Bat and Kelbly comparison

[jackieschmidt]

Thanks for providing the link to a previous thread. Very interesting.

Sounds like a symptom of excessive pressure (sticky bolt lift) is not present as early when using 17-4 steel.

Don’t I want to a sticky bolt lift to tell me I need to back off on the pressure?

Otherwise I could use excessive pressures and might not notice until I have already toasted the primer pockets on a couple hundred pieces of brass.

It is not unusual for Benchrest Shooters to shoot loads in the 70,000 psi range.

 

[Kevin1990]

I've read old threads on here that the bats, at least the stainless ones were prone to galling; or alot of people complaining of them galling anyway. Would nitriding cure that issue, if it fact it was an issue? I've owned one bare stainless defiance, and while I liked it, cycling the bolt felt gummy/sticky, and it did gall after I had a couple 1,000 rounds on it. (Probably my fault.)

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Yes nitride cures that

 

[TRSR8]

Had Kelbly’s for years and loved them.
Have an SV and couple DS’s. The fact that I can screw any bbl on any of them and generally be within about .001” on bump is a big plus.

 

[john6]

I have the recently discontinued Kelbly Black Bear action in 6CM. It is basically a 1.4" flat bottom stainless mag fed Panda action. Kelbly's is awesome to deal with. I sent them a barrel blank to chamber and install when I ordered the action. 3 1/2 maybe 4 months later I had a barreled action waiting at my FFL.
I loaded some Pretty light loads with 105 Berger BTHPs and H4350 just to break in. They shot pretty good. A buddy knew I was shooting my new gun and took me out to his 900yrd range. Those no load development first loads were good for about 6" groups at 900yrds.
I have since then done some loaded development with 87 vmax bullets for coyotes, and bedded the action. The other day I shot a 5 shot group at 100 yards in the .100s WITH HORNADY VMAX BULLETS!!!
As mentioned earlier in this thread, the best part is I can get a new barrel chambered without sending the action. And I love the mechanical ejector.
I also have a Bat VR action. It is a mag fed 700 footprint action. It too is amazing.
The only reason I would think you would get an action galled is by cycling the bolt with crud in the action and/or lack of lube. Nitride or not I lube my bolts. Most 700 clones have larger bolt fit tolerances because it is a hunting rifle action and as such more subject to getting crud in the action. BR actions have a much larger rear tang area, which equals strength and larger bedding area.
I recently ordered a couple Borden actions. One is a BR type action the other a 700 clone. I wanted the 700 clone with a BR bolt fit. Jim Borden told me, and I have no reason to doubt it, unless you are shooting a 6PPC in a full-blown competition rifle you cannot shoot the difference in his 700 clone bolt fit or his BR bolt fit.
My experience and Opinion FWIW