Bolt closes tightly

[cdschoonie]

I've come across an issue I am totally stumped on. While chambering my reloads in my Savage 111 300 win mag, the bolt closes really tight. I tried factory loads, it closes smooth, very noticeably different. With the factory, I can close it with my thumb and index, with the reloads it takes all fingers.

I have mic'd literally every possible place on them that I can think to measure. The only spot that has a difference, is base to shoulder. On the factory ones I have (Norma), they measure on average 2.197. On the reloads (mixed headstamps) they average 2.224. Surely that doesn't make much difference?

Any ideas?

 

[Csafisher]

Uh ya that's the most important measurement.... Did you bump the shoulders back? New brass or used brass? I'm assuming you're bullets aren't jamming so you're probably sizing the case down when you close the bolt.

 

[Jud96]

Sounds like you aren't bumping your shoulders back at all when reloading. You could possibly be pushing the shoulder forward if you are sizing the case body but the die isn't down far enough so the shoulder just pushes forward when the body is squeezed.

Measure base to shoulder on fired brass and sized brass. You want your sized brass to be .001-.003 shorter than fired brass.

 

[dok7mm]

After you get your die set-up correctly, be sure to trim your OAL short of chamber length as the brass will have to go somewhere.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

.007" difference is huge and is likely causing the tight bolt issue. First, you should sort your brass. Mixing different headstamp cases can create resizing problems because cases may not resize the same at any given setting of the die. You should also segregate them by the number of times they have been shot/reloaded. Brass work hardens with use.

If you are using range pick-ups, that can also lead to some problems. Ammo fired in overly large chambers will not always resize properly for a tighter chamber. At the very least it would require that the sizing die be adjusted accordingly. Thus, mixing brass is an inherently poor idea.

Start with some fresh brass from your rifle and get the sizing die adjusted properly for that brass. Then you can see how the mixed brass measures out at that setting. Good luck.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Do you have a tool to measure Case Base to shoulder Datum circle distance?

like….

Lock-N-Load® Headspace Comparator & Anvil Base Kit - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Lock-N-Load® Headspace Comparator & Anvil Base Kit Lock-N-Load® Headspace Comparator The Lock-N-Load® Headspace Comparator extends brass life, improves accuracy, and enhances safety. The gauge measures...

www.hornady.com

Using the tool, you need to understand the fired CBTD measurement and then shorten in 0.001" increments until the cases chamber with ease. Then set your die to fl size 0.001-0.002" shorter that that.

 

[ButterBean]

Uh ya that's the most important measurement.... Did you bump the shoulders back? New brass or used brass? I'm assuming you're bullets aren't jamming so you're probably sizing the case down when you close the bolt.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Mc Fraser]

 

[ButterBean]

If you don't have that tool you can use the smoked shoulder method as well

 

[cdschoonie]

All good advice, I'll do some research and practice on the proper way for resizing, etc.

 

[nksmfamjp]

All good advice, I'll do some research and practice on the proper way for resizing, etc.

How were you measuring? Do you have the right tool?

 

[BountyHunter]

forget mixed headstamps. You are going to be all over the map on everything doing that. Exercise in futility. Buy 40-60 cases all same mftr, preferably one lot or package. Then start from there.

 

[ARlife4me]

Just a little FYI...you are dealing with a belted magnum...bumping your shoulders by .001-.002 is a good start but using a datum gauge off of a belted mag is almost impossible to do since many will vary up to .007... If you are using a standard full length die or a bushing die in full length or whatever it may be and you just keep shoving them shoulders back and make no progress it's simple that's not the issue....You need to run a collet style Larry Willis Technology belted mag die to reset the belt area...If you do not use one of these you won't ever fix your problem and many guys don't know this trick due to thinking that, "well you need to bump them shoulders back more"...Once you find out there .015 back and your die is caming over and you bust a die then buy yourself a collet die to fix all your problems....

I've reloaded Win brass 10 times over (100 pieces of brass 10 times) in a 264wm and never had an issue. The brass was from the late '70s. All of my reloads we're at or close too max pressure according to Sierra #5 using imr4831 with 140spbt. I am no means stating you're wrong, just crazy infomaniac. You might be on too something! Maybe the OP will post pics of the ammo and fired brass? I use a "straight edge" too check any problematic ammo/cases.

 

[ButterBean]

Just a little FYI...you are dealing with a belted magnum...bumping your shoulders by .001-.002 is a good start but using a datum gauge off of a belted mag is almost impossible to do since many will vary up to .007... If you are using a standard full length die or a bushing die in full length or whatever it may be and you just keep shoving them shoulders back and make no progress it's simple that's not the issue....You need to run a collet style Larry Willis Technology belted mag die to reset the belt area...If you do not use one of these you won't ever fix your problem and many guys don't know this trick due to thinking that, "well you need to bump them shoulders back more"...Once you find out there .015 back and your die is caming over and you bust a die then buy yourself a collet die to fix all your problems....

I doubt that's the problem