Safariman - trust me when I tell you that the chamber reaming work is very simple, straight forward and uncomplicated. The finishing reamers are $100 and under (Midway) and are almost foolproof to use. I used the "standard" 40 degree shoulder reamer and then got Lee's die set to match.
You just remove the bolt, put the rifle in a padded vice vertically and insert the reamer down through the back of the reciever - use lots of cutting oil, stop frequently and flush with brake cleaner (what I use) and take it down until the lip of the reamer hits the back of the chamber - you're done. The reamer has a pilot that guides you, so very easy.
This is a home gunsmithing job that just about anybody can do.
Just like your 348, you fireform cases by shooting standard 30-30 rounds, which gives your cases a perfect fit to the chamber - I then neck size mine.
Ironeagle - PM sent. Oh - and my cases are just standard 30-30 cases that I've fireformed, so the heads will just say 30-30...
One more thing - for anybody wanting a 308 Marlin, you can save a lot of $$ by going this route ($300 for used 336 and $100 for reamer) and you can sell the reamer when you're done with it - they last for quite a few jobs. And now you can get the gummy bullets if that's your thing and just about match the 308 Marlin's perormance with the 30-30AI. Plus you can still shoot 30-30 Win in a pinch.
Last edited by OSOK; 02/07/09.
