So I'm finally stumped to the point I figured I'd run this by the experts. Have searched everywhere but nothing seems to discuss my particular issue.
I have a Bergara Premier Long Range (discontinued in 2019, but the action is the same as every Bergara Premier that rifle just had a different stock) in 308 which is experiencing a feed issue which I thought I understood and had the fix for (notching the feed ramp) but now am totally stumped by.
The rifle shoots great, 0.3 MOA was the included target (3 shots) when I bought it, and during break in even with my mediocre skills I was shooting 0.75 pretty easily on 5 shot groups. This was with 168gr FGMM factory ammo, which is the only ammo I've been troubleshooting the feed issue with also.
The first day out, it would feed every round from the mag smoothly except the second to last round, wherein the bolt would hang about 1/3 of the way to the chamber, on the next (last) round in the magazine, the round being loaded would then continue moving forward loose under momentum slightly when the bolt abruptly stopped. If I eased pressure off the bolt or pulled it slightly back, the round in the magazine would snap back up and then the bolt could proceed forward and lock the stripped round into the chamber (leaving the last round in the magazine).
All I currently have are Magpul AICS 5 & 10 round magainzes, although I have some 10 round MDT magazines coming.
I initially thought (as I could see a very slight overhang from the feed ramp through the magazine when I removed the internals) that the feed ramp needed to be slightly notched, and since I measured my chamber with the OAL gauge as needing ~2.95" I knew when I started loading I would need to relieve the ramp anyway, I went ahead and did that carefully with a sanding drum on a dremel (I know, but it came out fine).
Surprisingly, the issue persists, almost worse than before (sometimes it will now hang on the 3rd to last round instead of the 2nd to last), and upon inspection I realized the rounds were never hitting the feed ramp at all in the first place, the round under the stripped round was nosing down into the front of the plastic mag, and then sticking there, with the case head seemingly catching on the recess in the bolt where the bolt head pin is inserted, when the round in the mag noses down as the stripped round clears it.
I have tried loosening the bottom metal (and lowering the mag manually as long as I can to where the bolt is still able to contact/strip the top round), and nothing seems to prevent the issue where the bolt head pin recess catches the nose-down rounds casehead and jams going forward.
Does anyone have any further insight on how to troubleshoot this? I am hoping it's possibly just a mag issue, and I'll be able to sort it out with the MDT mags since I'll be able to adjust the feed lips, but the fact that I can't get this to stop hanging up even with the mag lowered as much as possible suggests there something else at play here.
Thanks in advance. Can post some pictures if needed to help visualize the issue, just let me know.
I have a Bergara Premier Long Range (discontinued in 2019, but the action is the same as every Bergara Premier that rifle just had a different stock) in 308 which is experiencing a feed issue which I thought I understood and had the fix for (notching the feed ramp) but now am totally stumped by.
The rifle shoots great, 0.3 MOA was the included target (3 shots) when I bought it, and during break in even with my mediocre skills I was shooting 0.75 pretty easily on 5 shot groups. This was with 168gr FGMM factory ammo, which is the only ammo I've been troubleshooting the feed issue with also.
The first day out, it would feed every round from the mag smoothly except the second to last round, wherein the bolt would hang about 1/3 of the way to the chamber, on the next (last) round in the magazine, the round being loaded would then continue moving forward loose under momentum slightly when the bolt abruptly stopped. If I eased pressure off the bolt or pulled it slightly back, the round in the magazine would snap back up and then the bolt could proceed forward and lock the stripped round into the chamber (leaving the last round in the magazine).
All I currently have are Magpul AICS 5 & 10 round magainzes, although I have some 10 round MDT magazines coming.
I initially thought (as I could see a very slight overhang from the feed ramp through the magazine when I removed the internals) that the feed ramp needed to be slightly notched, and since I measured my chamber with the OAL gauge as needing ~2.95" I knew when I started loading I would need to relieve the ramp anyway, I went ahead and did that carefully with a sanding drum on a dremel (I know, but it came out fine).
Surprisingly, the issue persists, almost worse than before (sometimes it will now hang on the 3rd to last round instead of the 2nd to last), and upon inspection I realized the rounds were never hitting the feed ramp at all in the first place, the round under the stripped round was nosing down into the front of the plastic mag, and then sticking there, with the case head seemingly catching on the recess in the bolt where the bolt head pin is inserted, when the round in the mag noses down as the stripped round clears it.
I have tried loosening the bottom metal (and lowering the mag manually as long as I can to where the bolt is still able to contact/strip the top round), and nothing seems to prevent the issue where the bolt head pin recess catches the nose-down rounds casehead and jams going forward.
Does anyone have any further insight on how to troubleshoot this? I am hoping it's possibly just a mag issue, and I'll be able to sort it out with the MDT mags since I'll be able to adjust the feed lips, but the fact that I can't get this to stop hanging up even with the mag lowered as much as possible suggests there something else at play here.
Thanks in advance. Can post some pictures if needed to help visualize the issue, just let me know.
