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22 LR chamber throat (Read 898 times)

jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	22 LR chamber throat Jun 16^th, 2025 at 9:34pm	Print Post
	The good folks at RKS barrels called today and said they had shipped my barrel. I think I was talking with Gerald. He also told me how much to take off the breech end to clean things up and while I was talking with him I heard someone in the room say "tell him to throat the chamber at .060" or at least that is what I thought he said. Can anyone comment on this? I have never heard of having a free bore of .060 in a 22LR. I have a standard Clymer match reamer I was going to use. Now it has me wondering. JMH


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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #1 - Jun 16^th, 2025 at 11:57pm	Print Post
	You have eased my fears but still why would you want a .060 lead? JMH


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Otony Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 252 Location: Bandon, Oregon Joined: Jun 5^th, 2021	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #2 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 2:21am	Print Post
	Call or email RKS and ask exactly what you heard, and what their recommendations are.

	Otony
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #3 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 10:26am	Print Post
	Good idea. I think I will. JMH


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GT Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2143 Location: Northeast Wyoming Joined: Jun 28^th, 2015	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #4 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 10:27am	Print Post
	Ron and I had several discussions about the throat for a 22, he likes a freebore for the bullet to bump up, I disagree, I prefer to have the bullet graving in the lands about .060". Different opinions. I shoot a considerable number of rounds 200 to 500 yards every month and my method works for me. I shoot even more at 50' with the same configuration and scores are respectable.

	"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk" T. A. Edison "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right" M.T.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #5 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 7:10pm	Print Post
	Tried calling but no answer. Ok Should I short chamber with the reamer then cut for the case rim to ensure engagement or just fully chamber letting the reamer cut for the rim? Hope that isn't a stupid question. I am learning as I go. JMH


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GT Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2143 Location: Northeast Wyoming Joined: Jun 28^th, 2015	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #6 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 8:57pm	Print Post
	The reamers I use don't cut the rim. Calfee 1 & 2. If it were mine, I'd cut the chamber short, to where it just starts to grave the bullet with the rim proud of the barrel face .020 - 030", then cut the rim fit in the lathe and give it a try. What ammo are you planning to use? What extractor are you using? A slider? If you have your doubts about the chamber and think you will have to go back in and cut the chamber with a freebore, cut a small area in the barrel for a pick where the extractor will go, put it together, go shoot it and see how it does. (We run a fair share of bottle cap rifles without any extractor) If you are running even SK Standard plus you'll be surprised with the results. Whatever ammo you decide on, use that as the gage. For this ammo, Lapua, and RWS/Norma, the head space, rim fit to the breech block face - make it .043". From my experience, no more and no less works the best. That experience has been over 40 barrels in the past two years... I've struggled getting Eley or CCI to work as well. My 5¢ worth GT

	"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk" T. A. Edison "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right" M.T.
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idjeffp Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 347 Location: Boise, ID Joined: Nov 11^th, 2017	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #7 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 9:18pm	Print Post
	Thanks for sharing Greg! I will try that on my next .22LR chamber... Cheers! Jeff P


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Schuetzendave Frequent Elocutionist Online Retired Ex-Shooter Posts: 4138 Location: St. Albert, Alberta Joined: Jan 28^th, 2005	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #8 - Jun 17^th, 2025 at 11:21pm	Print Post
	Ron would make my competition .22 LR barrels with match chambers, little free bore and finish his gain twist barrels at 16:1 which has won many competitions with my three BSA Martini MkII rifles. But it needs the expensive ammo specifically Tenex. However for practice, he recommended a barrel finishing at 17.2:1 twist with the longer freebore since it will shoot the cheaper ammuntion more accurately. So I have this practice barrel on my CPA Stevens 44 1/2. Great for practicing offhand at 100 yards.
	« Last Edit: Jun 17^th, 2025 at 11:28pm by Schuetzendave »

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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #9 - Jun 18^th, 2025 at 12:27am	Print Post
	That is the target we use in my club matches. GT I think I will take your advise and do the chamber as suggested. JMH


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John Taylor Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1773 Location: Lewiston, ID Joined: Oct 23^rd, 2006	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #10 - Jun 18^th, 2025 at 12:47pm	Print Post
	There are about 20 different chamber reamers for the 22 LR. I have three that I use depending on the job. The standard sporting reamer is just that, it will work with any LR. The one I use the most is Bentz which will work on most single shot rifles. The tightest is a Lilja. This only works for bolt actions where you can force the cartridge in. It has no free bore and the bullet is shoved into the rifling. Because of this the pressure is quite a bit higher and if the action does not support the rim well the rim will blow.

