Gunsmithing Piss poor research on a wyatt box

[codym]

So I had this awesome idea of building my first rifle as a switch barrel 280 AI and 30 nosler off a BH sr3 with a wyatt cfe 12 bdl box. Well I didnt realize the tuning involved just to get the bdl to feed the 280 AI round. Ive bent the feed lips in and it at least holds the 280 AI brass now but isnt feeding very smooth or reliably. Any tips or tricks to get these tuned and feeding well? I'm also thinking about getting another cfe 12 for the nosler that way I just swap out the box with the barrel instead of bending the lips back to accomidate the wider case. The biggest problem im having is the bolt reliably picking up the round and getting the lips bent eaqually so the round isnt going off to one side and not feeding up into the chamber. Thanks for the help. I really want to get this figured out on my own if possible.

 

[gnochi]

Make sure that if you look into the action from the rear with a cartridge in the box, you see a figure 8 tangency between the chamber and the primer. Alignment being even 1mm off makes a major difference.

Also note that you have a few different ways you can bend the lips to make sure hold and height are both correct.

Between 280AI and 30N, yes, you’ll probably need to swap out the boxes.

 

[codym]

I get what your saying, I was looking at it last nigh and could see where the feed lips weren’t centered on the bolt face. The right lip is open more than the left and I’m sure that’s what causing the round to come off to the left and hit the breech face. I’m using channel lock type pliers with a piece of leather to bend the lips. I have more control this way over the rubber mallet that was suggested by Wyatt. The box is gonna need to be smoothed out when I’m done, hopefully I don’t mangel it to much. I guess sometimes you have to ruin stuff to learn at least in my case.

 

[b6graham]

getting a 308 and magnum boltface to feed from the same lips is quite the task

 

[codym]

Yea I really overlooked this part of the build. I’m gonna order the MBE-2 box which is better suited for the 280 and keep the 12 for the mag ctg’s.

 

[b6graham]

luckily they're cheap

 

[codym]

Right?

 

[Edds]

Those boxes are made for fat cartridges. When using them on the small diameter cartridges, you need to bend the lips as close to the top as possible so the follower doesn't hang up on the sides of the box.

After you get the lips bent to hold the cartridges, you may have to file the ends of the box so the lips will be close enough to the bolt.

Filing the ends may make the box have too much vertical float. That will require some type of modification on the bottom side.

 

[codym]

Thanks for all the help, got it feeding pretty well. Might adjust it slightly more then polish out the rough spots.