Hey everyone...
Thought I’d run this by you guys and see if you had any thoughts. I’m working on load dev and just getting 100 or so rounds through the new Benchmark 6.5CM barrel (Impact 737 prefit). The action has fired 3704 live rounds and prob add 2k dry fires. I took apart the bolt to inspect and clean it. Everything looked good. Rest of the rifle components are two-stage Triggertech Diamond trigger, and everything sitting in an MPA BA Comp chassis.
I bought new Alpha SRP 6.5CM brass and am using the same components I used in my last barrel, other than switching from Lapua to Alpha brass. I use RL-16, 140 ELDM’s, and CCI-450’s.
Out of the first 150 I’ve loaded, 28 have failed to fire. I’m using an RCBS hand primer and seating the primers in the Alpha brass is a chore compared to Lapua. But I feel like I’m getting the primer seated properly…never had a round not fire using the Lapua brass (3704 rounds before I finally pulled the barrel).
The primers are from a box of 1000, of which, 200 were used for the last 200 rounds shot through the rifle before the barrel swap...which leads me to think it's not a primer lot issue, but I suppose it still could be.
I’m planning on loading some rounds with the Lapua brass to see what happens, and prob try some factory ammo as well. Any other ideas?
When it shoots, it shoots really well…no issues from an accuracy perspective.
Thanks!
First pic shows: Left is a successfully fired round, center a loaded round, and right is a round that did not fire.
Second pic shows: left, successfully fired round, right failed to fire.
Third pic showing primer seating depth on a failed to fire round (left) and non-fired, loaded round (right).
Thought I’d run this by you guys and see if you had any thoughts. I’m working on load dev and just getting 100 or so rounds through the new Benchmark 6.5CM barrel (Impact 737 prefit). The action has fired 3704 live rounds and prob add 2k dry fires. I took apart the bolt to inspect and clean it. Everything looked good. Rest of the rifle components are two-stage Triggertech Diamond trigger, and everything sitting in an MPA BA Comp chassis.
I bought new Alpha SRP 6.5CM brass and am using the same components I used in my last barrel, other than switching from Lapua to Alpha brass. I use RL-16, 140 ELDM’s, and CCI-450’s.
Out of the first 150 I’ve loaded, 28 have failed to fire. I’m using an RCBS hand primer and seating the primers in the Alpha brass is a chore compared to Lapua. But I feel like I’m getting the primer seated properly…never had a round not fire using the Lapua brass (3704 rounds before I finally pulled the barrel).
The primers are from a box of 1000, of which, 200 were used for the last 200 rounds shot through the rifle before the barrel swap...which leads me to think it's not a primer lot issue, but I suppose it still could be.
I’m planning on loading some rounds with the Lapua brass to see what happens, and prob try some factory ammo as well. Any other ideas?
When it shoots, it shoots really well…no issues from an accuracy perspective.
Thanks!
First pic shows: Left is a successfully fired round, center a loaded round, and right is a round that did not fire.
Second pic shows: left, successfully fired round, right failed to fire.
Third pic showing primer seating depth on a failed to fire round (left) and non-fired, loaded round (right).
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