45-90 reamer choices

[guninhand]

Let's say you're getting a barrel made for a BPCR in 45-90 to shoot 550 grain boolits at long range. Looking at Pacific Tool and Gauge web site, they list 3 possible reamers;

45-90 KING
45-90 MATCH
45-90 SHARPS STRAIGHT

Which do you choose? What are the differences in dimensions and what purpose do they serve? I am asking here first so I won't have to bother people at work at PT&G, or, if I do have to call them, I'll have some idea of what to talk about. TIA.

[Don McDowell]

45-90 sharps straight would likely be the best candidate.
But what is more important than the reamer (unless you're planning strictly paper patch) is the barrel twist to handle that heavy of a bullet.

[Gunlaker]

If I was looking for a .45-90 reamer (and I might, if all goes well this year) then I'd contact Dave Manson and get him to make one of Dan Theodore's match reamers.

Chris.

[guninhand]

45-90 sharps straight would likely be the best candidate.
But what is more important than the reamer (unless you're planning strictly paper patch) is the barrel twist to handle that heavy of a bullet.

I assumed 1:18 would do the job. I don't have a 550 grain mold on hand yet, so wouldn't have a final weight or boolit length to put into a formula.

[guninhand]

If I was looking for a .45-90 reamer (and I might, if all goes well this year) then I'd contact Dave Manson and get him to make one of Dan Theodore's match reamers.

Chris.

This sounds like good advise, but are those reamer dimensions secret? I'm wondering about the various 45-90 reamer variations and how the dimensions are tweaked for performance.

[johnson1942]

my buffalo classic H and R has a lot tighter chamber than my CPA long distance 45/70. i cant use the CPA brass in the H and R unless i resize. they both shoot very very accurate so the diff in accracy is none. as far as bullet size for a 1/18 .45 twist i just came in from the deck and was shooting 620 grain .440 paperpatched bullets in my 1/18 .45 muzzle loader and they shoot spot on at any distance. recoil wasnt any more than the .440 500 grain bullet. a 36 inch barrel may help that though. i thought about inlargeing the chamber in the H and R but why when i have a set of good resizeing dies. try to get a 1000 yard shooter to answer your guestion, maybe you already have ? and i want to see the answer on the 1000 yard accracy if you havent.

[kokomokid]

For myself I would try and get a chamber with NO freebore as you don't have a mould yet. You can always get a tapered or reduced band bullet for more powder and use a 535 gr Jones postel for silhouette. At 550 grains for long range you may need a17-1 or 16-1 twist. I am not into the long range thing and my 2.6 is about to receive a Krieger 2.1 transplant. LB

[Lead pot]

I would be a little leery when someone calls a reamer "match" reamer. I have seen some so called match reamer drawings and later see the rifles up for sale using those "match" reamers.
Design you own reamer with the specks you want or Call the Gals at Pacific to send you the drawings for the listed reamers so you know what your getting. There are a lot of custom reamers called Match reamers I would shy away from.

[Gunlaker]

Dave Manson will send you a print if you email them. I'd pick his designs because they've worked well in the past, not because I'm an expert in what makes a good chamber design. His ideas make sense to me. He's written a few articles about chamber design in the past. I'm pretty sure you can dig at least one of them up in the folders at bpcr.net.

Chris.

[Gunlaker]

I would be a little leery when someone calls a reamer "match" reamer. I have seen some so called match reamer drawings and later see the rifles up for sale using those "match" reamers.
Design you own reamer with the specks you want or Call the Gals at Pacific to send you the drawings for the listed reamers so you know what your getting. There are a lot of custom reamers called Match reamers I would shy away from.

I agree :-). That's one of the reasons I'd go with Dan's prints at Manson's reamers. I've heard some nasty stories of "match" reamers with completely wrong dimensions. Too much time and money to get something that is unknown when you can pay the same and get a proven design.

Chris.

[M-Tecs]

Give Dave at Pacific Tool and Gauge call. He will not steer you wrong.

[montana_charlie]

or Call the Gals at Pacific to send you the drawings for the listed reamers so you know what your getting.
That would be my advice, too, and you might want them to include the print for the 45-100 Sharps 2.4".

It would be interesting to see how it differs from the 45-90 Sharps Straight.

CM

[guninhand]

I know my barrel maker doesn't have a 45-90 reamer now, but I don't know if he has a policy of one preferred source for his reamers. Talented as he is, he may not be cognizant of subtle variations available. I probably should call him first.

[oldred]

When I built my rifle I chose the PTG 45-90 WCF reamer because it was available while there was a long wait on the Sharps type, big mistake! It made a really great shooting chamber for 400 gr or shorter bullets but is very limiting on longer 500 gr+ types so for the 500 gr that I prefer I have been limited to the deeply seated Lee 459-500-3R. Last year I decided to just get a 45-110 reamer and open up that chamber to something more usable but as of yet I haven't gotten around to doing it, maybe when I finish a couple of other projects.

[GeezerinNH]

When I built my rifle I chose the PTG 45-90 WCF reamer because it was available while there was a long wait on the Sharps type, big mistake! It made a really great shooting chamber for 400 gr or shorter bullets but is very limiting on longer 500 gr+ types so for the 500 gr that I prefer I have been limited to the deeply seated Lee 459-500-3R. Last year I decided to just get a 45-110 reamer and open up that chamber to something more usable but as of yet I haven't gotten around to doing it, maybe when I finish a couple of other projects. I have used throating reamers to solve the bullet length problem. They lengthen the throat letting you seat the big bullets out.