If I can't find one my other option my be to buy a savage and a barrel from you Jerry. If I buy a barrel does it come chambered? And is the shoulder on the 6BR or 6.5 Creedmore to steep for magazine feed? I was going to PM you with all these stupid "new to benchrest shooting" questions but what the heck. Also can I get different lengths and contours in the Shilen Savage barrels?
Thanks for the info Jerry.
You can buy barrels two ways. A blank which will need gunsmith install or prefit/threaded.
These come prethreaded/chambered, crowned and finished (blued or polished depending on the steel). The barrels are completely ready for install and shooting out of the box.
Both the 6BR and 6.5 Creedmore will feed easily from a mag. However, the 6BR's length means some blocking is required for best functioning. You just put a block at the rear of the mag so the cartridges are pushed forward. Stops them from diving and jamming in the mag.
The Creedmore will feed fine as it is essentially an improved 22/250 case. It will feed easily from any 308 style mag.
Shilen makes 4 contours from the factory sporter contour, magnum, varmint (factory contour) and bull (1" full length). Lengths can vary from 16" to 30" finished. The entire range of twists and a few forms of rifling are available.
As for accuracy, I have built many rifles using both forms of headspacing. The shoulder/gunsmith install and the barrel nut/factory style of install. I have not found any tangible accuracy differences between either method of install.
All rifles have shot to the accuracy levels expected from the quality of barrel installed.
For those shooting F class where a heavier barrel is desired (or the use of a barrel block), going with a full contour 'smith installed barrel does offer benefits. More for heat control then improving accuracy.
The unique design of the Savage action negates much of the alignment benefits that a Rem sees when smith installed. I have yet to find a set up where runout was created during firing. Simply cannot happen due to the manner the Savage chamber is cut in the barrel.
Have yet to do any machining work on a Savage or Stevens action to true them up. All have shot splendidly with lots of lug contact and solid lock up. Have figured out how to time the actions too so bolt lift is smooth and ALOT easier.
About the only thing the action does is keep the cartridge in place and fire the primer. The cartridge is fully supported within the barrel chamber. If the chamber is cut true at Shilen or by any gunsmith, the results will be positive.
Yes, I have made my own prefit/chambered barrels. I just sent a blank to a smith and he did all the work without seeing my action. I installed it at home. Shot great.
I have swapped a barrel between 3 actions (2 stevens and 1 savage) from different production years and they have all shot exactly the same with the same ammo.
Also, sold barrels to other shooters who have had the same results on their actions but my load info.
That is a huge reason for the success some barrel manfs are having making prefits for this platform. All the work can be done at the manf and the shooter will have positive results.
This success has been slow to be recognised by manf dealing primarily with Rems but that is going to change by the spring. Rem owners will be able to enjoy the same ease of barrel install as Savage owners have enjoyed for years.
however, this will not solve the alignment issues common to many Rems. The target audience will be hunters and varminters. Competitions shooters would not see any benefit to these products.
As to the dimensions of the chamber, that is an entirely different argument. A reamer has its dimensions set in steel. Not much you can do to modify that except specing another reamer.
Most reamers are speced with a standard or mid length throat to cover the majority of users. Some BR smiths are specing reamers WITHOUT a throat and undersized neck so they can accomodate the quirky wishes of their clients.
Shooters who want longer throats can easily be accomodated by running a throating reamer into the cut chamber to set the length for the shooters desires.
Those using VLD bullets may want a 'softer' leade angle.
Same would apply to a neck dimension to match different brands of brass, neck turning and desired clearances. Different neck reamers can be selected to suit any need. All very simple machining steps.
To manage all these various options would require a fleet of reamers. That is rarely the case as that cost would be horrendous. A basic reamer and a few throaters and you can make anything you want.
All of these changes can easily be applied to prefits as well. Shilen is trying to accomodate special needs and has used customer reamers on occasion. Or you can send a prefit to a gunsmith for these final steps.
I have personally spent very little time with the TC pistol/rifles. They are fun and their design makes swapping barrels a no brainer. However, options favor standard chamberings for the most part. Here the Savage has a much wider chambering offerings.
And a good gunsmith can fill in everything else....
Jerry
