Still working with my new 25.06. New Douglas barrel on a Rem. 721 action. Currently I'm shooting Sierra 90 gr with 53.0 grains of IMR 4350. Bullets have about .010's jump. It shoots little groups. Winchester case. Annealed, turned and trimmed to min. length. Upon firing, it is impossible to lift the bolt handle quickly, (like for a follow-up shot). I wait about 10-15 seconds and the handle works fine. Primers show very little cratering, (if any). Any ideas what could be the cause? Also, loaded rounds chamber normally.
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Fired case hard to eject
- Thread starter newmexkid
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
I found that I have to fullsize/bump the shoulder after annealing my brass. Probably cause I anneal a little to much. If I don't fullsize after annealing and just size the neck, the case wants to stick in the chamber after firing. So I necksize only until I anneal, then anneal, then fullsize., then back to necksize. only My case sticking is not as bad as yours, but it did solve the problem for me.
g0rd0
Well-Known Member
I have to agree that after annealing I have to do a full length size then return to neck size or my bolt will stick
It very well could be the annealing process as mentioned, but if I was a betting man, which I'm not, I would lean towards high pressure.....That sticky bolt is like a rattlesnake buzzing, it's a warning.....Don't continue on and let it bite you.....
Chrony said 3450fps
No. And your load is .5 GN below the max load published on the Hodgdon website for you caliber and bullet.
Can you load and fire some non annealed brass from Winchester with the same load? If that doesn't stick, you can suspect the annealing a little more.
D
Deleted member 46119
Guest
This is a fun one to think about. I believe it is more than one thing. Heat on the brass and something else.
Is your COAL is 3.1 per book?
What is your barrel length?
Half a grain below book max and 100fps faster. QuickLoad says dangerous pressures at that speed but takes more powder to get there. Pfhhggg what does QL know?
Naw really, I don't have enough data to believe QL but it gives me 'relative' information. QL is 100fps slower than book. WUWT?
Tight neck? Have you measured the ID of the fired round neck? Will a bullet just slip fit into a fired neck?
Tight chamber? Overall could raise the pressure.
Tight head space? The 'hot' brass could be pushing back on the bolt.
Hot batch of IMR4350? I've heard of this but not encountered is AFIK.
If your barrel is 24" and a fast twist (1/9?) it could create more pressure but that much?
Or, since it releases after a short time, you are having some form of thermal interaction with one or more of the above. Maybe the chamber or head space is just tight enough that the hot case is pushing on the bolt but when it cools for 15 seconds as you say, it's fine.
Or like others suggest, the annealed brass is yielding more than worked brass. Combined with thermal expansion, it could hold the bolt until the brass cools a little.
If it were me:
Try full length sizing without annealing and see if it's still sticky but releases after 15 seconds. To me that would indicate heat not excessive yielding of an annealed shoulder. With that I would suspect a tight neck or chamber.
Is your COAL is 3.1 per book?
What is your barrel length?
Half a grain below book max and 100fps faster. QuickLoad says dangerous pressures at that speed but takes more powder to get there. Pfhhggg what does QL know?
Naw really, I don't have enough data to believe QL but it gives me 'relative' information. QL is 100fps slower than book. WUWT?Tight neck? Have you measured the ID of the fired round neck? Will a bullet just slip fit into a fired neck?
Tight chamber? Overall could raise the pressure.
Tight head space? The 'hot' brass could be pushing back on the bolt.
Hot batch of IMR4350? I've heard of this but not encountered is AFIK.
If your barrel is 24" and a fast twist (1/9?) it could create more pressure but that much?
Or, since it releases after a short time, you are having some form of thermal interaction with one or more of the above. Maybe the chamber or head space is just tight enough that the hot case is pushing on the bolt but when it cools for 15 seconds as you say, it's fine.
Or like others suggest, the annealed brass is yielding more than worked brass. Combined with thermal expansion, it could hold the bolt until the brass cools a little.
