Remington 700 tight chamber?

[Jrebyank777]

First post and fairly new reloader here.

I have about 175-200 rds threw my 26” Varmit profile barrel Remington 700 6.5 Creedmoor. I have swipe marks on most every case I’ve ran through this rifle from day one on hands loads and factory loads. This makes it really hard to decipher pressure signs. The barrel shoots pretty well for what I’m looking for .5-1” groups consistently with right ammo. What can I do about this?

 

[redx]

what's your load for the hand loads?

 

[Jrebyank777]

The Nosler brass was a 10 shot from 39.8-41.6 RL16 and 144 Berger LRHT

the Lapua brass is a fairly mild 41.2 of IMR 4451 amd 140 hornady hpbt.

 

[redx]

The Nosler brass was a 10 shot from 39.8-41.6 RL16 and 144 Berger LRHT

the Lapua brass is a fairly mild 41.2 of IMR 4451 amd 140 hornady hpbt.

OAL?

 

[Jrebyank777]

OAL?

Both are jumping 30 thousandths so the Berger are longer than mag length but not jammed.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Your swipe marks look like they are inboard of the plunger, take a good close pic of your boltface.

 

[Jack's Dad]

I get cratered primers on any load with the Remington 700 out of many different rifles. This ejector swipe is a new one.

 

[XLR308]

Check to see if the ejector plunger will freely depress to atleast flush with the bolt face.

 

[SpikeA]

I had the same issue with a 700 22-250…. It had a very tight chamber along with a too strong ejector that was exhibiting too much force on case… also had a super hard bolt lift… I pulled the ejector as I was not concerned about that for varmint hunting … I cut spring down to reinstall when I sold the rifle .. it was better

 

[Jrebyank777]

Your swipe marks look like they are inboard of the plunger, take a good close pic of your boltface.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Are you properly resizing your cases?
How much setback are you creating when you resize them?

 

[Jrebyank777]

Are you properly resizing your cases?
How much setback are you creating when you resize them?

I am bumping the should 2 thousandths. I’m having the same issue with factory ammo too

 

[XLR308]

I am bumping the should 2 thousandths. I’m having the same issue with factory ammo too

What is the difference from new brass to fired dimensions measured from base to datum at shoulder ?
If there's virtually no change in headspace then your chamber is short.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I have a factory 6.5 Creed Remington and honestly, mine is nearly a duplicate of yours from the brass down to the bolt face.
Light loads, heavy loads, new brass, old brass, it didn't matter.
I gave up on trying to figure it out and just pretty much wore the barrel out.

It's got a little life left in the barrel, but not much.
Velocity is down over 100fps and it's throwing random shots.

I just moved on to a new Bartlein and had it fit to a different action.
The factory Remington just sits in the safe and cries.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Oh, and my new chamber is .002 longer...
For whatever that's worth.

 

[Jrebyank777]

I had the same issue with a 700 22-250…. It had a very tight chamber along with a too strong ejector that was exhibiting too much force on case… also had a super hard bolt lift… I pulled the ejector as I was not concerned about that for varmint hunting … I cut spring down to reinstall when I sold the rifle .. it was better

This one also has abnormal sticky bolt on all ammo

 

[Jrebyank777]

What is the difference from new brass to fired dimensions measured from base to datum at shoulder ?
If there's virtually no change in headspace then your chamber is short.

Pretty much no change after firing with shoulder comparitor

 

[XLR308]

Pretty much no change after firing with shoulder comparitor

Im guessing you probably also feel resistance on the bolt when closing on a factory round as well.

 

[427Cobra]

IMHO the swipes are a combo of the small primers and thicker case of Lapua brass, I suggest getting the firing pin bushed by GreTan

 

[Jrebyank777]

Im guessing you probably also feel resistance on the bolt when closing on a factory round as well.

Correct

 

[Jrebyank777]

I have a factory 6.5 Creed Remington and honestly, mine is nearly a duplicate of yours from the brass down to the bolt face.
Light loads, heavy loads, new brass, old brass, it didn't matter.
I gave up on trying to figure it out and just pretty much wore the barrel out.

It's got a little life left in the barrel, but not much.
Velocity is down over 100fps and it's throwing random shots.

I just moved on to a new Bartlein and had it fit to a different action.
The factory Remington just sits in the safe and cries.

I’m no expert for sure but I have a feeling this will end in a new barrel and action overhaul. . Dang thing shoots really well but I like developing loads and this makes it hard especially for me with little experience. Thanks for the input

 

[XLR308]

I’m no expert for sure but I have a feeling this will end in a new barrel and action overhaul. . Dang thing shoots really well but I like developing loads and this makes it hard especially for me with little experience. Thanks for the input

Really it should be sent back to Remmy to fix the chamber but theres a very good chance it would be worse when you get it back or nothing at all done to it.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Also wanted to point out that your bolt face isn't true.
The area inside the red outline has a small depression and brass will try to move in that direction when a cartridge is fired.
As you rotate the bolt for extraction that brass gets swiped by the higher section of the bolt face.

 

[ReaperDriver]

To the OP, One other trick to try to see if your chamber is excessively tight is to check the neck thickness. I ran into this exact same thing recently with Lapua brass reloads as well as factory Nosler hunting loads in a .260 gas gun. I was getting pressure signs with fairly mild loads in a .260 Gas gun during load development. I checked everything and thought I was doing everything right. Correct headspace, neck tension, seating depth off the lands (not jammed), etc. Ejection was ok. Turned out my chamber is tight in the neck such that a fired round would not slip over an unfired bullet. Therefore there wasn't enough room for the expansion on ignition and that was causing pressure signs. I turned the necks down a tiny bit and that solved the problem.

To test it out, take a fired case and slip it over a loaded bullet or you can just see if a loose bullet slides in the neck. In theory, there should be enough room for the bullet to slide in. If not, it's possible your necks are too thick for your chamber.

 

[Jrebyank777]

I did some measurements with the comparitor this evening. My measurement is longer at the shoulder on the new nosler brass than the fired brass. How is that even possible? I’m pretty confident in my measurements too.

 

[jducos]

Just for shits and grins, throw a go and a no-go head space gauge on there and check headspace.

 

[Mainer]

Did this problem ever get resolved?

Did OP consider trying small base dies? Might help if the problem is chamber diameter rather than length.

 

[918v]

Pretty much no change after firing with shoulder comparitor

There you go.

 

[918v]

I did some measurements with the comparitor this evening. My measurement is longer at the shoulder on the new nosler brass than the fired brass. How is that even possible? I’m pretty confident in my measurements too.

Your headspace is too short. But that’s ok cuz the bolt will wear in and after a couple thousand rounds it won’t be an issue.