Do you try to kiss the lands,

[Rick in Oregon]

Allen: Yep, it's amazing a barrel can shoot so well with the throat looking like a dry lakebed in August under magnification, but they do.

As for using .060" throat erosion for benchmark for barrel setback, not necessarily so. If that rifle still shoots the way it does now, I'll wait until I see a demonstratable degrading of accuracy, then set it back. But many barrels have shown me that they'd like a new throat by then, but not always. My Sako 204 is running around 5,500 rounds down the tube with banzi rat field loads and still shoots in the .3's. That tells me that Swedish steel is good stuff.

As Remington uses a barrel thread shank with 16V TPI, one thread of setback gains you a full .160", so when you run your reamer in, you've got a completely new throat (depending on actual erosion damage), two threads almost guarantees it at almost a full .120" of new barrel throat to work with.

Gettin' ready for my obsession for Spring Rat Season here too (can't wait!). All my usual suspects have 600+ rnds each packed into .50 cal ammo cans, some more. But now working on a new CZ 527 in 221FB for another walkabout rifle. Got it scoped, one of Brad's bolt handles, working on 200 pcs of brass to start load development after the holidays. I'll post her up when she's ready for prime-time.

[Ray P]

Hey Rick I can remember when you posted pics of that rifle. I think you were one of the first ones in states to get that model Sako in 204 Ruger. 5500 rounds down the tube and still going strong. Has to say somethong about the lil 204 Ruger.
Enjoy my friend. Nice to see and read yours posts.
Later

Ray P

[Nor Cal Mikie]

None of my barrels are factory. All have been bought in a spacific caliber and with a action in mind.
I make it a point to order short throat chambers. Nothing worse that shooting your favorite bullet, seated at the depth you like and the next thing you know, because of throat wears you can't reach the lands and still have enough bullet contact in the neck.
And, if you do any amount of shooting, the throat will wear. Sometimes sooner than you expect. That's where it pays to plan ahead.
As far as sticking a bullet in the lands when using the Stoney Point tool (Hornady), just push it out after you've got your depth, stick it back in the modified case neck and take your measurement. And if you're shooting a "small" caliber, you do have a cleaning rod, don't you?
Take each brand, design and weight of bullets you shoot, get your measurements with the Hornady and write it down for future reference. That way you can go back, look at your chart and see just how far the throat has worn since new.
Use your chart to set the OAL when you reload so there's no guess work. And adjust the OAL from there, in or out, to see if different length OALs makes any difference in accuracy. That's what works for me.

[HoundofSC]

playing around with this right now on my rifle and 39 gr Sierras. So far my best results is .040 off the lands, closest I have tried is .005, groups were so bad I did not get any closer. When I was at .020 they started to tighten up and I called it a day at .040 because the wind started kicking and I was getting a lot of mirage. Going to take it on back next day I am at range.