243 AI Feeding

[agr516]

A while back, I had a 700 BDL 22-250 re-barreled to a 243 AI. I also had a Wyatts Extended Magazine Box installed. Since doing that, I have not been able to get it to feed correctly. I am using Berger 105 Hybrids with a long COAL that does not leave a lot of spare room in the magazine. I can get it to feed (not smoothly though) if I only put one round down in the magazine and one in the chamber. If I put more than one in the magazine, the bolt either fails to catch the case head of the top round or the round binds up halfway out of the magazine.

Do I need to switch out my follower? If so, which follower would work best to help it feed from the magazine? I know one route is a feed rail modification but I wouldn't think that it would be necessary for going from a 22-250 to 243 AI. Thank you for any suggestions.

AGR516

 

[agr516]

TTT

 

[fredhorace77]

there is really no set system to achieving what u want but in general if the bolt head is not picking the cartridge up you need to either tighten the front lips inward to raise the back of the cartridge up or open the back feed lips to allow the rear of the cartridge to rise. Warning, if you tighten the front lips too much the bullet or neck area of the cartridge will jam and not have enough rise on it to enter the chamber. Too much rise on the front of the cartridge will also cause the cartridge to pop out of the magazine before it enters the chamber. Basically what im saying is that it is a back and forth game till you get it exactly where you want. And like you also mentioned sometimes replacing the follower and or spring will sometimes help, then sometimes ive seen it make things worse. I ran into this problem with my rem. 700 in 223 and also on a marlin 17hmr that used a clip. I decided to play with the 17hmr first to determine how changing the feed lips will change how the cartridge sits in the mag. and also how the bolt picks up the cartridge as you close it. Don't get to crazy bending the feed lips to much at one time you can break them. Go a little at a time and operate the bolt slowly and watch what is happening and not happening as you move the bolt forward. Also make sure and fill the magazine full every time you try it to see if it helped. Good luck

 

[agr516]

Thank you for your replies. I will spend some time on the mag box lips and see if I can work out the kinks and make it feed.