22-250 Stuck Cases

[Remshot]

I recently purchased a Remington 788 with a new Krieger barrel that is having issues with cases sticking in the chamber. i started off using factory ammo to test the gun and everything worked ok. When i started using the same reloads that i use in my other gun i could not get them out of the chamber after they were fired. The bolt would lift without any issues but the cases would not come out of the chamber. i removed the stuck cases with a cleaning rod and very little pressure. After returning home i measured the factory brass and the cases that were stuck in the chamber and could not find any differences. Everything was exactly the same. I did notice some small scratches on the body of the cases just above the the groove on the head. Both cases had the same scratches but the reloads seemed to be a little worse. There were also no signs of over pressure with any of them. Could this be a rough chamber that caused the reloads to stick due to slightly higher pressures than the factory ammo? I forgot to add, I am shooting 52g Hornday Match Hollow points seated .010" off the lands and using 34g of Varget.

 

[Remshot]

34gr of Varget with a 52gr bullet is not a hot load - it is a starting load, so you are not dealing with a pressure isssue.
But from what you describe, it appears that your chamber is cut very tight at the base (in front of the extractor grove), and what you are experiencing is fairly common - you might take it to a gunsmith and ask if the back part of the chamber can be polished out 3 or 4 thou.

I agree, 34 grs is what i considered to be a starting load. i couldn't understand why the factory ammo would extract easily and the reloads would stick. i plan to take it to a gunsmith as you suggested. this is the first time i have ever experienced this issue with any gun that i have ever owned.

 

[Tommie]

Are the reloaded cases full-length sized or neck sized?

BTW congrats on the 788. They're shooters.

 

[AckleymanII]

What brand of brass are you using?

 

[hoz53]

I recently purchased a Remington 788 with a new Krieger barrel that is having issues with cases sticking in the chamber. i started off using factory ammo to test the gun and everything worked ok. When i started using the same reloads that i use in my other gun i could not get them out of the chamber after they were fired. The bolt would lift without any issues but the cases would not come out of the chamber. i removed the stuck cases with a cleaning rod and very little pressure. After returning home i measured the factory brass and the cases that were stuck in the chamber and could not find any differences. Everything was exactly the same. I did notice some small scratches on the body of the cases just above the the groove on the head. Both cases had the same scratches but the reloads seemed to be a little worse. There were also no signs of over pressure with any of them. Could this be a rough chamber that caused the reloads to stick due to slightly higher pressures than the factory ammo? I forgot to add, I am shooting 52g Hornday Match Hollow points seated .010" off the lands and using 34g of Varget.

I recently purchased a Remington 788 with a new Krieger barrel that is having issues with cases sticking in the chamber. i started off using factory ammo to test the gun and everything worked ok. When i started using the same reloads that i use in my other gun i could not get them out of the chamber after they were fired. The bolt would lift without any issues but the cases would not come out of the chamber. i removed the stuck cases with a cleaning rod and very little pressure. After returning home i measured the factory brass and the cases that were stuck in the chamber and could not find any differences. Everything was exactly the same. I did notice some small scratches on the body of the cases just above the the groove on the head. Both cases had the same scratches but the reloads seemed to be a little worse. There were also no signs of over pressure with any of them. Could this be a rough chamber that caused the reloads to stick due to slightly higher pressures than the factory ammo? I forgot to add, I am shooting 52g Hornday Match Hollow points seated .010" off the lands and using 34g of Varget.

I wonder if there is some kind of extractor issue. Mabie the extraction groove on the reloaded brass is a little different than the factory loads. I'd try clipping the reload brass in the bolt under the extractor and see how it worked just to eliminate that possibility. Just a Thought.

 

[Remshot]

I'm using PPU brass for the reloads and the new factory ammo. I have tried clipping the brass under the extractor and I did not see any difference. I have also measured both and they are the same. All brass has been full length resized.

