Silly_Ghillie
Well-Known Member
I just rebuilt a target rifle I had in .300 WM. New barrel, stock, optic, the whole nine.
in the process of rebuilding, I lost my ejector spring while doing the barrel install (took ejector out for headspace gauges) And then I decided not to even keep the ejector since I don't really care to have my brass thrown in the snow and mud every time I throw my bolt open.
Anyway, I am going to be using a similar load to my previous. H1000 to start, CCI #250 primers in ? brass ?. I am switching from 212 gr. ELD-X to Berger 215 gr. hybrids. rifle has a savage 110 action. I'm hoping to find my node in a velocity region of mid to high 2800's.
My last load wasn't loaded super hot, (73.5 grains of H1000, bullet ten thou off the lands). the issue is that this previous load showed signs of excessive pressures even though it was a relatively mild load. slight imprint of the ejector. primers were always slightly flattened and because its a savage, I had cratered firing pin marks. (temps between 20 and 80 Fahrenheit) as far as I know, the factory savage chamber was okay- nothing crazy to write home about.
I worry that I may have had something going on internally that I ignored based on velocity numbers and my confidence in the brass condition, load data, etc. I had maybe one or two hard lifts on the bolt (1000 ish rounds with that load) but everything seemed okay so I kept with it. I was using the same brass the whole time which is still in decent condition (some with more or less) after about 10 reloads, half of which were frequently FL sized.
My long drawn out question is, with the strange inherent signs I have experienced with this previous load, and the fact that these CCI primers are a bad indicator of pressure- how am I going to check pressures before they get to the "pucker" stage If I have no signs to look for? will the brass flow into the ejector hole? I typically load light, but I want to have my bases covered here. is it possible there was something up with my old chamber? I'm open to any advice or anecdotes. I have about 8 years of reloading experience, so call me new?
in the process of rebuilding, I lost my ejector spring while doing the barrel install (took ejector out for headspace gauges) And then I decided not to even keep the ejector since I don't really care to have my brass thrown in the snow and mud every time I throw my bolt open.
Anyway, I am going to be using a similar load to my previous. H1000 to start, CCI #250 primers in ? brass ?. I am switching from 212 gr. ELD-X to Berger 215 gr. hybrids. rifle has a savage 110 action. I'm hoping to find my node in a velocity region of mid to high 2800's.
My last load wasn't loaded super hot, (73.5 grains of H1000, bullet ten thou off the lands). the issue is that this previous load showed signs of excessive pressures even though it was a relatively mild load. slight imprint of the ejector. primers were always slightly flattened and because its a savage, I had cratered firing pin marks. (temps between 20 and 80 Fahrenheit) as far as I know, the factory savage chamber was okay- nothing crazy to write home about.
I worry that I may have had something going on internally that I ignored based on velocity numbers and my confidence in the brass condition, load data, etc. I had maybe one or two hard lifts on the bolt (1000 ish rounds with that load) but everything seemed okay so I kept with it. I was using the same brass the whole time which is still in decent condition (some with more or less) after about 10 reloads, half of which were frequently FL sized.
My long drawn out question is, with the strange inherent signs I have experienced with this previous load, and the fact that these CCI primers are a bad indicator of pressure- how am I going to check pressures before they get to the "pucker" stage If I have no signs to look for? will the brass flow into the ejector hole? I typically load light, but I want to have my bases covered here. is it possible there was something up with my old chamber? I'm open to any advice or anecdotes. I have about 8 years of reloading experience, so call me new?
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