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jhm
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"Match" reamers verses standard
Jul 6th, 2025 at 9:30am
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Wasn't sure where to post this as I have posts on my Hepburn 22 build in other places but here it is. Ok what are the usual differences if any in a match reamer verses a standard chamber reamer? I thought I had Clymer reamers but after looking they are PTG brand both standard and match.  Some folks here recommended the Clymer as they had gotten very good accuracy with them. They had also recommended others as they are a lot of them to choose from. I am trying to use what I have on hand and not buy another reamer but I am also about to chamber a 500.00 plus my time and labor in it barrel. If I HAVE to buy another to get a good chamber I will. There are a lot of great smiths on this forum so I will heed their recommendations. So what would you do?


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Deadeye Bly
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #1 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 10:40am
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As a general rule match reamers are smaller than standard reamers to cut a tighter chamber. The usually have a shorter leade so the bullet engraves the rifling when chambered. With that said there are so many types of match reamers that it gets confusing.
  
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marlinguy
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #2 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 10:59am
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westerner wrote on Jul 6th, 2025 at 9:50am:
When a reamer manufacturer offers a match reamer I take their word on it. Same as when I use 91 octane in my high compression engines. I don't know if it's really 91 octane but just take their word on it. Same with match primers.

A rifle I chambered with a Manson match reamer shoots outstandingly accurate. My .22s chambered with a Clymer match reamer also shoot outstandingly accurate. 

How big is the universe? I wonder about that...

Sometimes it's easiest just to trust people.


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bobw
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #3 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 12:30pm
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What ever you use, just remember you have to get the action closed.  Wink
Bob
  

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marlinguy
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #4 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 12:42pm
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bobw wrote on Jul 6th, 2025 at 12:30pm:
What ever you use, just remember you have to get the action closed.  Wink
Bob


Yes, and after awhile your thumb gets sore from pushing rounds into the match chamber. But when it shoots fantastic you learn to just put up with it. Both my Cody Schoyen Ballard and my Remington 37 have match chambers. The 37 is easy with a bolt to push cartridges home, but the Ballard leaves my thumb sore after hours of shooting.
  

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frnkeore
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #5 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 1:00pm
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Yes, on a match reamer, the chamber area, is always tighter, to hold the cartridge centered in the chamber but, the length of the chamber and the leads vary quite a bit, the leads can run from the "Standard" SAAMI match lead of 5° to as little as 1°.

Here is some of the chambers available, from before the 1970's, I think. I had mine made to a combo of the Freeland (.600 lg) and the Anschutz (1.5° lead). It's a little tighter loading. The Win 52D chamber has always been a good one, too. But, take your pick.

BTW, I had mine made w/o a rim so, I could vary the length, for BSing.

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22 LR MATCH .2267 .2248 .600 5° .288 SAAMI

22 LR ANSCHUTZ .2255 .2248 .619 1 I/2° .288

WIN 52D MATCH .2278 .225 .580 2° .288

22 FREELAND;\1G 2242 .224 .600 2° .288

22 LILJA 2252 .224 .635 2° .288

22 PPG MATCH 2269 .2256 .630 1°-30' .288

22 ROGUE .2245 .2242 .620 1°-30' .287

22 TIME 2262 .2248 .610 1° .288

22 STINGER .2275 .226 .735 1°-30' .288 

22 BUTLER .228 .225 .750 2° .288 

22 LAKEFIELD 229 .227 .700 2° .289

22 BENTZ .2278 .2264 .6787 1°35'01".288 GOOD FOR AUTO

22 LR SPORTING .2307 .227 .775 5° .288

22 LONG .2306 .227 .775 5° .288

22 SHORT .2291 .227 .431 5° .288

22 LRSHOT .2284 .2236 .871 30° .288 

22-15-60 .2699 .2495 1.968 5° .350

Edit:
I Edited the above, to make it easier to read and I put in Italic, the reamers that I would consider "match" reamers.
« Last Edit: Jul 7th, 2025 at 3:09am by frnkeore »  

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jhm
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #6 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 2:31pm
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As far as closing the action I have a self made "pusher" of sorts I will be using. Now to try and decipher Mr. Frank's information... I am sure it will be a trial and error thing and then you have all the different ammunition choices. Oh the joys of it all. I suppose I can use the PTG "match" reamer I have and see what it does. With all the ammo available surely I can find something it will like. It was also suggested by someone here to short chamber by about .050 so the round would slightly engage the rifling. Is this common practice?




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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #7 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 4:04pm
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If you truly want a match chamber and the most accurate, you will need to chamber with a match reamer tailored to the ammo you intend to shoot.  An amateur hack like short chambering with a random reamer won't do the same thing, all that will do is make you force the bullet and probably a bit of the case into the leade, however that is cut by the random reamer you use to short chamber.

PTG makes an assortment of reamers specifically for brands/types of ammo.  Like Joe said, you have to just trust that they know what they're doing.  I do know that Chad Dixon uses those specific reamers, and he builds/has built Olympic wining rifles.  He chambered my 40x with an Ely specific reamer, and it's quite accurate.  Probably Olympic winning accurate.  Accurate enough that I know if I miss, it's me, not the rifle.  That's assuming the Ely 10x isn't defective.

I personally use a Manson match reamer for the .22's I chamber, I had a pretty bad outcome from a custom ordered PTG that made me stop using their reamers at all.  It wasn't a reamer design problem, it was an order/shipping problem and was the third mis-shipped (wrong reamer) that I'd had from them, and since it was sent to a 3rd party gunsmith it essentially ruined a 2 barrel rifle set for me with no recourse.  I ordered a particular floating pilot match reamer, and they shipped a commercial spiral flute oil feed reamer instead, resulting in a non-match chamber and a scored leade/barrel.

The Manson reamer has always produced an accurate chamber, I have no complaints about it.  I don't know what the quality is, now that Dave has sold the company.

If you have confidence that PTG will ship you what you order, and have the ability to check it to make sure that they do, I think you'd be best off with one of their specific reamers.
 
  
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jhm
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #8 - Jul 6th, 2025 at 8:45pm
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Points all well taken. I am not sure I want a chamber that is tailored to one ammunition. What if it isn't available anymore? I was thinking (maybe to my own detriment) cut a chamber with a good match grade reamer then find the ammo it likes to shoot. Am I wrong in this thinking? I know I made the statement I wanted to match the bolt guns in my club matches. That may be an unobtainable goal but I still want to try. Please don't think I am hard headed as I value all input especially from folks such as yourself. Thank you again...



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John Taylor
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Re: "Match" reamers verses standard
Reply #9 - Jul 7th, 2025 at 8:55am
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I have an old match reamer for a 30-06 that seems to be plenty big in the body but the neck is a bit tighter. The 30-06 chamber was for military so it is very loose like most military chambers. I did send a reamer back to PTG that was .005" over the cartridge diameter and had them take it down to .003" over.
  

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