hang fires in my 6.5x47

[zap]

I took my "new to me", 6.5x47 lapua to test some more loads today. I purchased it used from a local fella. It had around 400 rounds through it when I bought it, and I have less than 100 through it since I have had it.

I shot a 4 shot group with 36 gr of N135. Not a good group and a little on the hot side, sticky bolt lift, but not too bad at all . Primer edges looked rounded still.

Next I was going to try some N550. I am hearing great things with this powder for the 6.5x47.
The first shot with this load I heard a noticeable delay. I could hear a click, then it fired !
I took the next shot and it did not even fire. I ejected it to look at it , and noticed that the pin did hit the primer, but a little on the light side. But can't really say light, because since the case did not fire, the primer did not do the usual slide back against the bolt head under full pressure. So the pin probably did hit with the proper force. I believe this initial load was 35 gr of N550.
The next load of N550 was 35.5, then 36.0 last. I got hang fires with all but maybe two out of 12 rounds. Some had noticeably longer hang fires than others.
Same lot of primers I have been using since I have owned the rifle. I am using wolf small rifle magnum primers. Only new thing is the N550, and I can't imagine a problem with the powder, especially this brand. I always check the powder in the case with a small flashlight before I seat the bullets.

According to Lapuas load data, I am slightly above their starting charge of 34.4 gr of N550.

If I had some loads with some other brand of powder to shoot after the N550,and I was not getting hang fires with them, then I would say there is a problem with the N550 combination. But they were the last loads that I shot that day.

Has anyone ever experienced this ?

I am open to any suggestions.

 

[sdean]

Mostly hear about hangfires with Wolf Primers. I had some last year and quit them for now. Have not had one since with CCI or Federal. Plenty people have great results with them. There is plenty I don't know. I will revisit them with more experience. I find them harder to get a consistent seatind depth.

 

[cmillard]

out of the thousands of rounds fired with wolf primers, i have yet to have a single problem. i shoot wolf exclusively now. i think that says something. is your powder moist?

 

[KMart]

I have not shot as many as others may have. I have gone through about 5000 in LR, LRM and SRM. I have never had a misfire or hangfire.

 

[johara1]

I have used a lot of Wolf primers and have a few issues with them and switched to cci 450 and it went away. Both the Dashers and the 6.5x47......jim

 

[SomeFool]

I shoot a 6.5x47L in an older savage and had some similar issues in the early stages, long story short, I ended up going to a stronger firing pin spring (wolf I think). I chalked it up to the small rifle mag primers being a much harder cup than the large rifle primers that the rig was original designed for.

 

[wapiti25]

I found that the large rifle wolf primers and Norma 204 powder would hang fire. I also have a 6PPC that does not like the small rifle mag primer, miss fires. Norma 204 is a double base powder. the wolf large primers work great with single base powders for me

 

[260Ravage]

Also,, check the headspace. The primers require a very sharp blow to ignite. If the firing pin has to push the case ahead, then deliver the blow,,it takes that "sharpness"out of that blow. just sayin'.
Terru

 

[Kings X]

Might I ask what action and trigger you are using?

 

[Erik Cortina]

I shoot a 6.5x47 with N550 and have had no problems with N550, I do however use CCI 450 primers.

Try 450's and don't FL size too much.

 

[zap]

Might I ask what action and trigger you are using?

Savage target action. savage target trigger.

I shoot a 6.5x47 with N550 and have had no problems with N550, I do however use CCI 450 primers.

Try 450's and don't FL size too much.

I am planning on trying some cci primers. I think I have br4's, would they be ok to use ?

 

[TheSnake]

Did you pull the bullets and see if the primers fired? If they didn't fire, stop thinking powder is the problem unless it is wet. I would be looking at brass sizing, firing pin/spring and headspace, then the primer. In that order.

 

[scott_at_vortex]

By chance have you recently pierced a primer? Even if you haven't the previous owners may have. Take the firing pin assembly out of the bolt and make sure the firing pin runs freely through the firing pin hole in the bolt.


What I am getting at is that you may have an obstruction caused from a piece of primer. This is pretty common if primers have been pierced.



Scott

 

[zap]

No pierced primers by me.

I did take the firing pin assembly out to clean it. It really was not very dirty, but did find some gummy residue on the bigger diameter of the pin.I sprayed the entire assembly with carb cleaner and wiped the pin really good. I am hoping that was my problem.

Did you pull the bullets and see if the primers fired? If they didn't fire, stop thinking powder is the problem unless it is wet. I would be looking at brass sizing, firing pin/spring and headspace, then the primer. In that order.

Out of the 12 that had hang fired, only one did not fire, and like I said , the pin did leave a dent in the primer.
I can't remember if I mentioned this, but I seated some more primers from the same box and fired them out my back door. They all went off perfectly.

I did check the brass size with a gauge from base to shoulder and all checked out good.

So, I am hoping it was just my pin getting hung up. I will load a few more of the same load to see what they do.

Despite that load going off like a flint lock, I actually shot a decent group with the N550. :-\

I am planning on switching to a different primer no matter what.

 

[Shynloco]

ZAP,
I can't comment on what (if anything is going on with your firing pin/firing pin spring) so Id'd first have a Gunsmith make sure those two items are functioning properly. But if I might also suggest, once that issue is resolved, give a try to Berger 140 Target VLD's being pushed by 44.3 grs of VVN160. Some of the guys I shoot with that shoot the 6.5's are all using this load or somewhere in the 44 gr load range. Might see better result with your rifle. Info only.

 

[lloydx2]

Did you pull the (One) that did not ignite apart and look at the primer?

 

[zap]

I did pull that case apart, but never looked at the primer. I never even heard a faint pop when I pulled the trigger, just the click of the pin hitting. the primer.

I will update this post after the next time I go to the range.

 

[markm87]

Mostly hear about hangfires with Wolf Primers.

I had that happen to me in my AR15. Absolutely the most bizarre feeling...

 

[dan06]

I had a bunch of hangfires using wolf primers made for AR_15 autos....In a winchester mod 70 chambered in .223 ack. I gave up useing them as I was getting about 50% hangfires or failure to fire. I hear Wold standard primers are great? I have no problems with CCI, federal, or remington in that rifle.

 

[1shot]

I've fired ten's of thousands of Wolf SR-M primers without a problem in several different cartridges in both gas rifles as well as bolt-action rifles until I built my 6.5x47L. Specs are as follows: Atlas action from Kelbly's w/coned bolt. Lapua brass, Bartlein bbl. throated for 130 class bullets seated anywhere between .015 jump and .010 jam depending the bullet. All brass is F-L re-sized and has the shoulder bumped .001 max. as measured with a barrel stub gauge made with the same reamer that cut the chamber. I prime with a RCBS hand primer and seat the primer, then rotate the case 90 deg. and give it a 2nd squeeze to make sure the cup is fully seated. As well, all primer pockets have been uniformed with a Sinclair primer pocket-uniforming cutter and all measure the same. I was having multiple mis-fires and hang fires until I took the advice of others on this forum and tried some CCI 450 primers, and suddenly, no more problems. I don't claim to know why this problem exists with this cartridge, but it does it with every powder I tried including Varget, N-140, N-150, H-4350 and RL-15, so that pretty much eliminates the powder being the culprit. Maybe Eric C. can shed some light on the subject from the Lapua brass perspective, as I have no explanation for the cause, just the solution that worked for me.
I hope this helps,
Lloyd