Bolt Resistance

[cbourbeau32]

How much bolt resistance should one expect from their rifle? I get varying degrees of resistance when closing my bolt on my reloads. Thanks, Charlie

[Val]

If you are getting varying amounts of bolt resistance and are using reloads you should probably full length size. If you are using factory ammo you should try another brand. The bolt resistance should be pretty constant.  Bolt resistance will vary from rifle to rifle depending on how tight the chamber is.

[mannyrock]

  Also, be very careful, if you are getting bolt resistence at the point where you are trying to close the bolt on a reloaded cartridge, then you may very well have been loading your prior rounds in that particular shell  to hot (or to light) thus creating dangerous pressure, which caused the head of the case to buckle or expand outward.  I don't reload any more, but when I did years ago, I always treated any bolt resistence issue as a danger sign of high pressure, until I could definitely rule it out.

Regards,

Mannyrock

[cbourbeau32]

Thanks for the responses. This is a brand new rifle and I am loading full length sized brass that have been trimmed to length. I will load up a half dozen and see if the resistance is the same on all 6. I will update. Thanks, Charlie

[jro45]

A frend of mine just got a 30/06 and the bolt was hard to chamber a round but the more he used it the easer it got now he has nothing to complane about.

[SHOOTALL]

are you allowing the bullet to engage the rifleing ?
I would check a fired case aginst a resized case and note any differences .
Do you experince hard case extraction ? Bolt resistance upon opening ? if so then it may be a high pressure cause if not the i would look at how the cases react to reloading , check oal of case as if to long you may be making the case bulge when seating and crimping the bullet.

[cbourbeau32]

are you allowing the bullet to engage the rifleing ?
I would check a fired case aginst a resized case and note any differences .
Do you experince hard case extraction ? Bolt resistance upon opening ? if so then it may be a high pressure cause if not the i would look at how the cases react to reloading , check oal of case as if to long you may be making the case bulge when seating and crimping the bullet.

I will say first that I haven't shot the rifle yet.

To answer the question about the bullet engaging the rifling. I am sure it doesn't as the OAL is exactly what the book says it should be.

I probably just need to load up some and go shoot and let the cartridges "polish" if you will the chamber as I chamber new rounds.

Would it hurt to polish the chamber with some lapping compound?


A previous poster said his friends started out a little hard and got easier as he shot it. I expect that will happen with mine as well.

[SHOOTALL]

is it a new rifle ?

[jmayton]

Have you removed the action from the stock and then reassembled?

[Val]

You may need to play with the depth you screw the full length die into the press. Keep screwing the die into the press until you have a point where there is no resistance. This will set the die for the head space and chamber dimensions for that rifle. When you find this point lock the die, this will be the setting for this rifle. It may not work well for another rifle.

[SHOOTALL]

if the gun is new clean it , put a very lube on the bolt lugs and work the action some to smooth things out . Clean the chamber good as packing greese may be in there also .

[cbourbeau32]

I was originally testing the bolt resistance with PMC brass. I loaded up a winchester brass this morning and it chambered just fine with just about the right amount of resistance. Thanks for all the replies.

BTW it is a new gun and I cleaned it thoroughly when I got it. I think I am good now. Charlie