what reamer for .223 bolt rifle

S

scasa

New member
I've got an action and a barrel for a .223 build but I don't know what reamer to buy. This will be a single shot , mostly target shooting so accuracy is the primary concern but I'd like to be able to shoot about 75 gr bullets .OAL
isn't a problem and I'll handload most of what it shoots. I'd like something a little better than a sammi spec reamer. Would a .223 match reamer be the ticket or is there something else I should be looking at. I'm not interested in shooting .556 in this gun. I've been all over the internet researching this ,I need more input from accuracy minded folkes. anybody got any ideas there willing to share ?
 
Seat what bullet you want to use, as shallow as you want in the neck,
call a reamer maker and explain your desires, they will likely as for a dummy
round.
I would pass on the "wylde" reamer, it is based on the 80 gr.
 
I have a friend

who swears by jumping bullets a lot so in that case, about any reamer would work. He's talking jumping .030 to.035". Heck, if one is jumping that much, can .250" be too much?

Just a thought,

Pete
 
May i ask you, just what does this post have to do with shooting 75 gr bullets ?
Wrong throat, Wrong twist.
gaintwist said:
I have been shooting bolt gun 223's for 12 years both prone and F/TR. Now I only shoot the 90g bullets and my reamer has .225 freebore and .253 neck for Lapua brass. You need 7.7-7 twist barrels. Accuracy is fabulous out to 800yds and if you look at the drift of the 90vld Berger you will see it is very competitive with the 308. I also shot 8 twist barrels with a shorter throat chamber using the 80 Amax and 90 SMK with some success. Good luck.
Click to expand...
 
Pete Wass said:
who swears by jumping bullets a lot so in that case, about any reamer would work. He's talking jumping .030 to.035". Heck, if one is jumping that much, can .250" be too much?Just a thought,Pete
Click to expand...
I have a friend who's jumping his .040 with superb results.
 
Pete Wass said:
who swears by jumping bullets a lot so in that case, about any reamer would work. He's talking jumping .030 to.035". Heck, if one is jumping that much, can .250" be too much?

Just a thought,

Pete
Click to expand...

Just another thought Pete, in this "Bore Rider" chambering recently introduced how much is the bullet jumping?'


.
 
And remember it is a lot easier to remove more rifling later than set the barrel back if you have already removed more than you desire.
 
I think I may have this figured out . Looking at reamers I found a match reamer with a .252 neck and .075 freebore with a 1.5 degree leade. This should work and still be able to shoot .556 ammo also . I still need to check the neck length i'd like about .010 over the trim length. but it's the best I've found so far.
 
scasa said:
I think I may have this figured out . Looking at reamers I found a match reamer with a .252 neck and .075 freebore with a 1.5 degree leade. This should work and still be able to shoot .556 ammo also . I still need to check the neck length i'd like about .010 over the trim length. but it's the best I've found so far.
Click to expand...

Scasa,

Lots of service rifle shooters use 0.0619 freebore from the Wylde original, launching mag length ammo as well as longer single loading 80 class bullets. Not sure which 75 grainers you intend to use, the 75 grain Hornady BTHP are meant for mag length, same class as the 77 SMKS, whereas the 75 VLDS from Berger, the JLKs, and the 75 AMAXs are best are best suited for single loading, required in 600 yard matches. I am sure there are some who have shot these in mag length ammo, but I am certain it is not a common practice. In your bolt gun situation they may work very well, especially the 75 VLDs. There are quite a bit of civilian shooters and team shooters who use these 75 Bergers for 600 yard matches, with these pills jumping about 0.035. Check this number against your 0.075 FB and see where the overall length gets you.

If you meant to shoot the other 75 class bullets, they should still work well in your 0.075 freebore, I have other reamers from 0.0884 to 0.100 freebores, optimized for the different 80 class bullets, that handle the mag length ammo real well.

If you are just doing just this one barrel for your bolt gun, I have a JGS carbide reamer with 0.252 neck (the other reamers I have were cut with generous neck diameter, 0.2558, for gas gun application) and 0.025 freebore, you may borrow it. Send me an email if interested. 81stfacp@gmail.com

I spent some time on the range last Thursday, was there for 8 hours testing different projectiles across different barrel twists and powders, one bullet you may want to consider is the BIB 72s from RG. I found them to be the best overall to shoot from 2.250 AR mag length to the optimized jump.

Another option if just shooting 2.250 mag length ammo is the 70 VLD, surprisingly tolerant to huge jump, they like to run at 2930 from 20 inch tubes. If you believe in published BCs, these do not give up much, if any, to the other mag-length-intended 75 class bullets.

Nez
 

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Nez
Thanks for the reply.A lot more info to absorb, I actually figured i'd probably be shooting 75 gr a max and load them long. My barrel is an 8 twist so probably not going to see any 80 grn bullets. I just want something to play around with that the wife will shoot . However it must be accurate (only accurate guns are fun).
I'd also like to thank you for the offer of loaning me your reamer very kind of you. however this is only my second centerfire barrel I probably better go with a rental ,I'd hate to screw yours up.
I'll try to post a pic of some eye candy the .223 is a pile of parts so this will have to do.

7.62x25
 

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8 twist and a 80 go fine, as long as it does not get too long.
Many many 1/8 cmp/dcm guns shot 80 for years.
You really do not need 80's unless you are shooting 600 all day long.

scasa said:
Nez
Thanks for the reply.A lot more info to absorb, I actually figured i'd probably be shooting 75 gr a max and load them long. My barrel is an 8 twist so probably not going to see any 80 grn bullets. I just want something to play around with that the wife will shoot . However it must be accurate (only accurate guns are fun).
I'd also like to thank you for the offer of loaning me your reamer very kind of you. however this is only my second centerfire barrel I probably better go with a rental ,I'd hate to screw yours up.
I'll try to post a pic of some eye candy the .223 is a pile of parts so this will have to do.

7.62x25
Click to expand...
 
retired said:
I GOT YELLED AT LAST TIME, but was does a comparison of 5.56 and 223 have to do with the original question ?
nothing.
Click to expand...

The most important difference between them is the long free-bore in 5.56 to allow the bullet a larger jump to the rifling.
As in 'Ackley improved' calibers this reduces the peak pressure.

Thee Op was asking about .223, but must understand a tight .223 chamber is NOT SUITABLE to EVER fire a 5.56 cartridge in.


This is one of those things often buried in the details.

That extra free run to the engraving of the rifling may seem small but in the peak pressure game really matter.
 
brickeyee said:
The most important difference between them is the long free-bore in 5.56 to allow the bullet a larger jump to the rifling.
As in 'Ackley improved' calibers this reduces the peak pressure.

Thee Op was asking about .223, but must understand a tight .223 chamber is NOT SUITABLE to EVER fire a 5.56 cartridge in.


This is one of those things often buried in the details.

That extra free run to the engraving of the rifling may seem small but in the peak pressure game really matter.
Click to expand...

So if you have a long freebore .075 and a 1.5 degree lead .556 ammo should be fine. the 252 neck and smaller base really don't come into play. Is that correct or am I wrong?
 
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