New Rifle help. Bad Barrel???

[Deviant]

I just received my newly built rifle and am having issues.
Defiance Deviant Ultralight action
26" Proof Sendero Light CF barrel
6.5 Gap reamer .120 FB 296 neck
Manners EH6-A stock
Jewel trigger

PTG bottom metal
Wyatts mag box.
Bertram 7mm SAUM Brass necked down and turned to .014
Hornady 143 ELD X

I will post pics below but when I got this I had some strange looking substance in the barrel all the way down the tube. It looked like rust or copper fowling to an extreme degree. I spent 3 hours cleaning it out before the patches finally had no blue on them. I then used a little JB Bore paste and was still unable to get the streaks out. I talked to the Smith and we agreed I should try the Tubbs 50 bullet Final finish system to fire lap the barrel and try to get it out while fire forming my brass. I noticed I had high pressure signs (extractor mark and flatened primers) even as low as 58 grains of H1000. I finished the 50 round cycle cleaning to bare metal every 3 rounds with copper solvent. I decided to try HBN and coated 200 143 ELD's and proceeded to load them. I am getting way too much neck tension when loading these. It is leaving a very distinct ring on the bullet and seating depth is inconsistent. I tried wiping them off completely and that helped a little but now seating is very easy on some but still too tight on other bullets. I did not have any issues with the Berger 130 VLD's that were coated in my 6.5 Creedmoor. It makes me wonder if it will be accurate at all with such variability in seating pressure. Is it something to do with Hornady bullets and HBN? I shot the HBN loads at 57.5 grains of H1000 and I still have some slight pressure signs and a slightly stiff bolt but mainly after the first shot. I was hoping after 25 rounds of HBN loads without cleaning the barrel it would be seasoned and pressure would go down. I also tried a few fire formed pieces of brass after bumping the shoulder .002 with no difference in pressure. This was all done in my back yard with a suppressor at 20 yards as I live about 50 feet from the city limits. I am going to take it out tomorrow and shoot it over the lab radar and see what kind of velocities I am getting but I am now afraid to go over 57.5 grains. Any ideas on what the issue could be or what I should look for?

Thanks, Al

 

[Deviant]

I forgot to mention that the HBN that I am using is the David Tubbs HBN Kit all bullets were loaded .020 off the lands.

Thanks,

 

[Deviant]

Should I try polishing the chamber with 0000 steel wool. I just read that it could be residual oil in the chamber as well. I should also mention that the bolt lifts a little hard but extracts the shell fairly easy. The main pressure sign that I am getting is a very shiny extractor mark on the Bertram brass which is fairly hard.

 

[gohring3006]

What copper cleaner?
And how does it shoot?

 

[Schnyd112]

Slow down and stop polishing things! Then wait for the rest of these guys to come in and give you advice.

From what I can tell, you haven't shot any groups and you haven't run anything over a chrono. Virgin brass comes with its own set of problems which can include pressure and issues with seating gullets. First thing I would do is hang paper at 100 yards, sight in and then run a batch to see where your velocities are.

Are you sure it's a stiff bolt lift? Are you sure your getting ejector marks or is it just what happens with that action? Some will wipe the head of the case no matter what. Is everything sized correctly? Have you talked to the people that made the rifle?

I can surely say you have cleaned this rifle more in a couple days than I have cleaned mine over 1500 rounds.

 

[Deviant]

What copper cleaner?
And how does it shoot?

Montana extreme copper solvent. And I don't know how it shoots yet but I will after this weekend so far I have just been breaking in the barrel and fire forming brass.

 

[gohring3006]

I would wait till you have some rounds down it.
If you used a good copper cleaner and the streaks are still there, then it's not copper.

 

[Deviant]

Slow down and stop polishing things! Then wait for the rest of these guys to come in and give you advice.

From what I can tell, you haven't shot any groups and you haven't run anything over a chrono. Virgin brass comes with its own set of problems which can include pressure and issues with seating gullets. First thing I would do is hang paper at 100 yards, sight in and then run a batch to see where your velocities are.

Are you sure it's a stiff bolt lift? Are you sure your getting ejector marks or is it just what happens with that action? Some will wipe the head of the case no matter what. Is everything sized correctly? Have you talked to the people that made the rifle?

I can surely say you have cleaned this rifle more in a couple days than I have cleaned mine over 1500 rounds.

 

[gohring3006]

Should I try polishing the chamber with 0000 steel wool. I just read that it could be residual oil in the chamber as well. I should also mention that the bolt lifts a little hard but extracts the shell fairly easy. The main pressure sign that I am getting is a very shiny extractor mark on the Bertram brass which is fairly hard.

NO!! At there marks on your brass? Are they hard to extract?

 

[Deviant]

I would wait till you have some rounds down it.
If you used a good copper cleaner and the streaks are still there, then it's not copper.

Yes it is stiff bolt lift and the brass is sized properly in a whidden die. I will hang paper tomorrow and shoot it over the chronograph.

 

[gohring3006]

Stiff bolt lift but not hard to extract?

 

[Deviant]

Stiff bolt lift but not hard to extract?

Stiff bolt lift but pulls rearward easily.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Crown looks like it needs to be chamfered. If you look at the first pic, the bottom land, the left side of the land appears to be nicked. A smith will need to do this.

Not sure if this is your only issue, but it's not helping things.

 

[gohring3006]

I doubt polishing the chamber will help. Did your smith fix primary extraction? Chamber flaws will make the bolt stick while trying to bring it to the rear.