Stiff bolt on factory ammo

[Magnificent 7]

I homeload for my rifles generally but also like to find a factory box my rifle likes as an incase.I have purchased some norma 95 grain and also some Remington accutip in the same grain also.These are mega accurate but both after firing are hard to cycle the bolt.There are no visible pressure signs on the used shell.Has anyone else come accross this with factory loads I certainly haven’t I always presumed shop bought stuff wasn’t loaded hot.

 

[ChesterP]

What rifle are you using? Some rifles such as Tikkas have tighter chambers than others which can cause some factory ammo to be stiff to cycle. PPU has always been unreliable as factory ammunition in my Tikkas for this reason. However if what you're saying is they load no problem but you get a stiff bolt lift on ejection, that is usually a sign of being way over pressure and unless I was happy and sure that this isn't the case I would not use that particular batch of ammunition again. Some factory ammo I have found to be the opposite of what you've indicated, and is loaded quite hot.

 

[Magnificent 7]

What rifle are you using? Some rifles such as Tikkas have tighter chambers than others which can cause some factory ammo to be stiff to cycle. PPU has always been unreliable as factory ammunition in my Tikkas for this reason. However if what you're saying is they load no problem but you get a stiff bolt lift on ejection, that is usually a sign of being way over pressure and unless I was happy and sure that this isn't the case I would not use that particular batch of ammunition again. Some factory ammo I have found to be the opposite of what you've indicated, and is loaded quite hot.

Blaser R8 my other calibre barrels I’ve never had an issue just the 243.It isn’t fussy on ammo on any calibre or so I’ve found either ,just seemed strange two types of ammo and a tight bolt on ejection but only on the 243 never had this issue with previous rifles especially with shop bought

 

[JTO]

Every one of a box of RWS .308 rounds resulted in EXTREME difficulty getting the bolt open on my Steyr P1 69 SSG. Never bought any more!

 

[Bowland blades]

factory ammo varies , it can be hot or it can be underpower ( inconsistent). Stiff bolt lift when the round chambered just fine should always be taken as pressure sign.

 

[Magnificent 7]

factory ammo varies , it can be hot or it can be underpower ( inconsistent). Stiff bolt lift when the round chambered just fine should always be taken as pressure sign.

Agreed but other than a stiff bolt no other sign on spent shell ect she will handle Sako and Winchester so I can just stick with them

 

[Bowland blades]

Agreed but other than a stiff bolt no other sign on spent shell ect she will handle Sako and Winchester so I can just stick with them

i would not personally

 

[Magnificent 7]

i would not personally

I load my own so an odd box when I’m too busy and running low isn’t really an issue it’s mainly only vermin rounds.They don’t mind what’s being thrown at them lol

 

[Andrewslater]

What rifle are you using? Some rifles such as Tikkas have tighter chambers than others which can cause some factory ammo to be stiff to cycle. PPU has always been unreliable as factory ammunition in my Tikkas for this reason. However if what you're saying is they load no problem but you get a stiff bolt lift on ejection, that is usually a sign of being way over pressure and unless I was happy and sure that this isn't the case I would not use that particular batch of ammunition again. Some factory ammo I have found to be the opposite of what you've indicated, and is loaded quite hot.

I have found the tighter chamber issue with a friends rifle. Rounds that I have loaded for my .243 that chamber perfectly in my rifle struggle to chamber in his and require some firm pressure on the bolt to initially chamber the round. Been through a FL resizing die so can only assume his chamber is tighter?

 

[muddy42]

It may sound obvious, but have you cleaned the chamber and bolt face? I mean really cleaned, using a big brass brush that gets to the front of the chamber. This helped a bit with mine.

 

[Bowland blades]

I load my own so an odd box when I’m too busy and running low isn’t really an issue it’s mainly only vermin rounds.They don’t mind what’s being thrown at them lol

its a high pressure sign ! a good gun will "generally" handle it but you cant say always ! besides the obvious safety thing pressure venting back from a primer has wrecked a few bolt faces.
hopefully its a conspiring chamber and case size tolerance

 

[Magnificent 7]

It may sound obvious, but have you cleaned the chamber and bolt face? I mean really cleaned, using a big brass brush that gets to the front of the chamber. This helped a bit with mine.

