Bolt won't close on bergara with factory ammo

[birdiemc]

Edited 1/27/20 to clear up what the issue was, checked the headspace with a headspace gauge, and found it is out of spec, Bergara customer service is great and they have arranged to have it shipped back to them to correct the issue.


OP
I'm out shooting right now, and the bolt wont close. Brand new bergara b-14 6.5 creedmoor, never fired. Trying factory Nosler 120 gr ballistic tips. Tried to chamber one, bolt wont close, tried another and another. Very tight. Forced it on one and drag marks on bullet. Not firing it because from what I'm seeing it looks to be jammed .250" When I get home I'll start taking measurements to see what's going on, but just from my description and the picture below what say you?
One chambered, one not.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Welcome to base to ogive measurements. Your throat isn't long enough for the ogive shape of that bullet. Curious what Bergara did on that rifle, as I've personally seen a dozen B14's chamber all the way up to 147gn while teaching classes.

If you push them into the case .1" it should do fine. I doubt it'll affect anything pressure wise enough to say grace over.

 

[L.Sherm]

Sure looks like it. If you have a borescope look in the throat area. I had a factory 700 7mm-08 years ago that would make a copper donut everytime I chambered a round there was a ridge it there that had to be polished out. Should be no problem with a factory round using a saami reamer the freebore is generous .199

 

[birdiemc]

Wife's cousin showed up and had some 129 gr hornady factory and those chambered just fine. Like you said Ballisticsguy, that Nosler just has an extremely long base to ogive length compared to other factory loads I looked at today.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

It's fascinating that if Nosler is loading to SAAMI specs, then it should chamber. I did find that once with Federal Premium in 7WSM. Good to know the other stuff chambered. Daddy likes Hornady.

 

[L.Sherm]

What is the O.A.L of the nosler factory? If Bergara is chambering with a saami reamer somethings not right. You have to be past 2.90 more like 2.92 to get to the lands on a Berger 140 and the .199 reamer

 

[Barrelnut]

Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Nosler Ballistic Tips have a very long bearing surface. Like crazy long.

 

[birdiemc]

What is the O.A.L of the nosler factory? If Bergara is chambering with a saami reamer somethings not right. You have to be past 2.90 more like 2.92 to get to the lands on a Berger 140 and the .199 reamer

Well I'm a dummy and didnt save one to measure. When the cousin showed up with a rifle they would chamber in I shot up all 40 to get the brass.
Sitting next to a couple different hornady factory rounds they all appeared to be about the same OAL, just eyeballing them. Like Barrelnut said, Noslers just had a crazy long bearing surface.

 

[WildRose]

Well I'm a dummy and didnt save one to measure. When the cousin showed up with a rifle they would chamber in I shot up all 40 to get the brass.
Sitting next to a couple different hornady factory rounds they all appeared to be about the same OAL, just eyeballing them. Like Barrelnut said, Noslers just had a crazy long bearing surface.

Call Bergara Monday. Whatever you do I would not fire it again before talking to them.

 

[L.Sherm]

Something just doesnt seem right.

 

[birdiemc]

Call Bergara Monday. Whatever you do I would not fire it again before talking to them.

I fired the Nosler in a different rifle.

 

[L.Sherm]

if there jammed .250 somethings not right

 

[birdiemc]

The .250" was just a guess from eyeballing them. I didnt have anything to measure the drag marks on the bullet in the picture. The possibility of some type of burr in the throat seems highly likely, as it's only on one side of the bullet. Didnt put that together this afternoon. And the hornadys the wifes cousin had chambered just fine but had a much shorter bearing surface, so would not have contacted the burr. This looks like a job for the borescope I dont have....

 

[tmmcampbell]

I had either a bergara or tikka. I misremember which that had the same problem. I finally figured out I had the wrong screw in the rail. There were two lengths and the short one went up front or the bolt wouldn't close.