View Full Version : difficulty in closing bolt
hydrojohn
05-30-2005, 11:30 AM
It is taking more force to close the bolt on some reloaded 300 WSM then I would like. I shot some rounds and it seems to function OK, but I am wondering if this could be potentially dangerous, Plus not desireable at all if you want to cycle though rounds quickly. I am wondering what could be the problem. I am full length resizing the brass, but maybe I am not getting it done properly. Can someone give me some suggestions on what to check or do different. The rifle is a Tikka T3, which normally is a smooth action.
If your bullets are seated so that they are not touching the rifling, which can be a cause for what you describe, you probably need to adjust your die down just a touch deeper in the press when sizing. Typically you would have your rifle handy when you start sizing and adjust the die until it will chamber with little effort, you can then set the lock ring on your die and size your casings. There can be other problems that cause this, most of them would relate to a tight chamber and a sloppy die, but inadequate sizing and improper bullet seating length would be the first to check.
faucettb
05-30-2005, 11:43 AM
Yup, what KciH said. I don't know what brand of dies you use, but you might want to read over the setup procedures to make sure your sizing die is set up correctly, Most instructions say put your ram all the way up, screw the die down til it touches the ram then go one turn, one half turn, etc further. Your reloads should not be tight even if you neck size only.
flashhole
05-30-2005, 11:53 AM
You can start sorting out variables by trying to chamber a resized case before you load it up. If the empty case is not tough to chamber then you might look at seating depth.
You didn't say how many times the cases have been reloaded. Need to remember, as a case is fired and you full length resize, the brass will flow to the shoulder/neck area. This thickens the neck and elongats it. You need to check the maximum case length to assure the brass is not over length. Also, if the neck thickness is too great it causes hard chambering and will increase chamber pressures greatly. The necks may need turning to reduce thickness.
To summarize, three possibilities:
Bullet seating depth, easy to check, easy to fix.
Trim length. Again, easy to check and easy to fix next time.
Resize die setup. Generally, screw die down until just touching the shellholder, and then screw down another 1/8 turn.
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