A_S_S_2015_04

22 | SPORTING SHOOTER _ APRIL 2015

you had any experience with
this particular gun? Any
suggestions as to how I might
improve its accuracy?

• Kenneth Evans

A

According to my records,
I tested one of those 7x57
Remington Classics back in
August 1982.It shot from 1.50 to
1.75 MoA with factory ammo,
but consistently under 1MoA
with my handloads. That was
because Remington used extra
large SAAMI specs for the neck
diameter in the chamber. When
I resized cases for reloading,
I unscrewed the die until it just
sized about 1/8”or 3-16” of the
case neck. This allowed the
expanded case from my sizing
die to centrethe case in the
chamber. The rear end is centred
by the recessed bolt head of the
Model 700. A Remington R&D
guy I quizzed about this told me
they were aware that this would
happen if they opted for the use
of SAAMI specs in their
chambering. The choice was
made, however, because of the
wide variations that have
always existed in European
ammunition and chamber specs.
I am sure that if you neck size
the way I did, the rifle’s accuracy
may surprise you. By the way,
three shot groups do not prove
much about accuracy unless
you fire at least 10 such groups.
I prefer to rely upon four five
shot groups when I’m serious
about finding out what a rifle is
really capable of.

Cratered Primers
No Worry

Q

I am enclosing three fired
cases from my .17
Remington Magnum rifle so
that show cratering. Wouldn't
you say that these loads appear
to be right at the limit for
pressure in this calibre?
However, fired cases extract
easily, primer pockets are still
tight and cases stand five
reloads before they need
trimming. Your comments
about this would be appreciated.

• Brian Hardy

A

First, cratering is a poor

indicator of high pressure

in any calibre or load unless

one knows all the other

conditions. Judging by the

cases you sent me, the primers

are not flattened at all. If the

load was generating too-high

pressure or enough to make

that cratering with everything

else alrigh, the firing pin hole

in the bolt and the pin the

correct diameter, the primer

would have been badly

flattened. I’d say, therefore, that

the cratering is caused by an

oversized firing pin hole. I had

a Remington 700 in .17 Rem.

calibre that did the same thing

and cratered the same amount

as your cases. It doesn't do any

harm, especially when a

primer with a thick cup like

the Rem. 7-1/2 is used.

Reloading the .240

Weatherby For Big Game

Q

I just took delivery of

a new Weatherby Mark V

rifle in .240 Weatherby which

I intend using for deer hunting

as well as for goats and pigs.

I also bought a die set and 100

unprimed cases. The figures

for the 100gn factory load are

quite impressive, do you think

I can duplicate that velocity

(3395fps) by reloading? What

are the best powder and bullets

for the .240? You seem to

favour the 100gn Lapua bullet,

are there any others you like?

• Mick Doolan

A

I am sure you will like the

.240 Weatherby, but for

Pete’s sake don't crowd it. If you

do the barrel will not last. Load

the 100gn bullet to 3300-

3350fps and be satisfied with

that. Don’t try for 3500fps with

100gn bullets as the animals

won't know the difference. I’ve

gained excellent results with

the 95gn Nosler Ballistic Tip,

which was made specifically

for the 6mm Rem., but it’s

works great in my F.N .240. I am

loading 53gn of Re-22 to drive

the 95gn Nosler at 3350fps. This

charge is listed as maximum in

the Nosler Reloading Guide, but

shows no sign of high pressure

in my gun. Just to be on the safe

side though, work up from 2

grains less. I use the Federal

210M primer, but imagine that

any other brand of magnum

primer would be just as good.

Stainless Barrels Best

For A Hot .17

Q

I'm rebarreling my old

Sako .17 Remington which

has lost its accuracy, but I’m

unsure whether to go for a

chrome-moly barrel or one of

stainless steel. Which type of

barrel do you think is best?

and which type will wear best?

• David Farrar

A

The .17 Rem. has little

demand these days; the .17

Hornet seems to be the flavour

of the month. In thepast, several

riflemakers used regular 4140

steel in their .17 barrels and that

was a mistake. If the shooter

didn’t limit his reloads to under

3800fps, then the heat would

not be enough to cause metal

fouling after just a few shots.

That is why Remington used

stainless steel barrels in the

first place. Metal fouling does

not penetrate the pores of

stainless simply because it is

non-porous and has no pores to

penetrate. Just after the .17 Rem.

was introduced I questioned

one of the company’s engineers

about using stainless barrels

and he explained to me the

structure of the metal and what

it does. If stainless does happen

to foul, all you need to do is

clean it off the bore with a

solvent. But chrome-moly steel

which is very porous allows

metal fouling to penetrate the

pores and though a powerful

solvent will remove it from the

surface of the metal, it can

never be entirely gotten out of

the pores. Button-rifled

stainless does not wear any

better than chrome-moly, but

being non-embedding, it is

somewhat more resistant to

erosion and corrosion. Most

stainless barrels are button-

rifled while most chrome-moly

barrels are cold hammer-forged

which, normally makes them

last longer. One exception I’ve

found to this were the stainless

barrels cold hammer-forged

by Remington on GFM

machines which were claimed

to outlast chrome-moly by up to

three times.

Case Capacity Vs

Load Capacity

Q

How do I measure case

capacity. One American

writer recommends taking a

fired case with the primer left

in it and after filling the case

to the brim with water, weigh it

again, and subtract the

difference. The product is the

case capacity which forms the

First, cratering

is a poor

indicator of

high pressure.”

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