.284 Winchester feeding problems

[arizonajake]

I have a Winchester model 70 push feed rifle, which I re-barreled to .284 Winchester.
The rifle is very precise with H4831 and Berger 168 VLD loads, but bolt will not pick-up a cartride from the magazine and is limited to single shot loading. Would swapping the existing follower to one made for magnum cartridges solve the problem, or do I have to take a dremel tool and grind a wider "channel" on the follower? I am NOT touching the bolt guide rails. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kurz]

What was the original chamber for this rifle?

If the feed rails are just a bit too narrow, the cartridge can't get high enough to let the bolt capture the rim.

...but bolt will not pick-up a cartride from the magazine and is limited to single shot loading.

The .284 Winchester is a rebated rim cartridge, the rim is 0.473" while the base of the case just in front of the extractor groove is 0.500", so sometimes the bolt slides right over the cartridge when loaded from the magazine. The way to fix this is to get the cartridge to rise up higher from the magazine for the bolt to pick it up.

Depending on the type of magazine you have, the feed lips can be opened up slightly, a little at a time until the cartridge rises up enough for the bolt to capture the case rim. There are occasions when the underside of the feed rails need to be opened up also but this is best left to a gunsmith.

All of this is dependent on what the rifle was originally chambered for.

Dremel tools are the tool of the devil when it comes to working on rifles.

Regards.

 

[NickB1075]

I just finished a 284 win with a detachable mag and exactly as Kurz explained was the problem with mine. I tweeked the feed lips to allow the case to sit higher in the magazine.

Nick

 

[arizonajake]

Thank you all very much for your answers! The rifle is a switch-barrel 30-06/.284/25-06 AI, so I will order another magazine box to tweak the lips, since I am afraid to touch the feed rails and then leave too much of an opening when using the rifle in 25-05 AI or 30-06. Again, thanks!

 

[Kurz]

Another solution for you to consider would be to get a .280 Rem. barrel and sell the .284 Win. barrel. This way you would have all the same (similar) cartridge family for all barrels. You can even get .280 AI brass from Nosler if that is of any interest.

Regards.

 

[Tommie]

I’ve also appreciated this thread. Have a 788 6mm Rem that will be converted to .284

 

[arizonajake]

Another solution for you to consider would be to get a .280 Rem. barrel and sell the .284 Win. barrel. This way you would have all the same (similar) cartridge family for all barrels. You can even get .280 AI brass from Nosler if that is of any interest.

Regards.

Kurtz,

That is a good option. However, the long action allows me to use VLD bullets with the .284 and that might not be the case with the .280AI. Thanks!

 

[LCazador]

This is a Winchester problem. They left the feed lips the same as pre 64 action. One of the reasons their push feed got such bad reviews. It will work if you do a 280, and it's the same as any 284. On another note, I've never had a feeding issue converting a Rem 700 to 284.

 

[arizonajake]

Well, I tried switching the .284's follower with the one from my .338 Mag Model 70 and vice-versa, and although the .284's magazine capacity is limited to 3 rounds, BOTH rifles feed flawlessly. Although I have not tried cycling 30-06 rounds through, I have another carbon fiber follower which works well with 30-06-type cartridges. Thank you all for the input.

 

[Zero333]

Glad you got it sorted !

I love happy endings.