reaming a throat?

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Axis II

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Hi guys looking for some guidance as usual.

I have a savage axis 223rem heavy barrel that keeps groups under 1/2MOA or better but I cannot use factory or book seating specs because the bullet will be jammed into the lands. My buddy keeps encouraging me (again today) to either send it to savage or have his gunsmith ream it. My concern is I asked savage about this a year or so ago and was told it may dump my accuracy and if I handload just load accordingly. I'm doing okay now with the ammo I handload but wondering if this shouldn't be fixed.

He says his smith may only charge me $50 to do it as the guy milled, tapped and mounted a scope for him for like $50.

leave it alone, send to savage and wait weeks or months for a return or have the gunsmith do it. I'm kind of afraid to have the smith do it because he works out of his house and not saying he doesn't know what hes doing it just bothers me a little bit he maybe a fly by smith.
 
How much will the gunsmith refund you if reaming spoils a sweet barrel?

Seriously, leave it alone. If you can't, sell it to someone who'll appreciate it.
 
I’d have sent it in a long time ago as soon as I realized the chamber wasn’t cut to SAAMI spec.
 
Check with a headspace gauge to verify that it is at least set to correct minimum headspace. That doesn't tell you that anything else is correct with the chamber and there are numerous other things that can be wrong even with correct headspace dimensions. It would be cheap, interesting/informative, and totally harmless to do a chamber cast with Cerrosafe.
 
Yep, Cerrosafe is the gold standard for checking chambers and ledes. Pretty cheap and easy to do as well. One hint though--take pictures of your measurements and casting. It helps to have a logbook of such things for each rifle. They tend to proliferate and if you have a bad memory, like I do, you are scratching your head trying to remember stuff you want to remember. The trivial stuff like bad song lyrics are stuck in there forever.
 
Like most I agree to keep it as is.

I have a min spec reamer which only cuts the leads to 0.025" long where most average 0.055". Since I have several AR's that I run my ammo through I decided to cut the leads longer. It did hurt the heavier loads a little, but was able to compensate on some with a longer OAL. But was restricted due to magazine length. I'm in the process right now on turning a Kreiger Barrel for a replacement for my heavy barrel varmint that's approaching 5k rounds. So far has not showed any indications of the groups opening up. I have the throating reamer. These can be used by hand but requires alignment cones and stops. In my case when I did it I only had to remove 0.020" to match the others guns. I have made a decision on this barrel to leave it min spec and keep the ammo separate from my others
 
Savage would likely screw on a new barrel rather than ream it, but either way, it would come home shooting well. Not many savage barrels don’t shoot well - as proven by the fact yours is busted and still manages to shoot a few loads well. The throat carries the bullet to the leade, the leade introduces the bullet to the rifling, and the rifling spins the bullet for stability. Cutting a new throat - pushing the leade forward - is a pretty basic function. If savage does it at the mothership, it’ll be right. If they spin on a new barrel with a proper chamber, it’ll be right. Remember, they reamed the chamber the first time, and even getting it wrong, it still shoots well.
 
If it was a revolver cylinder I would be allover it myself. A rifle---especially a savage and I would send it back to the mothership and let them deal with it. I am sure they will make it good. FWIW I have always been more than satisfied with their stock rifle barrels on their firearms.
 
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