et1
Member
Posts: 120
Location: Ontario Canada
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Post by et1 on Jun 26, 2014 6:37:08 GMT -5
I’ve always wondered why some rifles have the free-bore design and their intended reasoning that prompted this?
My Ruger .223 has a free bore and shoots very accurate IMO. Even with bullet seating that is .065” over the recommended COL I’m still .200” from engaging the lands.
If anyone knows why this design was introduced I would enjoy hearing the reasoning behind it.
Ed
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7mmmountaineer
Member
Time to face it I am a workaholic............
Posts: 521 
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Post by 7mmmountaineer on Jun 26, 2014 7:14:30 GMT -5
Et1 don't quote me on this and I could be all wrong but from what I have heard and read it was started by Roy Weatherby. He started doing this in the 40's with his line of magnum calibers. He came to the conclusion that with his double radius brass having free bore (a longer throat) and a longer jump helped accuracy and throat life as I understand what I have read. If this is true or not no clue.
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Post by ed alger on Jun 26, 2014 9:16:33 GMT -5
Ed, I didn't realize that Ruger had long free-bore? My Weatherby Vanguard in .223 has a very long free-bore and is advertised as "Sub MOA" and that what it produces. I thought my experience with the Vanguard was terrific but then I obtained a Savage in .223 and found out what sub moa could be. I had heard that Weatherby had long free-bore to reduce chamber pressure while keeping the velocity up. When when I starting shooting my Savage 6mm Norma BR with tuned jump, I haven't shot the Weatherby since. The Weatherby was producing .8 MOA out of the box and nothing I could do to the loads would reduce that. The factory Savage 6mm Norma BR is producing .24 or less MOA. |
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dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
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Post by dangun on Jun 26, 2014 11:27:40 GMT -5
The only real advantage I've ever experienced with a long free-bore was extended barrel life. The added life wasn't enough to convince me that the lose of accuracy was worth it.
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Post by krwada on Jun 26, 2014 12:43:44 GMT -5
A long free bore has an extended barrel life? Could this be the primary reason why all those old military rifles have a long free bore?
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dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
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Post by dangun on Jun 26, 2014 13:14:48 GMT -5
It's usually just a slight increase Ken. That might mean more to a hunter than a soldier!
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et1
Member
Posts: 120
Location: Ontario Canada
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Post by et1 on Jun 26, 2014 14:24:59 GMT -5
First off thanks for the replies. My 2-original thoughts were slightly increasing case capacity and reducing peak pressure spike by slightly altering the powder burn rate. Never thought about extended barrel life which makes sense. As for accuracy .300” at 100yds and .625” at 200yds is plenty accurate for me. Magazine restriction does not allow COL over 2.270” and settled on 2.265”. When I first started out with reloading for the .223 Ruger a hunting rifle that would produce the above mentioned groups I stopped there very contented. Now that I have learned more over the years and preparing to reload for it again I’m almost tempted to experiment a bit to see if it will do a hair better yet. The .223 was bought years ago for hunting Jack Rabbits and shortly thereafter their population was decimated from some disease. Now that they have been making a slow comeback I hope to tag a few in my remaining lifetime. To me they are excellent eating if done right and taste even better if I harvested them.   Ed |
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My daughter came from Missouri, my son and grand son, my wife and I had a nice dinner of grilled "porter house" pork chops, corn on the cobb, my son, G'son and I share 10/5. G'son is 4 minutes early though @ 10/4.
Pooh I hope you find to right house . 
