Freebore in 6mm 788 Remington

[ohland]

Out of idle curiosity I reversed a GC 243-095 and measured the OAL with a Hornady LNL. OAL to the start of rifling was 2.376". On the surface, it looks like freebore is about .143" ish.

Further diddling would require a bullet comparator.

Would it be worth it to lengthen the freebore section to allow bullets to be seated out? The 788 magazine allows an OAL of 2.82, and the present seated depth of an RCBS 243-095-SP to touch the rifling is @ 2.750...

[richhodg66]

I've never shot cast in my 788 6mm, but found that seating jacketed bullets to feed and also seating them too long for the magazine and chambering them singly didn't make any difference in accuracy.

Mine is a very good shooter with jacketed bullets, those 788s were winners, I wish they'd start producing them again.

[ohland]

I've never shot cast in my 788 6mm, but found that seating jacketed bullets to feed and also seating them too long for the magazine and chambering them singly didn't make any difference in accuracy.

Mine is a very good shooter with jacketed bullets, those 788s were winners, I wish they'd start producing them again.

I've read an article where seating the cast bullet farther from the lands improved the group size. It seems that the base of the 95gr bullet is very near the shoulder seated just touching the lands.

Fix? Stay away from hot loads. I bet folks have loaded cast bullets with the GC below the shoulder. Just make sure the GCs are on tight....

When I get my first billion (well, after QE15, that might be easy) the 788 will be made with a match trigger, either a real magazine (like Ruger's scout rifle) or a floorplate (like the ADL/BDL), and a composite/titanium firing pin. No need for a super strong firing pin spring.

BUT... the extractor needs a redesign or replacement.