First DIY Savage, Barrels?

[Duckman208]

Thanks 406pat I will check 4D out. Tricki, I have a .300wsm that is my utility rig and the rifle I'm getting started on now is a bone stock savage model 11 .270 WSM. My intent is to build this into a longe range deer and smaller rifle and I have really had my heart set on a 6.5. That said from what I have read here at LRH there is a wildcat round that is a .270WSM case necked down to 6.5.( 6.5WSM). At present .270WSM brass is fairly easy to come by in my neck of the woods. I have been very torn on weather to stick with the 270 bore or jump into the wildcat realm with the 6.5WSM. It has been a while since I have bought any factory rifle ammo. After the reading I have done it sounds like in the short mag case I will be basically duplicating 264 Win Mag performance but with my current rifle this round will allow for the least amount of modification. Thanks for all the input I will definately need to pick some brains as I progress.
Grif

 

[Trickymissfit]

Thanks 406pat I will check 4D out. Tricki, I have a .300wsm that is my utility rig and the rifle I'm getting started on now is a bone stock savage model 11 .270 WSM. My intent is to build this into a longe range deer and smaller rifle and I have really had my heart set on a 6.5. That said from what I have read here at LRH there is a wildcat round that is a .270WSM case necked down to 6.5.( 6.5WSM). At present .270WSM brass is fairly easy to come by in my neck of the woods. I have been very torn on weather to stick with the 270 bore or jump into the wildcat realm with the 6.5WSM. It has been a while since I have bought any factory rifle ammo. After the reading I have done it sounds like in the short mag case I will be basically duplicating 264 Win Mag performance but with my current rifle this round will allow for the least amount of modification. Thanks for all the input I will definately need to pick some brains as I progress.
Grif

I know a small handfull of fellows that shoot the .270WSM, and all seem to like it a lot. Altough most of these guys have never been able to quite reach the advertised velocities we often hear about. But it's a good round. There a little better bullet selection for the 6.5 bore for sure, but we are starting to see some nice bullets in the .277 bore finally. I shoot the .270 mag, and had bullet problems at first, but think those days are gone.

The nice thing about doing the 6.5WSM is that if your carefull in your necking process you won't end up with a false shoulder, and that's about all there is to it. Have the gunsmith cut the chamber on the minimum side to give you a very solid head space. Then your ready to fireform the brass. The next issue you'll run into is getting a set of dies. Bushing dies are nice, but you still need a full length die of some kind. If the round was bigger than the .270 you'd simply open the bore up a few thousandths, but in your case you can't add metal to the bore. In the end you may need a body die and the bushing die unless somebody like Redding can supply your needs. Seater is easy! Buy a Forster seater in something close to what you want but still smaller. Have him run the chamber reamer thru the sliding sleeve, and your pretty much done. I think I'd start with a 25WSM seater and rework it. You'd have thought that somebody like Hornaday & Savage would have put their heads together on this round.

gary

 

[Duckman208]

Thats a lot of great information Gary. I think redding makes the dies I need but I can't get my computer to download their cataloge so I'm waiting for a hard copy to come in the mail.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Thats a lot of great information Gary. I think redding makes the dies I need but I can't get my computer to download their cataloge so I'm waiting for a hard copy to come in the mail.

keep in mind that if you opt fr a neck bushing die you'll still need a body die in the end. I know they make a full length die that uses a bushing, but have also heard concentricity issues with it. I think I'd have a custom set of dies built from somebody like Harrell off of some once fired cases.
gary

 

[Duckman208]

keep in mind that if you opt fr a neck bushing die you'll still need a body die in the end. I know they make a full length die that uses a bushing, but have also heard concentricity issues with it. I think I'd have a custom set of dies built from somebody like Harrell off of some once fired cases.
gary

I have never used bushings before so I'm not familliar with that process. Would the bushing be used to bring the neck diameter down from the parent case? So far all of my handloading has been done with the standard RCBS FL dies sets aside from my .223 which is the same type of die set but it's from Hornady. If I'm understanding correctly I will need a bushing to bring down the neck and then fire form and use full lenght custom dies built from the fire formed demensions to match my chamber?
Grif

 

[Trickymissfit]

I have never used bushings before so I'm not familliar with that process. Would the bushing be used to bring the neck diameter down from the parent case? So far all of my handloading has been done with the standard RCBS FL dies sets aside from my .223 which is the same type of die set but it's from Hornady. If I'm understanding correctly I will need a bushing to bring down the neck and then fire form and use full lenght custom dies built from the fire formed demensions to match my chamber?
Grif

that is correct. Just use a standard bushing die, and bring the neck down to about .295 for starters. But you may want to also get a .295 and a .294 bushing. Others can tell you almost exactly what bushing you need to do this. The WSM case seems to have a neck wall of .018" ( seems a little thick), and with the 6.5mm bullet you probably want to start out with an I.D. of about .261" for .003" bullet tension. Sometimes the bullet may want .004" and other times you can get by with .002".
gary

 

[Duckman208]

that is correct. Just use a standard bushing die, and bring the neck down to about .295 for starters. But you may want to also get a .295 and a .294 bushing. Others can tell you almost exactly what bushing you need to do this. The WSM case seems to have a neck wall of .018" ( seems a little thick), and with the 6.5mm bullet you probably want to start out with an I.D. of about .261" for .003" bullet tension. Sometimes the bullet may want .004" and other times you can get by with .002".
gary

I see, so the bushing value is an outside diameter? Can you recommend a manual that details the use of bushings I'm definately a novice in this area and I like pictures?
Grif

 

[Trickymissfit]

I see, so the bushing value is an outside diameter? Can you recommend a manual that details the use of bushings I'm definately a novice in this area and I like pictures?
Grif

really this is just a suggestion only, but I always recommend Fred Sinclairs book on Precision Reloading. For the bushing diameter I simply measure the bullet diameter, then add in the sized diameter and shrink it .003" for starters. But you can't! So you need to know the wall thickness doubled, and add that to the bullet diameter. Then remove three thousandths (or four thousandths) from the total figure. Later on you might want to try neck shaving, but for I wouldn't
gary

 

[Duckman208]

I got it now Gary. Thanks for your patience I will check out Sinclairs book.

 

[Duckman208]

really this is just a suggestion only, but I always recommend Fred Sinclairs book on Precision Reloading. For the bushing diameter I simply measure the bullet diameter, then add in the sized diameter and shrink it .003" for starters. But you can't! So you need to know the wall thickness doubled, and add that to the bullet diameter. Then remove three thousandths (or four thousandths) from the total figure. Later on you might want to try neck shaving, but for I wouldn't
gary

My evolution as a handloader and shooter must be destined. I recognized that title from a bunch of books I inherited from my father in-law so I have been scouring the pages in between diaper changes. Thanks a lot Gary I will post pics when this thing gets off the ground.