Rebuilding my Savage

[catamountsierra]

Finally getting around to rebuilding my coyote rifle. It started life as an 11XP in 223 Remington. I have had it in a couple stocks so far, but got this one because it is so close to the stock on my 284.

I have a McGowen prefit in 223AI on the way, which is Cerakoted in olive drab, so this weekend I took it apart, prepped it, and coated it using Wheeler's Cerama-coat. I wasn't sure how close the match would be between the Cerakote and the Cerama-coat, so I did the barrel nut black. So they wouldn't be right next to eachother. This one will be tan stock, olive metal, and black for the bolt and scope hardware.

I'm glad that the new barrel nut is the old style. I'm sure why Savage went with the smooth ones and whatever "glue" they use besides making it difficult to install a new barrel. I eventually ended up cutting it off, but I should be done with it now.

The new barrel will be here in a couple of days, and then I can put it together and figure out fireforming AI brass. My plan is to load a bunch of the old 75gr AMAXs that I got for cheap and then go shoot coyotes and steel until my brass is formed.

Anyway, I am looking for any tips for installing the new barrel, as well as any pointers on how to load fireforming rounds.

 

[thatguyshm]

Barrel is pretty easy with the proper headspace gauges. I usually screw it on to the go gauge, back it off just a hair, take out the gauge, then tighten to torque specs. Then test with a close on the go, no closing on the no go. I don't know how many I've done and it still usually takes two times to set the head space exactly how I want it. Being this is an Ackley, next thing I'd do is check your brass, make sure there's a slight resistance to closing on the brass.

The only critique I have of your parts is correct me if I'm wrong, but you painted the bolt from the looks of the pictures. As that paint wears off, especially on the back side of the lugs and where the glide on the abutments in the action, you have a chance for wear and that can change headspace. Something to keep an eye on for sure. Lapping your lugs would solve this with the proper equipment.

As far as loading rounds, I would use a mid to upper middle load, I don't see the need to jam if headspace is properly set to crush gently on the shoulder, and shoot. My 22-250 AI shoots 2" at 300 yards with my FF load, just a few more clicks to get to center of target.

SHM

 

[catamountsierra]

I did coat the bolt parts, though the bolt head only got two sprays instead of three. I put the bolt back together, minus the ejector, and the fit in the action feels better than it did before, for what it is worth. My experience so far with the Cerama-coat is that it ends up thinner than a Krylon paint job, and a fair amount tougher if it doesn't chip. I'll keep an eye on it, but I don't expect more than a quarter to half a thousandth of wear before I am wearing steel.

You confirmed what I had read about setting the headspace, though I hadn't gotten the tip of checking brass. I got a couple hundred Lapua cases for this rifle and haven't gotten to any sizing on them yet. I will see how they fit before and after sizing, then load them up. With the 284, I used a lower to middle powder charge, but then I wasn't expanding the cases that much. I had been leaning towards using a stiffer charge for this given the extra space available in the chamber, so getting confirmation on that is good. I also wasn't too sure about jamming bullets; I've heard both ways on that.

Thanks,

 

[thatguyshm]

If you look closely, you'll see where the crush fit happens on the colored portion of the shoulder, right below the neck/shoulder junction. That's a proper crush fit for an AI chamber, and if you have that, you don't have to jam into the lands.

 

[catamountsierra]

That will be very helpful having that picture so I don't have to go mostly by feel and actually know what to look for. Thanks. The barrel arrived yesterday so I will be putting it all together today. Hopefully I will have time to take a couple factory loads out to shoot this afternoon, and then I can hopefully get started loading up all those Lapua cases.

 

[thatguyshm]

Have you gotten the rifle out yet?

 

[catamountsierra]

Just five rounds; there wasn't much time between getting things ready for Thanksgiving, so I took a few HSM 50gr VMAX rounds out. It shoots, and that gave me some formed cases for taking measurements. It is fun putting in a standard 223 and seeing that Ackley pop out. I'm thinking that, since I have 200 Lapua cases that I want to form, that I might as well do some load development for a good fire forming load.

The rifle with the tan stock is the 223 AI that I just put together. The olive stock is the 284 Win that I had put together by MCM Firearms here in Nampa. It looks like I have plenty of load development ahead of me.

 

[thatguyshm]

I always love fire forming just to see the case transformation. Should be even more fun when the dasher is ready to shoot.

A good barrel and carefully prepared loads won't take much load development to get that rifle grouping small. I didn't shoot formed cases until I had about 100 made up. That was about how long it took to break in the barrel anyway.