How much rifling is really needed?

[brstevns]

My old Rem. rolling Block 1902 carbine has rifling that is more like a shotgun then rifle. Haven't been to the range yet? Was wondering just howmuch rifling is really needed to get a rifle to shoot well?

[mikeym1a]

Enough to grab the boolit and make it spin. Do you intend to paper patch? I've read that paper patching tends to grab faint rifling better than plain lead. I don't know if it is correct, but, it's worth a shot, so to speak.............. I have an old '88 commission rifle, and the rifling in the barrel is poor, at best. Shooting Paper Patches through it shined the barrel up, somewhat, and I can get a 6" group at 50 yards. But the last 5 or so inches of the barrel has rifling so faint that you have to look hard to see it. I have decided to retire that rifle, or at least that barrel. Give your old gun a good cleaning, and then give it a try. Worst that can happen is that you won't hit the target, and it just might surprise you. Have Fun!!!

[brstevns]

Enough to grab the boolit and make it spin. Do you intend to paper patch? I've read that paper patching tends to grab faint rifling better than plain lead. I don't know if it is correct, but, it's worth a shot, so to speak.............. I have an old '88 commission rifle, and the rifling in the barrel is poor, at best. Shooting Paper Patches through it shined the barrel up, somewhat, and I can get a 6" group at 50 yards. But the last 5 or so inches of the barrel has rifling so faint that you have to look hard to see it. I have decided to retire that rifle, or at least that barrel. Give your old gun a good cleaning, and then give it a try. Worst that can happen is that you won't hit the target, and it just might surprise you. Have Fun!!!

Going to try anything that might work. j-words if I must but prefer cast or PP. Was thinking of PP a RCBS 150 gr .270 bullet and see what happens.

[leftiye]

H&R, and Marlin seem to think they can get by with rifling .002 in. deep. Bad news is their lack of consistency suggests that they don't do it on purpose.

[45 2.1]

Give it a try. A long time ago I shot the duplicate of your rifle with the Lyman 287308 and was rewarded with good accuracy...... quite a feat considering the rifling was barely a slight wisp of a memory in that barrel.

[brstevns]

Give it a try. A long time ago I shot the duplicate of your rifle with the Lyman 287308 and was rewarded with good accuracy...... quite a feat considering the rifling was barely a slight wisp of a memory in that barrel.
You are giving me hope. do you remember your load?

[jaystuw]

brstevns, The 7mm Remington rolling blocks are neat guns and fun to shoot. I have a m1897 (the one with the tall ramp rear sight) that I use as a plinker. I load 6gr of red dot and long pointy 181gr ideal 285222's.They are a little much for those big green dragonflies that I shoot, but never seem to hit, at my favorite isolated high sierra ponds. I do however, get some measure of satisfaction annoying them with the splashes those big 285222's make. Ok, I am drifting , so I'll get back on task and say that 7mm Remington rolling blocks seem to be oddly chambered. They are 7mm Mauser, but with slightly different dimensions. This results in some irritating blow back thru the breach as the gas gets past the case. solve this by using the same cases all the time and only neck sizing them. Have fun! Jay

[brstevns]

brstevns, The 7mm Remington rolling blocks are neat guns and fun to shoot. I have a m1897 (the one with the tall ramp rear sight) that I use as a plinker. I load 6gr of red dot and long pointy 181gr ideal 285222's.They are a little much for those big green dragonflies that I shoot, but never seem to hit, at my favorite isolated high sierra ponds. I do however, get some measure of satisfaction annoying them with the splashes those big 285222's make. Ok, I am drifting , so I'll get back on task and say that 7mm Remington rolling blocks seem to be oddly chambered. They are 7mm Mauser, but with slightly different dimensions. This results in some irritating blow back thru the breach as the gas gets past the case. solve this by using the same cases all the time and only neck sizing them. Have fun! Jay

Thanks for the information. Many years back I had a rem 7mm 1901 rifle. Guess I lucked out because it had a perfect chamber no swelling etc. That rifle left me many years ago to pay a bill. Now I have the little 1901 carbine. I have not yet fire it. I was thinking about useing the O ring trick on the brass. I also have a set of the Lee collet dies so as not to resize the brass.