If it were me:
Try full length sizing without annealing and see if it's still sticky but releases after 15 seconds. To me that would indicate heat not excessive yielding of an annealed shoulder. With that I would suspect a tight neck or chamber.
Bullet bumper
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2009
- Messages
- 1,045
A agree with jfseaman I don't think this is a ONE ISSUE problem.
I think a few things are at play .
When brass is very soft it lacks spring back which aids extraction so minimu sizing can cause problems.
The chamber may be dirty or contain dried out rust prevenatives.
The brass may be dirty .
The barrel is new and it coudl be very tight raising pressure.
The powder load is safe max in my manual , but in a tight chamber and bore it could be more.
If you over annealed the brass it could be soft in the body area also.
Heat in the cartrdige head causing expansion , could be causing drag on the extractor. Try new brass as the extractor groove could be shallow .
Check for garbage under the extractor that could be pushing it out .
Sometimes just cleaning the bolt face and extractor , the chamber and brass and resizing a bit extra will fix it.
If cases are annealed too far down and they are tight fit in the chamber when closing the bolt with caming force the case has nowhere to go on firing and can't spring back.
He did not say he had a tight neck chamber but even a tight neck with the correct clearance is a weaker part of the case and the bolt leverage should get over that but it could be an extra bit of friction and grip .
A really soft neck with no clearance jammed in might do the trick . For a hunting rifle you want around .003 clearance all around .
Another thing is clean and lubricate the bolt lugs and cocking cam at the rear.
I think a few things are at play .
When brass is very soft it lacks spring back which aids extraction so minimu sizing can cause problems.
The chamber may be dirty or contain dried out rust prevenatives.
The brass may be dirty .
The barrel is new and it coudl be very tight raising pressure.
The powder load is safe max in my manual , but in a tight chamber and bore it could be more.
If you over annealed the brass it could be soft in the body area also.
Heat in the cartrdige head causing expansion , could be causing drag on the extractor. Try new brass as the extractor groove could be shallow .
Check for garbage under the extractor that could be pushing it out .
Sometimes just cleaning the bolt face and extractor , the chamber and brass and resizing a bit extra will fix it.
If cases are annealed too far down and they are tight fit in the chamber when closing the bolt with caming force the case has nowhere to go on firing and can't spring back.
He did not say he had a tight neck chamber but even a tight neck with the correct clearance is a weaker part of the case and the bolt leverage should get over that but it could be an extra bit of friction and grip .
A really soft neck with no clearance jammed in might do the trick . For a hunting rifle you want around .003 clearance all around .
Another thing is clean and lubricate the bolt lugs and cocking cam at the rear.
are a few of these backed out a little ?
and, max. load in the manual only means it works in the TEST RIFLE, not yours.
I thought the same but, looking at them in front of me they all look fine.
My barrel length is 26" COAL was set using a Hornady OAL guage.
I just checked my chamber...It is filthy!
Bullet will slip fit into a fired case easily
The best inside measurement I can get on a fired case is .261
I always tumble my brass before loading
Loaded rounds chamber with the slightest of bolt resistance
As for annealing...I anneal each case 5-7 seconds. Worked very hard in getting this down so I don't believe I'm over-annealing.
Have to call the 'smith and ask about chamber.
Barrel now has about 100 rounds through it.
Hope that answers all the questions/thoughts. Thanks for the replies I'm hopefully,(with your help) starting to weed all the if's, and's and maybe's.
I just checked my chamber...It is filthy!
Bullet will slip fit into a fired case easily
The best inside measurement I can get on a fired case is .261
I always tumble my brass before loading
Loaded rounds chamber with the slightest of bolt resistance
As for annealing...I anneal each case 5-7 seconds. Worked very hard in getting this down so I don't believe I'm over-annealing.
Have to call the 'smith and ask about chamber.
Barrel now has about 100 rounds through it.
Hope that answers all the questions/thoughts. Thanks for the replies I'm hopefully,(with your help) starting to weed all the if's, and's and maybe's.
