What blew up my gun?

[Sam Summey]

The fact that the bolt was trashed along with the barrel/receiver interface I would say too much powder. I don't think it was a double charge but maybe the result of "bridging" of the stick powder in the measure. If not that an obstruction near the chamber that caused excessive pressure. 35 gr is a legal Varget load for a 55 gr bullet. I certainly would pull down the rest of that vintage ammo and check the powder.

 

[John 264]

Went shooting yesterday, shot about 5 shots and on 6th shot this happened.
Reloads from a couple years ago , store in ammo box in a shooting bag.
Rifle is a 22-250 Savage Model 10
Bullets are 55Gn Hornady V-Max
35GN of Varget Powder
Been doing this recipe for approx. 4 years, have never had problem.
No signs of over pressure until this incident, happily no injuries/casualties (except gun,LOL)
Any Ideas out there

View attachment 148591 View attachment 148592

This looks like a double detonation you didn't have enough powder

 

[freddiej]

Since no one else has stated this; I will. you may have done everything thing right in reloading, correct powder, correct amount, primer, projo and there was no obstruction with the barrel. but if you bounced this set of rounds around in the range bag, in the heat, in the cold and basically bounced the powder around to dust or partially into dust without the protective layer of the chemicals that designate it's burn rate: this dust made from gun powder could have gone off like bullseye or red dot or some other1-4 fastest burn rate powder. I know this does happen.. I have seen this happen to a friend of mine up in Montana I was 3 feet from him when it happened. I was calling out wind and distance when "KABOOM!" no more Cooper 270 Winchester. the rest of the cartridges in the gun and the ones in his backpack the powder was dust under the projo.

 

[ronstone09]

Went shooting yesterday, shot about 5 shots and on 6th shot this happened.
Reloads from a couple years ago , store in ammo box in a shooting bag.
Rifle is a 22-250 Savage Model 10
Bullets are 55Gn Hornady V-Max
35GN of Varget Powder
Been doing this recipe for approx. 4 years, have never had problem.
No signs of over pressure until this incident, happily no injuries/casualties (except gun,LOL)
Any Ideas out there

View attachment 148591 View attachment 148592

Went shooting yesterday, shot about 5 shots and on 6th shot this happened.
Reloads from a couple years ago , store in ammo box in a shooting bag.
Rifle is a 22-250 Savage Model 10
Bullets are 55Gn Hornady V-Max
35GN of Varget Powder
Been doing this recipe for approx. 4 years, have never had problem.
No signs of over pressure until this incident, happily no injuries/casualties (except gun,LOL)
Any Ideas out there

View attachment 148591 View attachment 148592

I had a similar problem but didn't tear up my rifle ! Shooting a 204 , sound was different, couldn't lift bolt, hit me and guy next to me with powder ! Case was ruptured ! I checked every load and they were all the same ! I talked to walt Berger and Darrell Holland, walt said load not a problem, holland suggested a weak case which was a nosler that is made by norma ! I took it to the SHOT show and showed it to norma and never heard back telling me it was case failure !

 

[wjm1000]

Bullet weld.

My thoughts also.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Something similar happened to a guy at our club but he did suffer a serious injury. In his case he used a brass rod (inserted from the muzzle) to tap out a piece of brass that was stuck in the chamber. Without even thinking about it he got behind the rifle and shot it again. Only this time the rod was laying in the barrel ahead of the loaded round.
The gun blew apart in his face.
IMO something EXTREME happened to cause your rifle/receiver/barrel and scope to destruct the way it did. It's just fortunate that you weren't injured.

 

[Revolting Peasant]

Older gent asked me to shoot his Winchester 270 and see if the scope was still on. He was excited his grandson had invited him for a short notice hunt. Close range so he wasn't too worried about dialing it in. Factory ammo.
Case head separated. Found out ammo had been stored in truck for many years. Vibration, heat, and age had transformed the powder to fine dust. I got lucky.

 

[keithcandler]

Sounds like a detonation.

Look at the primers, they are backed out from light loads, NOT hot loads.

35g of Varget is not going to be a hot load in any case made today.

 

[hunter0528]

Went shooting yesterday, shot about 5 shots and on 6th shot this happened.
Reloads from a couple years ago , store in ammo box in a shooting bag.
Rifle is a 22-250 Savage Model 10
Bullets are 55Gn Hornady V-Max
35GN of Varget Powder
Been doing this recipe for approx. 4 years, have never had problem.
No signs of over pressure until this incident, happily no injuries/casualties (except gun,LOL)
Any Ideas out there

View attachment 148591 View attachment 148592

Is it my vision or does the chamber seem out of round on the second picture. Just opposite of the brass the chamber seems to have a divot like something removed some of the chamber there?

 

[Huntz]

Since no one else has stated this; I will. you may have done everything thing right in reloading, correct powder, correct amount, primer, projo and there was no obstruction with the barrel. but if you bounced this set of rounds around in the range bag, in the heat, in the cold and basically bounced the powder around to dust or partially into dust without the protective layer of the chemicals that designate it's burn rate: this dust made from gun powder could have gone off like bullseye or red dot or some other1-4 fastest burn rate powder. I know this does happen.. I have seen this happen to a friend of mine up in Montana I was 3 feet from him when it happened. I was calling out wind and distance when "KABOOM!" no more Cooper 270 Winchester. the rest of the cartridges in the gun and the ones in his backpack the powder was dust under the projo.

Back in the day I had the Squad M60.Rounds got bounced around plenty and this never happened with thousands of rounds down the tube.Barrels would get super hot and never had one cook off either.

 

[Huntz]

I don`t know what kind of primers you use,but a few years ago Winchester LR primers were having gas escape through the side of the primer and primer pocket leaving a black pin hole.It blew the extractor off my Forbes 24 B and scored the bolt face.Winchester payed for a new bolt for me as they admitted the primers had a factory defect.

 

[MNbogboy]

Is it my vision or does the chamber seem out of round on the second picture. Just opposite of the brass the chamber seems to have a divot like something removed some of the chamber there?

Most of the case is still in there. I think you are looking at the thicker part of the web causing that illusion.

 

[normyt]

section one of those or two of those cases. Look at the area close to the head and see if there are signs of separation. Looks to me like a little bit of discoloration near the head of the case. The primers are not flattened that I can see. I disagree that there is excessive cargon build-up at the neck. Take a fine blade in a hack way and saw the case in halve in the long direction of the case and post the pictures.

I check every case for "incipent head separation" using a dental pick and dragging it inside case from case head to shoulder feeling . ill hacksaw a case see what looks like & post pic

 

[Old Rooster]

I'm not a gunsmith.
At our range a group of folks gathered talking about the guy in an ambulance that just left the range that a near new rifle that blew up and injured him an another guy sighting.
A year later the factory that made the gun recieved the rifle said the round that blew up was extreme over pressure and the 2 rounds in the magazine had a bullet that had shifted in the case and went rearward and created over pressure.The fired bullet that blew up was in the magazine on first shot so he could not see if the bullet went rearward.
The owner of the rifle said he has never crimped the bullet in in the case in near 30 years of shooting magnum rifles.
The company said all factory ammo is crimped and the largest buyer and user of ammo is the military and will only use crimped bullets in all calibers.
Now to the experts,if reloaded cases are cared for is it still possible after a few loadings the case will lose neck tension and have a bullet in the magazine move rearward when firing?
That is what the rifle company says happened.
Since then I always crimp the bullet just to make sure I don't lose an eye like this guy did.
Is that possible?
Old Rooster