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Offline stxhunter

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Tight Chamber
« on: April 14, 2013, 01:11:01 PM »
Hey all, I have a new Remington 700 SPS Tactical in 308 Win. Went out to shoot the other day and to my surprise the prvi partizan ammo I had were very hard to close the bolt on. I did not shoot those. I also had some Hornady rounds that closed fairly snug. Must say it has been a while since I shot a bolt action as I have been shooting AR's for several years. Sorry about that! Lol... I measured the rounds with a Hornady lock and load tool and the privi partizan rounds were 1.624in. and the Hornady's were 1.623in. Also, the fired Hornady cases were still at 1.623in.  If the bolt will close on the privi rounds are they safe to shoot and will they shorten up after firing? Is it possible my chamber is out of spec?. I will say that the gun seems to have good accuracy potential as I shot 2, 5 round groups at 3/4 in. or better. That's pretty good for me so I know the gun will shoot. I also plan to reload for the 308. Would like some opinions and advice.


Thanks,
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Offline kynardsj

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2013, 01:33:04 PM »
I had the same problem with the last 700 I owned in 308. It shot great, with what few 308's I could chamber in it. Got rid of it for just that reason.
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2013, 01:45:16 PM »
Interesting kynardsj, I just do not remember how snug a round should be in a bolt rifle. Hate to git rid of a shooter!
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Offline kynardsj

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2013, 01:59:52 PM »
I had owned 700's before in 308 and 223. Never had the problem before. At the same time I had the one I spoke of in my first post, I had a 308 Encore. Everything would chamber in it, including the rounds that I couldn't close the bolt on with the other one, and shoot great too. I've been reloading since 1976 and had everything measured and sized perfectly so I just chaulked it up to a tight chamber.
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2013, 02:03:40 PM »
it's going to be interesting!
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Offline kynardsj

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2013, 02:10:07 PM »
Before I left the house with it I would have to try to chamber each round I wanted to take hunting with me to make sure I didn't end up in the woods with stuff I couldn't close the bolt on. That got old quick.
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2013, 02:16:51 PM »
Well at least with hand loads I will be able to bump em back a few thousands to make sure they will chamber.
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Offline kynardsj

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2013, 02:22:01 PM »
Good luck with your rifle. Before you go off to have a big time in the woods make sure things fit just right. Be bad to have the Hartford Elk step out and you can't chamber a round. ;)
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2013, 02:38:22 PM »
Your right about that. I would look real silly beating myself with that gun!!
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Offline Bigeasy

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2013, 06:42:48 PM »
Assuming you don't have a rifle with an extremely short throat (look for rifling marks on the bullet), it could just be a min. spec chamber along with some max. spec. brass.  As long as the round will chamber, it should be ok to shoot.  The brass should size itself to the chamber after firing.  Personally, I like to neck size only with brass being used in one particular bolt action gun, with just enough sizing to allow the round to chamber with just a little resistance.  Brass lasts a lot longer that way.
 
Larry
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2013, 02:52:07 PM »
Thanks for the reply Larry. When I got home from work today I took my dad's CZ550 in 308Win. and tried the same shells in it. To my surprise they were about as tight as in my 700 Rem. I then dug a couple of Remington rounds and found they chambered quite easy. They measured out at 1.620.5 on the shoulder. I then full length re-sized a couple of my fired Hornady rounds and they ened up at 1.621.5 and chambered with a little resistance. That felt normal to me. I think it is like you said that I may have a gun with a tight chamber and max size brass. The re-sized case seems to chamber  fine so I am thinking I have found the problem.
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Offline bilmac

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2013, 03:09:13 PM »
Like Big E said if it isn't the bullets contacting the lands causing the problem, then a tight fit shouldn't be unsafe to shoot.

I have had 4  270 bolt guns and I still have handloads laying around from the first of them. I bought a Ruger American the other day, and all the loads that worked in those rifles were a tight fit in the American.
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2013, 03:21:19 PM »
It't kinda making more sense now bilmac. I think I just need to load more and shoot more! Now I just need to find a good 308 load....
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Offline George Foster

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2013, 11:56:18 PM »
In 2009 I had a 700 from 1988 manufacture in 7-08 that I had a Douglas barrel in 6mm Rem installed and dropped it into a CDL stock.  The gunsmith I had do the work had a min. saami reamer and I had to have 0.020 taken off the bottom of my Forester FL sizing die to resize the brass properly.  The brass from my other two 6mms won't fit the chamber although factory new brass will.  I had one batch of 20 cases that I reloaded 21 times before one split a neck.  I set my resizing die so I am pushing the shoulder back 0.002 for all my rifles and I would recommend this for long brass life, to me it is than neck sizing only.  What I like to do is neck size only when I first use new virgin brass for the first time in any rifle and then FL resize after that pushing the shoulder back 0.002 each loading.
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Good Shooting,
George

Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2013, 01:05:30 AM »
soon as i saw TIGHT CHAMBER i about knew this was a remington. Ive had quite a few rem 700s that were tight. Yes like larry said there safe to shoot if you can close the bolt but its no guarantee the brass will fit even after being fired in that chamber. Best bet is a set of small base dies. They will take your brass down to a bit smaller size. nice thing about the tight chambered guns is if the brass does work after firing in it its going to be worked less the next time and your brass will last longer
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Offline stxhunter

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Re: Tight Chamber
« Reply #15 on: April 16, 2013, 05:00:25 AM »
Yep, I think problem solved on this one. Thanks for all the input guys!
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