwaway rifle as I've seen.

Personally, the A-Bolt is on my "list." Life is just too short!

Duane,
rebarreling ANY rifle voids the manf warranty, doesn't it?

soak it in brake bluid or kroil first

quote:

Originally posted by plainsman456:
You mean someone made a disposeable rifle?Thats a new one on me,learn something every day.

Remington 710/770

I've rebarreled a couple A-bolts, but because of experiences relayed to me by more experienced 'smiths like Duane and Malm, I let the customer know the risks involved before I begin and if things bo very bad that I won't buy their rifle. So far no customer has pulled the job and no job has gone bad. I even made a wrench just for A-bolt receivers.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe:
The story about A bolts is absolutely true! I may have been the "test case" While at Gander Mountain. the boss took in an A bolt (stainless) to rebarrel..gave the job to me.

By the time I knew I was galling the threads, there was nothing to do but "keep unwiding" Sure enough the damn thing locked up...couldn't go either way.

So..I cut off the barrel right close to the receiver and indexed the action in the lathe and started a careful "boring"

Just as I hit the minor diameter, the barrel threads "sprung" out. That saved the action!

I finished up the re-barrel and used plenty of anti-sieze.

Gander Mountain was a BIG Browning dealer and brought this incident to the attention of the Browning folks.

Their answer: "Do not attempt to remove the barrel on A-bolts..this will void the warranty"
Doubt me? Contact Browning!

This is about a close to a throwaway rifle as I've seen.

Personally, the A-Bolt is on my "list." Life is just too short!

In the early 1980's just after the Stainless Stalker made it's debut, a customer brought me his newly acquired 375 H&H to make into an Ackley Mag, and the exact same thing happened. I likewise ended up boring the receiver to the minor thread and then literally picking the barrel threads from the receiver with a dental pick and then cleaning up the threads using a single point tool.

I knew what happened and seen no reason to bother the folks at Browning with it since they would never have stood behind it anyway. Rather than giving in, I used the experience to improve the way I remove and replace these barrels. Like I said, I've rebarreled and rechambered a shit load of A-Bolts since. Mostly Stainless. It's really not that big a deal. Really!

Back to OT.

I've got a couple of rifles that are a little too long in the throat as well. (Same smith, I guess that's his SOP.) It doesn't help that I like TSX and monometals tend to be longer bullets. Good thing is I can do different bottom metal/magazine if I want to bother and it won't affect the stock as would a set back/recut rechamber/reface etc and then get a shitty lookin gap in the stock.

From now on I plan on telling any future smith to short throat em to allow for more play in seating options.

quote:

Originally posted by FMC:
From now on I plan on telling any future smith to short throat em to allow for more play in seating options.

From now on just hand the 'smith a dummy with the bullet seated where you want it.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:


From now on just hand the 'smith a dummy with the bullet seated where you want it.

True, but one would think a competent smith would have enough snap to measure the magazine length.