 

[LHSmith]

Using brass fired in another chamber can cause problems. A few ten thousands difference in body diameter is all it takes. Brass is cheap compared to galling lugs. I always dedicate new brass to a new barrel to avoid problems. FWIW too smooth a chamber can be worse than a rough chamber.

 

[Ggmac]

Ppu brass in my rem 788 ( factory ) is HOT , did I mention HOT . It was good for the factory load only and would not take a primer . I didn't even finish the box , after 6 shots , one primer falling out , I called it quits .
This was an accurate ammo in other 22-250 I have , just hot in the 788 .
The brass may be a bit on the large size at the .200 line compared to factory Remington , Winchester ammo that usually mikes .467 at the .200
What does your Fired brass measure at .200 ?

 

[Shynloco]

Remshot,
Just a thought...you mentioned a new Kreiger barrel. The issue may well be that the reamer used on the new Kreiger created a tight chamber. I had a similar problem with a Kreiger and a tight reamer (.308BR) and had to use a Small Based Die on the brass which cured the issue. BTW, the brass appeared to be good and cleared a SAAMI Case Gauge just fine. Only problem was the chamber wasn't as liberal as a SAAMI spec chamber, making it a "custom chamber." In other words, brass fired in another rifle chamber (SAMMI specs) will not fit or will stick in a custom chamber. Once I used the Small Based Die, thereafter the regular .308 FL Die worked fine because the Small Based Die corrected the base problem and the brass foreformed correctly to the new chamber dimensions. Food for thought.

Alex

 

[SheepDog]

OK, let's look at the symptoms:
1. factory ammo worked fine. (that more or less rules out the extractor)
2. reloads fired from another rifle caused the stuck case.
3. the load is in the middle of load data (according to my Speer manual 32-36).
4. The cases pushed out easily with a rod from the muzzle.

I have to ask:
1. have you reloaded any brass from this gun yet?
2. did the reloads chamber hard going into the chamber?
3. were the reloads full length resized, partially full length resized or neck sized?

This gun may have a smaller chamber than the gun that fired your reloads. If this is the case and you want to use the same ammo in both rifles then you can polish this chamber to do so. You can also keep the rounds you fire in each gun separate and reload for individual guns. I have a couple of guns that use the same cartridge and I chose to keep the loads separated to be fired in only one of the guns. That way I can work up the most accurate load for each gun.
Before you make any permanent changes I would suggest that you load some of the once fired brass and shoot it in the new gun. If you don't experience any problems then you have found the cause. Then you can decide what you really want to do about it.

 

[Remshot]

Ppu brass in my rem 788 ( factory ) is HOT , did I mention HOT . It was good for the factory load only and would not take a primer . I didn't even finish the box , after 6 shots , one primer falling out , I called it quits .
This was an accurate ammo in other 22-250 I have , just hot in the 788 .
The brass may be a bit on the large size at the .200 line compared to factory Remington , Winchester ammo that usually mikes .467 at the .200
What does your Fired brass measure at .200 ?

My brass is measuring exactly .467. I believe all of you have answered my question with the fact that i have a tight chamber. I did check the chamber with a borescope and found some rough marks on the edge. The remainder of the chamber looked good. I will try loading some of the once fired brass before i do anything else. If that doesn't work, it may be time to try a small base die. Thanks to everyone for the help

 

[Ggmac]

That .467 is a fired round that stuck ? What does your ammo measure that gave you problems , if you have any still unfired .

 

[Remshot]

That .467 is a fired round that stuck ? What does your ammo measure that gave you problems , if you have any still unfired .

i don't have anything left. i only loaded a few rounds to try with this gun. i believe loading the once fired brass from this gun will tell if it is really the chamber or the loads.

 

[Remshot]

I finally found the issue today. i loaded some of the brass that had only been fired in this gun and it extracted without any issues. Loads were 34, 34.5, and 35 grs. of Varget. the gun shot as it should without any pressure signs. i also loaded some more rounds using the brass that had been fired in my other gun. First shot resulted in another stuck case. Thanks to everyone for your help.