Turning a barrel blank

[cdhknives]

I understood that once I had made brass pins that insert in the bore for the centers to ride and skimmed the OD that would true the bore to the OD and all further operations (assuming bore is straight) could indicate on the OD. That is basically where I am now, skimming the OD while turning on centers. I am close to the actual turning to shape stage.

 

[Earl]

The bore is your primary reference. What you are doing is making a secondary reference. The errors add up. I use the bore as the only reference. In reality there is no "right way" to chamber a barrel. What ever works for you and gives you the results you are looking for is the right way. My recommendation is based upon my experience. I have chambered quite a few barrels. mostly 243, and a few 30s'. Here is what I cleaned up under my bandsaw earlier.
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If you need something to practice reaming on, I have some stubs that would work for that. All I use is Kreiger barrels 416 stainless.

 

[Earl]

The drilling has to be followed by a boring operation. This boring operation is done at the same angle as the reamer body. Then the reamer follows this tapered bore. This operation is intended to provide control on the body of the reamer instead of relying on the pilot. Saving reamer wear is secondary.
However with what you have said it would less involved to do it all with the reamer as you have suggested. But you must make sure that the first inch of the bore is in good shape so the reamer starts straight.

I have a good friend that drills and bores and then reams without a pilot bushing. He does not bore at a taper. His belief is that the reamer will follow the hole - no matter what. He is a professional gunsmith specializing in Benchrest rifles. One of those barrels in the hands of a California shooter shot a "potential world record" (wont know until the records committee measures the targets) in the December match in Phoenix. So his method works too.

 

[epanzella]

I've had bores off center with the OD of the barrel as much as .040 on one end. The end where they started the gun drill is usually much closer.

 

[cdhknives]

Well it turns out my follow rest is made to fit the dovetail and my A11 cross slide covers it all the way back. So the best I can do is to set the steady up and profile the barrel in thirds. Good enough, or do I need to dig out the old cross slide and reconfigure back...which is substantially less rigid on this machine?

 

[cdhknives]

I have a rifle barrel. Not done, but good enough to test fire.

 

[cdhknives]

Many thanks to all y'all helping! New to find time for a range trip or 3 to break it in. There is a lot of bedding and cerakote in this rifle's future, but gotta shoot it!

 

[Tozguy]

Looks like it turned out really well, congratulations.