Thread and chamber

[Panhandle]

Looking for recommendations to have a barrel threaded for a barrel nut (Remage type system) and chambered 6.5TCU, will likely need a longer throat to accommodate long heavy bullets seated fairly far. The action is a Remington model 7. I have contacted numerous gunsmith sources listed as doing this work but there is always a hitch. Seems like bread and butter work to me.

[Emmett Dibble]

I'd ask on Accurateshooter forum if your a member.

[Panhandle]

Thanks for the suggestion. I’m not a member but that’s probably not hard to resolve.

[Emmett Dibble]

It does seem like bread and butter work but not everyone wants to do it. If you find someone reliable post them up. I have a blank or two I’d like to do the same thing with.

[Panhandle]

Will do. I’m packing for a move. Purchased a new house, selling the old house. One of the most unsettling, discombobulated times of my life. I can’t wait to be at the Whittington Center about the entire month of July. None the less I’m thinking about building a silhouette rifle through the whole process.

[Varner1808]

I have a proven 6.5 TCU reamer. Please contact Ulmers Gunsmithing to discuss having Ted chamber your barrel for you. 814 364 9230.

[Panhandle]

I talked with Ted at Ulmers Gunsmithing this morning. Great conversation, very knowledgeable and very accommodating to do the threading and chamber work. varner1808, I can’t thank you enough for providing such exceptional guidance to exactly what I was needing.

[Varner1808]

Wayne, . You are quite welcome. Your action must be a .223 boltface to work. Other than that it's pretty straightforward. Ted will set your chamber up that there is slight crush on the shoulder of the 223 case with 6.5 bullet in it. That way when fire forming the case is supported at the base and at the shoulder. No need to seat bullets long or any of that nonsense. You fire and a perfect case will be formed. My rifle shot the C-P-T fireforming loads accurate enough to shoot matches with. After that you just reload it like any other cartridge. People have stated that the tcu is finicky or difficult. I have not found this. When you expand you want to use plenty of lube. If you use your 6.5 tcu dies to expand, run the tapered expander as far down in the die as you can. . As soon as you feel the expander ball go thru the neck STOP and withdraw case from die. You do not want to touch the 223 brass in any way other that the tapered expander ball going down through the neck. That way you preserve the crush set up in the chamber. I use a 264 win mag die with a tapered expander. After that just prime, put 24grains of H4895 or 26 grains of varget in the case and put your chosen bullet on it and fire. I never lost a case. What are you going to do for a barrel. You need at least a 7.5 twist. An 8 twist won't do it. I would recommend sending the action, barrel, barrel nut etc to Ted and let him install it for you. That way you are guaranteed proper headspacing etc.

[Panhandle]

Excellent information and guidance again and thank you again. I went with a 1-7 twist so should be good to go on stability. With your load recommendations how heavy bullet weight have you tried? Has primer selection seemed to have any advantage or disadvantages? How has your success on rams been over time? Are the loads mentioned in fire formed brass, just neck sized 223 or it doesn’t matter?

* a little input for any reloaders reading that are not experienced. I ask these questions knowing my rifle and Varner1808’s rifle are two different animals and can have vastly different results when it comes to pressure and safe loads. I will begin loading reduced from the suggestions but it is very valuable learning from his experience.

[Varner1808]

I kept track of a whole year's worth of Ram data in 2019. I had hit 109 total and lost 3. This was with a 150 Sierra at 2400. I hit 79 until I lost the first one. The three lost were at Nationals under very windy conditions coming from behind the rams. My friend Randy Ent has had similar or maybe even better success with the same combo off the same reamer. Maybe if Randy is reading this he can relay his experience.
. I've used both federal and cci primers with success. I've settled on cci 450 due to being more available in my area. And the 26 of varget works for fireforming with a 123 or 107. Works equally well with fireformed brass.

[Panhandle]

Thank you again. With components hard to find and staggeringly expensive this information is time saving and money saving. The Ram record keeping is a bonus. It will be a long time before I have the opportunity to amass that much data.

[Panhandle]

Follow up on Ted Ulmer at Ulmer’s Gunsmithing. My work is back from his shop.

Ted’s knowledge and guidance was exceptional. He is a true professional gunsmith with a great personality to boot. His work is exceptional, his price very fair, turn around time faster than one could hope for, even the packaging to send my stuff back was exceptional. The USPS would have had to work over time to damage anything in that package and we know they ain’t working overtime.

Through the guidance of a fellow shooter and the opportunity to communicate on this form, what was proving difficult to get done, got done exceptionally well.

Thank you again Varner1808. Buy Ted a beverage for me, I’ll buy you two given the opportunity.