Stevens 200 throat length .223

[zacii]

I just picked up a Hornady Comparator set for bullet seating depth, and the headspace bushings for bumping shoulders.

I loaded up a ladder test sometime ago, and just used the 2.2" COAL found in my Barnes data for the 53 grain TSX.

Note the depth of the bullet to the last ring:

Then, I took a piece of sized brass and split the neck with my bandsaw (to make it easier to seat the bullet in my chamber) in an attempt to measure how far to my lands. I used a Sharpie to color the bullet so I could see the lands touching.

I was surprised to see how much bullet there was sticking out of the brass. So, I took a regular piece of brass, sans bandsaw cut, and colored it and ran it through the action. This time I got more definite land marks on the bullet, but it was still way out there.

The difference between the split dummy case and the regular dummy case was .030".

The difference between the standard case seated to 2.2 COAL and the split dummy case was .165".

The difference between the standard case seated to 2. 2 COAL and the standard dummy case was .194".

A few questions:

Is this a normal amount of freebore from magazine length to the lands?

I don't know which measurment to go off of, the split case or the regular case. I can clearly see the land marks on the bullet in the regular case, but I'm wondering if it jammed it in there tight and I'm actually into the lands a little ways. Whereas, the split case didn't require so much force to seat the bullet and a due to less neck tension, the bullet stopped right at the lands. What say you more experienced guys?

 

[efw]

4 things:

1) That Barnes will likely shoot well with a long jump to the lands

2) I have a Stevens 200 take-off tube on a Savage that has a much shorter throat than that; you may have a tube cut by an old reamer vs mine maybe cut by a new?

3) What does your magazine allow for maximum cartridge overall length (COAL)? I don't pay much attention to the manufacturer's suggested COAL I let my mag/throat determine that

4) I prefer to kiss lands only because it keeps OAL tweaking simple; only one direction to work in. That doesn't mean, however, that a barrel can't be just as accurate with a jump as one that allows kiss.

Long and short of it (couldn't resist) is you shouldn't be concerned.