A question for the gurus.
I have been reloading for about 12 years now and have never experienced this.
This past year I completed a custom build... .280ai. I worked up several loads this past spring and summer but settled on one load with 168 gr Berger VLDHs. I have fired 240 rounds during load workup, trying different bullet, primer and powder combos.
I never had sticky bolt lift through this process. I did however, notice that my smith chambered the barrel pretty snug, but within specs. He is a very notable and recognized smith but will leave his name out for obvious reasons.
After finding my load (near max) and having zero bolt lift or extraction issues, I loaded up 150 rounds for future shooting and hunting. I load the seating depth a tad long to bump the bullet back .001" when preparing to use the rounds in order to avoid bullet weld.
A couple of days before hunting season I went out with a buddy, confirmed zero and shot 400,600 and 725 yds to reaffirm my ballistics. All was fine. Nothing had to be changed in my ballistic calculator.
But... my bolt was difficult to lift at the top of the cam action and had to be bumped upwards with my hand with every shot fired. There were no smears, swipes, flattened primers, etc. It was too close to hunting season to mess with, so I hunted with the rifle. I killed a muley three days ago and again, the bolt had a hard lift at the top of the "raising" action before pulling it back to extract the spent cartridge. Again, no marks on the back of the case. Cartridges fed into and extracted from the chamber easily.
Today I took the empty case from the round I killed the MD with and ran it in the chamber of this rifle. It fed well and the bolt closed with ease, as with did the other (loaded) rounds prior. Again, I had a heavy bolt lift at the top of the bolt lift with the empty case!
Although I still have elk hunting to do I am thinking I better deal with this issue and may have to use one of my other rifles.
I do not have a borescope as I am OCD+++ and just know I will be rebarreling rifles every month and losing sleep if I used one, lol. I do have a gunsmith down the road (backed up with work as most are) and may see if he will scope it.
With all this being said, I am looking for opinions and ideas from you guys.
I will note that I have changed NOTHING in my reloading procedure, the rifle or the componants from the time I settled on this load. and I did not experience this issue while working up loads... although I did have a couple primers fall out with a different load with the work up process ealier in the year.
Nosler Custom Brass, CCI BR primers, IMR 7828.
I am thinking MAYBE the dreaded carbon ring? Or... maybe I need a bit more shoulder bump, although I bump .002". I find it weird that all was fine until my loads and rifles sat for several weeks after finalizing my loads and then (shooting these loads later) I am experiencing this bolt lift issue. I might add that I keep a weitten step-by-step procedure for reloading at my reloading station so as not to skip any steps. I am anfanatic about details.
The rifle was thoroughly cleaned during and after the load workup before this issue showed itself.
Thanks...
I have been reloading for about 12 years now and have never experienced this.
This past year I completed a custom build... .280ai. I worked up several loads this past spring and summer but settled on one load with 168 gr Berger VLDHs. I have fired 240 rounds during load workup, trying different bullet, primer and powder combos.
I never had sticky bolt lift through this process. I did however, notice that my smith chambered the barrel pretty snug, but within specs. He is a very notable and recognized smith but will leave his name out for obvious reasons.
After finding my load (near max) and having zero bolt lift or extraction issues, I loaded up 150 rounds for future shooting and hunting. I load the seating depth a tad long to bump the bullet back .001" when preparing to use the rounds in order to avoid bullet weld.
A couple of days before hunting season I went out with a buddy, confirmed zero and shot 400,600 and 725 yds to reaffirm my ballistics. All was fine. Nothing had to be changed in my ballistic calculator.
But... my bolt was difficult to lift at the top of the cam action and had to be bumped upwards with my hand with every shot fired. There were no smears, swipes, flattened primers, etc. It was too close to hunting season to mess with, so I hunted with the rifle. I killed a muley three days ago and again, the bolt had a hard lift at the top of the "raising" action before pulling it back to extract the spent cartridge. Again, no marks on the back of the case. Cartridges fed into and extracted from the chamber easily.
Today I took the empty case from the round I killed the MD with and ran it in the chamber of this rifle. It fed well and the bolt closed with ease, as with did the other (loaded) rounds prior. Again, I had a heavy bolt lift at the top of the bolt lift with the empty case!
Although I still have elk hunting to do I am thinking I better deal with this issue and may have to use one of my other rifles.
I do not have a borescope as I am OCD+++ and just know I will be rebarreling rifles every month and losing sleep if I used one, lol. I do have a gunsmith down the road (backed up with work as most are) and may see if he will scope it.
With all this being said, I am looking for opinions and ideas from you guys.
I will note that I have changed NOTHING in my reloading procedure, the rifle or the componants from the time I settled on this load. and I did not experience this issue while working up loads... although I did have a couple primers fall out with a different load with the work up process ealier in the year.
Nosler Custom Brass, CCI BR primers, IMR 7828.
I am thinking MAYBE the dreaded carbon ring? Or... maybe I need a bit more shoulder bump, although I bump .002". I find it weird that all was fine until my loads and rifles sat for several weeks after finalizing my loads and then (shooting these loads later) I am experiencing this bolt lift issue. I might add that I keep a weitten step-by-step procedure for reloading at my reloading station so as not to skip any steps. I am anfanatic about details.
The rifle was thoroughly cleaned during and after the load workup before this issue showed itself.
Thanks...
Last edited:
