Do these look too hot?

[jonny315]

Hello, I built a custom 6.5 mm cartridge (wildcat) and I’m increasing loads 1 grain at a time. Do these primers look over pressured?
Left to right 56gn, 55, 55, 54

 

[garandman]

Dimpled, but not flattened. A lil hot, not too bad.

Heavy bolt lift?

 

[nmkid]

Did you have the firing pin bushed?

 

[ShootDots]

I believe what you have is an "unbushed" bolt face / firing pin assembly. The primer cratering is from the primer, under pressure, being forced into a bolt hole that is slightly too large for the firing pin. This is normal for a "stock" Remington 700 and probably a host of other actions too. There is no primer flattening nor shiny ejector marks on the case. I believe you are good to go.

 

[CT10ring]

nope.

 

[Tommie]

Agreed with all the above

 

[CT10ring]

I believe what you have is an "unbushed" bolt face / firing pin assembly. The primer cratering is from the primer, under pressure, being forced into a bolt hole that is slightly too large for the firing pin. This is normal for a "stock" Remington 700 and probably a host of other actions too. There is no primer flattening nor shiny ejector marks on the case. I believe you are good to go.

exactly. primer edges are round. no smeared brass ejector marks. Not too hot, it seems to me.

 

[jonny315]

Thatks for the replies, there is not heavy bolt lift and the firing pin has not been brushed that I know of. It’s a stock Winchester super grade model 70, is it common in those?

 

[Joel Dubose]

Not to hot but cratering problems. I agree with the bushing the bolt, however I had mine bushed and the fire pin turned down to a small rifle primer size. What primer that you're using might be to soft or to thin as well. Judging from the picture and its difficult to tell, but the primer strike is not in the center of the primer. Was this a new brass? Was it loose in the chamber ?
Looking at the picture, just above the head, it looks as if the chamber is either dirty or it was tight on bolt lift. Its leaving drag Mark's as you eject.

 

[jonny315]

Not to hot but cratering problems. I agree with the bushing the bolt, however I had mine bushed and the fire pin turned down to a small rifle primer size. What primer that you're using might be to soft or to thin as well. Judging from the picture and its difficult to tell, but the primer strike is not in the center of the primer. Was this a new brass? Was it loose in the chamber ?

I do not know if it was loose in the chamber but it was new brass and I was using federal primers but I noticed the cupping and decided to use CCI to see if it helped, The cupping went down dramatically and all the edges were around so I was just trying to figure out if I was overpressure or if I had a problem with the bolt face.

 

[Joel Dubose]

I do not know if it was loose in the chamber but it was new brass and I was using federal primers but I noticed the cupping and decided to use CCI to see if it helped, The cupping went down dramatically and all the edges were around so I was just trying to figure out if I was overpressure or if I had a problem with the bolt face.

This picture looks like its possible that they are loose in the chamber. In the picture the primer appears extruded ofc to the right. It doesn't show signs of that on the face itself however each primer strike is in a different location. Definitely the firing pin is loose in the bolt.

 

[T-shooter]

They look fine to me as far as pressure. Worry when they look like these. With a semi-auto, you'll sometimes get a noticable swipe mark like #1

 

[Sniper338]

You will know when you get a flat primer, there will be no doubt in your mind.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Id be worried more about those severely off center strikes. Get carlsbad to bush the bolt first to see if that cures it

 

[jonny315]

Does anyone here have quickload? So I could get a baseline

 

[Rsadams]

#1 on nope...

 

[338 dude]

Hello, I built a custom 6.5 mm cartridge (wildcat) and I’m increasing loads 1 grain at a time. Do these primers look over pressured?
Left to right 56gn, 55, 55, 54
View attachment 1126279

No they do not look to hot you have rounded edges on the primer therefore I don’t believe they are too hot the slight Ridge around the firing pin is due to slack in the hole around the firing pin some people have them bushed to fit tighter but I think everything looks fine

 

[carlsbad]

So the winchester has a full .080 firing pin hole so it will crater like you see at relatively mild loads. Bushing is will eliminate the cratering which will eventually lead to bolt lift issues and erosion of the hole itself. That said, you can wait until you actually have the problems and do it then. I get quite a few bush jobs in asking for a quick turnaround because the problem occurred at an inopportune time. But I generally can turn around in less than a week.

--Jerry

 

[carlsbad]

Id be worried more about those severely off center strikes. Get carlsbad to bush the bolt first to see if that cures it

Thanks for the recommendation dusty. off center strikes and cratering together lead to problems. the hole doesn't rotate around the crater. --Jerry

 

[Webster]

Hello, I built a custom 6.5 mm cartridge (wildcat) and I’m increasing loads 1 grain at a time. Do these primers look over pressured?
Left to right 56gn, 55, 55, 54
View attachment 1126279

I see the same thing with my Rem 700. I only see craters like your 56 gr load when approaching max load. If it's a hunting rifle or for casual target shooting I would stick with around your 54-55 gr load. Go for accuracy and not as fast as you can push it. Most people go up in .3 or .5 gr increments when testing. I cannot comment on whether 56 gr. is dangerous or excessive. You don't have gas leakage. There are always crater to some degree. As pressure goes up the cup gets pushed farther into the FP hole. After big craters I always get ejector swipe marks. ThenI know I have definitly gone to far. Sometime you have to look carefuly to see light swipe marks. Swipe marks are caused by the case head getting pushed into the ejector hole making a high protrusion on the head. Turning the bolt pulls the high spot out of the hole or tries to rub it off on the bolt face.

You didn't mention any cartrigde details. What powder type, wt. bullet? Is it a full size 270 Win case necked from .270" to .264"? Loading data in the Berger reloading manual for a standard 270 Win with a 140 gr bullet gives 10 powders with a max load under 55 grs. and 5 over 55 grs. Your shooting a smaller diameter bullet so the pressures would be higher.