308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Y

Yoda

Private
Minuteman
Feb 20, 2009
30
0
#1
I reloaded GMM once fired brass with 44 Varget-sorted by weight. Some extracted fine. 2/3 were very hard to pull bolt to the rear.I had to drive oe hit the bolt HARD to the rear to get rd to extract. Case lengths , chamber length, OAL of rd all GTG with all loads.
Is there a problem with the Federal Gold Medal Match brass "blowing up"? (44gr Varget on the hot side). Will new Winchester brass fix the problem. Weapon is new FCP-10-K /308.
 
#4
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

I have run loads with 48 grains of Varget.
If it was a 110HP you are fine, if it's a 240MK you would not likely be typing with the hands that fired that round.
laugh.gif


The solution may be at hand if one knows the projectile used for the offending load.
 
#5
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

I checked the chamber & length of fired cases. All were in spec. Rds were wiped but not cleaned with carb cleaner/degreaser. Maybe a spray-job is in order. Brass was not fired out of my weapon, but was resized. What was weird was that some cycled fine, most were hard to extract. Tommorrow reloading the "hard" ones with 41gr, and spraying them.
 
#7
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Are these the only rounds you have fired in this gun?
Do factory loads give the same problem?

If other loads had problems as well, I would look hard at the scope-base screws. The second one from the front can cause some real problems if it is too long.
 
#8
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Definately need to clarify if this rifle was shooting fine with other (factory) ammo. How long is your brass trimmed at?
Was the bolt hard to lift AND pull to the rear or just hard to pull to the rear?

Oh, go fill out your profile.
 
#11
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Are you sure that the brass is getting the full size treatment ? Not partial resize ? After full sizing ,run the full-sized brass through your weapon,should operate smoothly.My experence is Remington brass is soft,I use Winchester brass. Mike a spent or fired brass,then look up the nomal specs in the reloading book. Is it way off? Buy some factory shells and see how they go. Back your powder charges way down and see what happens,if okay,gradually progress upwards on the powder charge tils problem shows up. Switch name brands of brass.Is brass coming out of chamber with sratches on them?
 
#13
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Measure the base of your cases that was hard to extract just above the rim! I bet that they are in he .471 to .473 range! They need to be at .470 to .468. Check to make sure that you are getting a full length sizing on once fired brass! Especially brass that has not been fired out of the rifle your loading for.

Was the bolt hard to close on these rounds?

Terry
 
#14
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

New factory GMM works jusr fine. After firing brass, that was a problem, was within limits , or should not be too long for the chamber. (I measured everything.)I will measure bases to see if larger than factory on problem rounds. Base screws would affect ALL brass, including factory rds. I am using a Farrell one piece mount & screws.Primers & rear of cartridge appeared "fine". No bulged primers or sign of too much pressure. The die is Lee, and has run 2000 rds thru, for another 308--no problems like I have just experienced. Seems like a pressure issue, or die....?? I am leaning on pressure too high & swelling cartridge. Before firing, the brass with bullets run smoothly thru the weapon.Problem is AFTER firing. Factory GMM runs fine --before & after firing.
 
#16
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

175 SMK, with 44gr Varget = 2699 and settled after breah-in at app 2749fps. GMM factory =2749 to 2743 with slightly more noticable recoil.
 
#18
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Unknown if fired thru semi automatic. Police brass...assumed to be SWAT team once fired. I am friends with the Range Officer working with them.
 
#19
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

I think suasponte is correct, the back end of the shell isn't being properly sized for that chamber. I used to have some LC brass that was particularly stubborn in this area and creating much the same problem (my reason for the semi-auto question).
 
#21
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Just got in from the range. I loaded the problem cases with 43.5 & 43.3 Varget, adjusted the sizing die, and was "anal" in cleaning each rd with 90% alc. Could have been I didn't get all the DP spray lub off the rds. Whatever fixed it-worked. All 20 ran w/o a problem.
Problem solved. Thanks alot for your help.
 
#22
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Yoda .......

Lightening your powder charge by half a grain is not likely to solve your problem. I've encountered one psrticular lot of Varget that was extremely HOT. Normally I can shoot 45.0 grains without excessive pressure. The new lot makes 43.5 grains into a maximum load.

Cleaning the sizing lube from your handloads is a very good idea. Sizing lube is a good high pressure lubricant, and your cases (with lube) might have a hard time sticking to the chamber wall. This can put real pressure on the bolt face and make extraction difficult.

- Innovative
 
#23
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

I found about (6) of the problem rds with 44 Varget & not as clean. I'm going to clean them with alcohol & see what happens.If it fixs the problem-it was lube. If not- it was the sizing die & dropping the load to 43.5gr.
 
#26
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Or wipe em down, lovingly fondling each and every one, admiring their beauty, one at a time..... </div></div>

Sheeeeyt! I liked it better when I neck sized only, they got nice and ugly.
I tumble em only long enough to clean the lube. I'm very careful to not clean my brass too much-I might get compared to my friends that freak on fingerprints on their ammo (remember the "lets see your ammo" picture thread?).
 
#27
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

Today, 44 Varget worked fine & got best groups of the day...24" barrel, app. 2710-2715 fps. (43.4 was app 2682 fps.)
 
#29
Re: 308 rd hard to extract from chamber..bolt gun

I did several things to fix the problem. I reloaded the "problem" brass, adjusted the full sizing die, and seriously cleaned each rd. The problem, solved it was.....
 
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