The bolt face i clean after every use tbh the chamber no but it’s one of those things that I keep planning on and will purchase said brush kit

 

[Magnificent 7]

its a high pressure sign ! a good gun will "generally" handle it but you cant say always ! besides the obvious safety thing pressure venting back from a primer has wrecked a few bolt faces.
hopefully its a conspiring chamber and case size tolerance

Yes agreed it is a high pressure sign primer and everything else seems ok.I was more asking if anyone else had come across this using said ammo.I won’t be using any more of it.Rifle i can quite happily say it’s a good gun , bolt face mint primers on spent cartridge not flat ect.It’s just a mystery.

 

[Steff]

The bolt face i clean after every use tbh the chamber no but it’s one of those things that I keep planning on and will purchase said brush kit

This. Plus a thorough cleaning of the barrel.
Assuming that barrel and chamber cleaning have been neglected in the past it is very likely that there is a good carbon ring just in front of the barrel/chamber junction.

 

[ChesterP]

First step would logically be to inspect and clean the chamber using carbon solvent such as KG1 or similar. I leave it in to work for 20 minutes or so before patching out.

 

[dvbookshop]

I homeload for my rifles generally but also like to find a factory box my rifle likes as an incase.I have purchased some norma 95 grain and also some Remington accutip in the same grain also.These are mega accurate but both after firing are hard to cycle the bolt.There are no visible pressure signs on the used shell.Has anyone else come accross this with factory loads I certainly haven’t I always presumed shop bought stuff wasn’t loaded hot.

Working on a range I've seen a lot of factory rounds display signs of high pressure; I once saw a modern factory .303 round blow the cocking piece out of a Lee-Enfield and a Ruger blown up. I once fired a very expensive bismuth shotgun cartridge at a duck and the whole contents of the case plopped into the water in front of me.

 

[Loler UK]

Clean your barrel & chamber until they shine and clean the ammo with alcohol. Sometimes lubricants find their way onto the ammo/ chamber.

 

[Alantoo]

I homeload for my rifles generally but also like to find a factory box my rifle likes as an incase.I have purchased some norma 95 grain and also some Remington accutip in the same grain also.These are mega accurate but both after firing are hard to cycle the bolt.There are no visible pressure signs on the used shell.Has anyone else come accross this with factory loads I certainly haven’t I always presumed shop bought stuff wasn’t loaded hot.

I have had the same notchy bolt on extraction symptoms with factory ammunition.

It is one of the classic high pressure signs, but it may not be caused by high pressure in this case.

I had significantly notchy bolt extraction with my R8 with the Fox factory rounds in .308 which are in PPU cases. There were no other pressure signs on the cases.

I have shot a few dozen identical Fox bullets with 0.68gr more than the factory load of 45gr of N135 powder. These were loaded by me before I found / they published load data. They were in Lapua cases and I also had fired a few groups with 1.6gr more powder, neither loads produced notchy bolt on extraction nor any other pressure signs.

I have had the half moon extractor extrusion on the head face of a Lapua case with a different load and bullet when at the top end of a safety string but even then the bolt was less notchy than with the Fox factory which had no extractor half moon.

At the same range session I fired a number of other factory and home loaded rounds either side of the notchy Fox factory rounds none of which produced the notchy bolt, so the main cause was not clag build up or rough chamber walls.

I think it may be a combination of brass specification and to a lesser extent chamber condition.

Top end case dimensions and soft state of the brass, causing it to not spring back from the chamber walls I think is the most likely cause of my notchy bolt symptoms, possibly exacerbated, but not caused by, a rough chamber surface.

Alan

 

[User00044]

Measure the case against the head for expansion , if you're getting more than 0.001" expansion compared to an unfired round , then they're probably over pressure .

 

[Magnificent 7]

Barrels cleaned regular just never the chamber bar a rag twisted I’ve never used a brush ect.But I will do this as a matter of course the barrel isn’t that old and hasn’t had massive amounts through it