savage f-class issues

[berettadave]

I have been reading these forums for some time now but this is my first post.

I have just started loading for a savage f-class in 6.5x284. I got some load info from Berger bullets and decided to start with H4831sc. It listed the starting load at 48.5gr and it had a max load of over 51 gr.

I loaded ten of these using lapua brass, Fed primers and Berger 140gr VLD's. My load was 48.5 gr.,checked with two different scales).

I checked the oal for my rifle and it was at 3.221 so I loaded these a few thousandths shorter to insure I was not "jammed" into the rifling. I am close to touching though.

I cleaned the barrel and then followed with several dry patches to get any excess oil out.

When I fired the first round, I noticed that the bolt was a little stiff to open, It closed on the unfired round with no noticible stiffness).

It definitely had pressure signs. the primer was blackened and loosened and it even etched the boltface a little.

My question is: should this have happened with this light of a load? Even if the bullet was touching the rifling?

I know without a doubt the barrel was cleaned properly and there was no obstruction, checked before firing first round)

I normally do not like to load lighter than the lightest recommended load but in this case I pulled the remaining bullets and backed the load to 48.0gr. I also seated the bullet .050 deeper just to be sure. These remaining loads did not seem to have any problems.

I wanted to get the barrel broken in and then start to load for a ladder test. This has gotten me worried about doing that now. I have not shot it over a chrono yet but that will be next. I am kinda afraid of increasing the load for fear of another problem.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what might have been the problem?

thanks
David

 

[cliffe]

48.5 is higher than max load with 140 class bullets out of the sierra reloading manual. lists 43.3 min to 48.2 max.48.5 sounds a little to hot for your gun. depending on how deep the throat is cut and where your c.o.a.l. is. alot of 6.5x284 are chambered with the throat cut deeper which gives you a bigger case capacity and less pressure. cliffe

 

[berettadave]

Cliffe,

Thanks for the info. Thats odd to me that the info emailed to me from berger listed 48.5gr of H4831sc as the starting load and around 51.3gr as the max. This is with an oal of 3.228. I wonder why it would vary that much from the sierra manual. I can see it being a little different but that seems extreme.

thanks
David

 

[bowers]

I would check neck it sounds like you need more room

 

[243Mendoza]

The load that you tried with H4831SC is indeed light. Usual loads are 53-54gr with the 140gr bullets. I use 49.5gr of H4350 which is a faster powder than H4831SC. The Sierra manual gives very conservative loads. I am not familiar with Savage rifles and they may have a tight throat. Does a bullet drop into the fired case easily? If not, you may have a tight throat. Hopefully people familiar with Savage rifles will post.

 

[Henryp]

I used 53-54 gr of H4831sc with no pressure signs with 142 S. Check the neck diameter of a loaded round with a fired one. The fired round must be at least .002 bigger.

 

[6BR]

Berettdave, It sounds like something is wrong. When I owned a 6.5x284, I used 52 to 53grns of 4831sc out of my 6.5x284, so your 48.5grns is very low. What type of brass are you using?

 

[berettadave]

I have been using Lapua brass. I measured the neck on a loaded round and come up with .2950"-2.955". I measured the neck on several fired cases and I am getting .2975"-2980". I did not check to see if a bullet drops into a fired case easily.

The Sierra manual does in fact seem as though it is very conservative on loads. I compared it with my Berger data that was sent to me and it seems like most of the time the max loads in the Sierra manual are just a little over what the starting loads are in the Berger info. Some of the Berger loads are around four grains higher than Sierra.

Kinda makes you wonder which info to go by. Based on my experience so far with this gun its probably safer to start with the Sierra info,in my gun).

I did load and shoot three rounds with 46.0 gr of H4831sc with the bullet around .005 off of the lands. These seemed to group pretty well. I measured the case head before and after to check for expansion and it didnt show any. The primer was flattened slightly,Fed Gm210m)but not too bad.

I will play with it more this weekend I hope. This time I will use my chrono to check my velocities.

On a good note, it does seem like the gun has potential to shoot well.

Thanks for the help guys.

David

 

[Raptor]

David,
I had two 6.5x284s and I shot 4831SC in mine also at around 53 and 54grs depending on my brass lot.,I had two different lots of Norma brass.)