LSUBOY
03-16-2011, 09:45 PM
I have 7 Savage actions, shoot upwards of 5,000 rounds a year and change a lot of barrels. I just wanna tell all of you what I have found that WORKS GOOD as per headspacing my barrels.
Barrel Vice: When using a vice with wood blocks and lead shims, use a 1/2 inch torque wrench and torque the vice down at least 20 ft. lbs. tighter than your barrel nut. Anything close to the torque used to thighten the barrel nut will cause the action to move in the vice.
100% Trued action: When torqing an action with a trued action, trued recoil lug and trued barrel nut, don't try to torque the action down past 15 to 20 ft. lbs. because when everything is trued, then the turning of the barrel nut causes everything to torque as one piece, therefore forcing the entire action to move. Otherwords, when everything is trued then turning the barrel nut past a certain torq causes the entire action to move backwards UNLESS you have something mechanical to HOLD action in place.
The Best Way To Set Headspace for normal calibers: 223, 22-250, 243, 260, 308 is to get yourself a RCBS pec. Mic. From there you take a Go Gauge and measure it. For the 22-250 it mikes out at 45 on the RCBS Pec. Mic. Now you size a batch of cases and check for cases that come-in at 45. THIS or a case that mikes out at 45 is what you will use to set all of your 22-250 barrels. My five 22-250 barrels are always set-up with a case that mikes out at 45, therefore I can use any of my 22-250 cases on any barrel on any action.
223 = 47.5 243 = 46.5 and same for 260 and 308....Just size your cases to that number and ALWAYS use a case that size to set the headspace...
If you are using a bolt with an ejector in place then you just say to yourself "Slight rub on 45 or rub on 45 or good rub on 45". Remember tho that a good rub on 45 is going to give you a tight fit on a case that mikes out at 47. After a while you will get the hang of it and find out that a slight rub on 45 is all that you need. You will also get the hang of sizing your cases to within plus/minus 1.5 of zero for that case.
If you are using a bolt without an ejector, then all you do is screw the barrel down until it bottoms out on the 45 case without force, then tighten the barrel nut up to about 20 ft. lbs...hand tite.
Checking a barrel after headspacing?, If you use a 45 case to set a 22-250, then take a 44, 46 and a 47 case to check it. The 44 bolt should drop like butter. The 46 case should give you a slight rub and the 47 case should give you a good rub. Course you can't do any of this without the RCBS Pec. Mic. and a Go Gauge. But, if you don't wanna purchase a Go Gauge, then go to a gunsmith and politely ask him if you can measure one of his go gauges for that caliber with your RCBS Pec Mic., then write down what it mikes out to and try and size all of that caliber cases to that number. Some will be over and some will be under but as long as you use the 45 case to set the headspace, then all of them will be close enough to give you super accuracy. Oh', eye foergot to tell you that you will not be working your brass so much and it will last longer.
This method also works on the 22 & 6mmBR but you have to use the 308 Pec Mic and a spacer....6mmbr.com read article for 6BR.
Well, that's about it Y'All.
Barrel Vice: When using a vice with wood blocks and lead shims, use a 1/2 inch torque wrench and torque the vice down at least 20 ft. lbs. tighter than your barrel nut. Anything close to the torque used to thighten the barrel nut will cause the action to move in the vice.
100% Trued action: When torqing an action with a trued action, trued recoil lug and trued barrel nut, don't try to torque the action down past 15 to 20 ft. lbs. because when everything is trued, then the turning of the barrel nut causes everything to torque as one piece, therefore forcing the entire action to move. Otherwords, when everything is trued then turning the barrel nut past a certain torq causes the entire action to move backwards UNLESS you have something mechanical to HOLD action in place.
The Best Way To Set Headspace for normal calibers: 223, 22-250, 243, 260, 308 is to get yourself a RCBS pec. Mic. From there you take a Go Gauge and measure it. For the 22-250 it mikes out at 45 on the RCBS Pec. Mic. Now you size a batch of cases and check for cases that come-in at 45. THIS or a case that mikes out at 45 is what you will use to set all of your 22-250 barrels. My five 22-250 barrels are always set-up with a case that mikes out at 45, therefore I can use any of my 22-250 cases on any barrel on any action.
223 = 47.5 243 = 46.5 and same for 260 and 308....Just size your cases to that number and ALWAYS use a case that size to set the headspace...
If you are using a bolt with an ejector in place then you just say to yourself "Slight rub on 45 or rub on 45 or good rub on 45". Remember tho that a good rub on 45 is going to give you a tight fit on a case that mikes out at 47. After a while you will get the hang of it and find out that a slight rub on 45 is all that you need. You will also get the hang of sizing your cases to within plus/minus 1.5 of zero for that case.
If you are using a bolt without an ejector, then all you do is screw the barrel down until it bottoms out on the 45 case without force, then tighten the barrel nut up to about 20 ft. lbs...hand tite.
Checking a barrel after headspacing?, If you use a 45 case to set a 22-250, then take a 44, 46 and a 47 case to check it. The 44 bolt should drop like butter. The 46 case should give you a slight rub and the 47 case should give you a good rub. Course you can't do any of this without the RCBS Pec. Mic. and a Go Gauge. But, if you don't wanna purchase a Go Gauge, then go to a gunsmith and politely ask him if you can measure one of his go gauges for that caliber with your RCBS Pec Mic., then write down what it mikes out to and try and size all of that caliber cases to that number. Some will be over and some will be under but as long as you use the 45 case to set the headspace, then all of them will be close enough to give you super accuracy. Oh', eye foergot to tell you that you will not be working your brass so much and it will last longer.
This method also works on the 22 & 6mmBR but you have to use the 308 Pec Mic and a spacer....6mmbr.com read article for 6BR.
Well, that's about it Y'All.