For anybody that is interested in determining "freebore" in their chamber, or what length to reload a cartridge so that the bullet should be seated against the lands, these two gentleman have provided some very helpfull tips.
I expounded on the process and found that by picking, choosing, and combining the best of the tips that these two men had offered and what worked best for me, I was able to finally (and positively) determine where the heck the lands in my bore were!
Al, I did not find it necessary to disassemble the Remington 700 bolt to remove the pin do this process....or even use the bolt at all. But thank you.....because in order to first try the procedure exactly as you suggested it, I had to first learn how to take the cotton picking 700 bolt apart. Man, the 700 bolt is stubborn and doesn't come apart easy like some other rifle bolts, and I must confess this was one of the reasons why I didn't want to try your method to begin with. But, after learning how to do that and what tools to use, it's now easy and is good knowledge for me to have gained and know in case I ever want to clean the inside of a Remington 700 bolt.
This is the variation of the two gentleman's tips that I found worked best for me (with my 20Tac.) in determing freebore and where the lands in the bore are:
1)OK....first.... seat a bullet tightly into a dummy case to maximum length, with open primer pocket.
2)Use a flame to smoke the bullet so it's covered with black soot. A candle provides a constant convenient source without constanly having to light matches and stink up the place, or burn your finger tips.
3)Using a pencil sharpner, point the end of a wooden dowel. Now blunt the end of it so it fits tight in the primer pocket. (Or, if you don't have a dowel, you can use any narrow rod or wire wrapped with a tape bushing to fit the primer pocket.)
4)Feed the dummy cartridge carefully into the chamber trying not to inadvertently touch and rub the soot off of the bullet on the way into the chamber.
5)GENTLY tap the case into the chamber using a mallet. (tap, not hammer)
6)Then slip a dowel (or fiberglass cleaning rod only) into the muzzle end, and tap the case out of the chamber.
7) Use, a magnifying glass (I use a 5x eye loop) to closely examine and find the 3 or more lands etched into the bullet.
8)Use very fine steel wool to polish and clean off the soot and all or most of the marks caused by the lands.
9)Use your seater die to seat the bullet a little deeper into the case. Then start the process again of smoking the bullet, and feeding it back into the bore.
10) You repeat this process until you find the lands are becoming lighter impressioned and finally stop showing up on the bullet.
I found that trying to use the bolt to seat the case into the bore was a hinderence because the extractor had a tendency to pull the case off to the side and drag it on the chamber walls on the way through aplying false marks....even if I used my pinky tip to try and keep it straight.
I also found it easier to observe land and bore marks on a blackened bullet, then on a bullet that had been polished with steel wool only (and had not been blackened.)
Anyway, I found that my 20Tac cartridge makes ligh but positive lands contact at about 2.280" OAL with the Sierra 39Gr bullets.
Thanks again to you two gentleman for having initially taken the time to guide me through the process.
If you would like to offer additional tips or counter anything here that I said, then feel free to do so, as I mentioned....this is simply what I found had worked best for me.
I expounded on the process and found that by picking, choosing, and combining the best of the tips that these two men had offered and what worked best for me, I was able to finally (and positively) determine where the heck the lands in my bore were!
Al, I did not find it necessary to disassemble the Remington 700 bolt to remove the pin do this process....or even use the bolt at all. But thank you.....because in order to first try the procedure exactly as you suggested it, I had to first learn how to take the cotton picking 700 bolt apart.
Man, the 700 bolt is stubborn and doesn't come apart easy like some other rifle bolts, and I must confess this was one of the reasons why I didn't want to try your method to begin with. But, after learning how to do that and what tools to use, it's now easy and is good knowledge for me to have gained and know in case I ever want to clean the inside of a Remington 700 bolt.This is the variation of the two gentleman's tips that I found worked best for me (with my 20Tac.) in determing freebore and where the lands in the bore are:
1)OK....first.... seat a bullet tightly into a dummy case to maximum length, with open primer pocket.
2)Use a flame to smoke the bullet so it's covered with black soot. A candle provides a constant convenient source without constanly having to light matches and stink up the place, or burn your finger tips.
3)Using a pencil sharpner, point the end of a wooden dowel. Now blunt the end of it so it fits tight in the primer pocket. (Or, if you don't have a dowel, you can use any narrow rod or wire wrapped with a tape bushing to fit the primer pocket.)
4)Feed the dummy cartridge carefully into the chamber trying not to inadvertently touch and rub the soot off of the bullet on the way into the chamber.
5)GENTLY tap the case into the chamber using a mallet. (tap, not hammer)
6)Then slip a dowel (or fiberglass cleaning rod only) into the muzzle end, and tap the case out of the chamber.
7) Use, a magnifying glass (I use a 5x eye loop) to closely examine and find the 3 or more lands etched into the bullet.
8)Use very fine steel wool to polish and clean off the soot and all or most of the marks caused by the lands.
9)Use your seater die to seat the bullet a little deeper into the case. Then start the process again of smoking the bullet, and feeding it back into the bore.
10) You repeat this process until you find the lands are becoming lighter impressioned and finally stop showing up on the bullet.
I found that trying to use the bolt to seat the case into the bore was a hinderence because the extractor had a tendency to pull the case off to the side and drag it on the chamber walls on the way through aplying false marks....even if I used my pinky tip to try and keep it straight.
I also found it easier to observe land and bore marks on a blackened bullet, then on a bullet that had been polished with steel wool only (and had not been blackened.)
Anyway, I found that my 20Tac cartridge makes ligh but positive lands contact at about 2.280" OAL with the Sierra 39Gr bullets.
Thanks again to you two gentleman for having initially taken the time to guide me through the process.
If you would like to offer additional tips or counter anything here that I said, then feel free to do so, as I mentioned....this is simply what I found had worked best for me.