	John Taylor Machinist/gunsmith
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #11 - Jun 18^th, 2025 at 8:50pm	Print Post
	My sole purpose in building my Hepburn 22 other than the fact I just want one is to spank some of the guys in our club match. They all have high end bolt guns with BIG powerful scopes worth almost as much as the guns they are mounted on. I have a Stevens 44 with a Lyman Targetspot I used to shoot with a GM barrel. They looked down their noses at me and I am pretty sure I heard some snickering going on. My score was so bad I didn't even turn my target in. Where can you find this "Calfee" reamer? I had stated I had a Clymer reamer but after checking it is in fact a PTG match and sporting reamer. At this point I have so much money in this thing some more won't be missed. I just want to show them what an old Hepburn can do. JMH


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craigster Oldtimer Offline Posts: 736 Location: lost coast CA Joined: Feb 20^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #12 - Jun 18^th, 2025 at 11:46pm	Print Post
	jhm wrote on Jun 18^th, 2025 at 8:50pm: My sole purpose in building my Hepburn 22 other than the fact I just want one is to spank some of the guys in our club match. They all have high end bolt guns with BIG powerful scopes worth almost as much as the guns they are mounted on. I have a Stevens 44 with a Lyman Targetspot I used to shoot with a GM barrel. They looked down their noses at me and I am pretty sure I heard some snickering going on. My score was so bad I didn't even turn my target in. Where can you find this "Calfee" reamer? I had stated I had a Clymer reamer but after checking it is in fact a PTG match and sporting reamer. At this point I have so much money in this thing some more won't be missed. I just want to show them what an old Hepburn can do. JMH Good luck with that. BTDT. Calfee reamers : (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links)


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GT Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2143 Location: Northeast Wyoming Joined: Jun 28^th, 2015	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #13 - Jun 19^th, 2025 at 12:19am	Print Post
	JMH, PTG sells those reamers, not sure if anyone else does. The Lilja reamer has worked well for me also, a little snug at the chamber mouth, a little more than I like. If you go this route, avoid using any high velocity ammo in these, these chambers aren't happy with it. I've never had a ruptured case even using HV, but I make the extractor fit better than most for these single shots. The bolt guns are a different style of extractor so there's no area for a case to bulge, the extractor in my recent CPA build doesn't fit quite the same as the sliders I put in the Hepburns, HW's and Ballards so there is a slight bulge you can see looking real close. The bulge measures almost .001 large at that point, bugs me to no end. You have your work cut out for you to go up against bolt guns and modern high end glass. I shoot both configurations, Only one of my vintage builds will stay in the game, it's a Ballard and the glass is a rebuilt Lyman STS in 20x with a 1/8 moa dot. It takes a very good night with a lot of focus to even come close to one of my Turbo builds with Zeiss glass and lots of extras (that single setup has more of my time and money than probably 5 of my others all combined - and glass - the next piece I have coming, does cost more than the rifle by a fair amount). Here's a chart with reamer specs that PTG pushes. Another reamer that is probably easier to obtain can be had at JGS, the design is from Kevin Nevius. (The wait difference between these two is probably 6 months so call JGS first). It's similar to the Calfee 1 with the 1°30' - most won't notice a difference of 1/2 a degree - I prefer the 2° - you'll notice a slight difference in carbon ring buildup if you spend time studying cause and effect with a bore scope. Get in the habit of cleaning the chamber like Greg Roman described in another post here and it's all immaterial. GT

	"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk" T. A. Edison "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right" M.T.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1756 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: 22 LR chamber throat Reply #14 - Jun 19^th, 2025 at 1:13am	Print Post
	Thanks everyone. Yea I know it is an uphill battle going up against those guys but it's like the John Wayne movie where he said "they laughed at him" that will make the difference. Yea just a movie. By using my Hepburn I hope to lure some of those guys into going more traditional. Maybe start a class for those guns. Anyone can buy or build a bolt gun and shoot lights out but that ain't me. When you start at the top you have no where to go. No different for me this time. I am used to climbing my way up. I just want this gun to be as good as I can make it. JMH


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