I'm already hating myself for suggesting this, but since people enjoyed the other "myth" thread I started, why not one on rifle "myths" ..... ? I'll start off with one written up by Canadian gun writer Terry Wieland in the October 2018 issue of "Handloader" magazine.
He writes about an incident with a Ruger No. 1 in .308 where the forend split and locked the action up tight. It took the efforts of a gunsmith to open the action as brass had flowed into every available crevice. This was the 15th round of 15 rds of the ammo in question, so no remaining rds were left for examination.
The case could not have been double charged as it would have over flowed. Bullets were 165 gr, but even had they been 180 gr, the load would have been within safe limits. He doesn't name the powder used.
He goes on about a similar case where he was shooting a .270 Winchester with 130 gr bullets under a "slow burning powder" (likely 4831 or 4350). After five or six shots, his spotter called high and right. He fired a total of twelve rds. Examining his brass later, he discovered one with the primer blown. He found the primer in the mag well and the primer pocket was much enlarged. No damage occurred to the rifle, no excessive muzzle blast or recoil. Bolt lift was normal and the case reseated in the chamber effortlessly.
No remaining bullets miked .284 and he tried chambering such a rd without success. His bullets were bulk "factory seconds". He miked a handful and all were .277 in diameter.
I'm starting to hear the strains of the theme from the "Twilight Zone" .....
He mentions a certain ballistician, Dr. Brownell who was working with a .244 Remington which gave a sudden pressure spike with a Speer 105 gr. The Dr. flew to Lewiston, Idaho and the Speer ballisticians determined that the bullet used had a different configuration with sidewalls that gripped the rifling with more resistance, hence the pressure spike.
Conclusion: Just because a load is proven safe with one particular bullet type of the same weight, that does not equate to a safe load with a bullet of different configuration or gilding material such as a solid copper bullet.
Years ago, I remember when the .243 had a reputation for pressure spikes and many people avoided it for that reason. I think that Dr. Brownell's experience suggests the possible cause.
OK - there's my contribution. Comments and/or another "Rifle Myth & Mystery" ... ?
He writes about an incident with a Ruger No. 1 in .308 where the forend split and locked the action up tight. It took the efforts of a gunsmith to open the action as brass had flowed into every available crevice. This was the 15th round of 15 rds of the ammo in question, so no remaining rds were left for examination.
The case could not have been double charged as it would have over flowed. Bullets were 165 gr, but even had they been 180 gr, the load would have been within safe limits. He doesn't name the powder used.
He goes on about a similar case where he was shooting a .270 Winchester with 130 gr bullets under a "slow burning powder" (likely 4831 or 4350). After five or six shots, his spotter called high and right. He fired a total of twelve rds. Examining his brass later, he discovered one with the primer blown. He found the primer in the mag well and the primer pocket was much enlarged. No damage occurred to the rifle, no excessive muzzle blast or recoil. Bolt lift was normal and the case reseated in the chamber effortlessly.
No remaining bullets miked .284 and he tried chambering such a rd without success. His bullets were bulk "factory seconds". He miked a handful and all were .277 in diameter.
I'm starting to hear the strains of the theme from the "Twilight Zone" .....
He mentions a certain ballistician, Dr. Brownell who was working with a .244 Remington which gave a sudden pressure spike with a Speer 105 gr. The Dr. flew to Lewiston, Idaho and the Speer ballisticians determined that the bullet used had a different configuration with sidewalls that gripped the rifling with more resistance, hence the pressure spike.
Conclusion: Just because a load is proven safe with one particular bullet type of the same weight, that does not equate to a safe load with a bullet of different configuration or gilding material such as a solid copper bullet.
Years ago, I remember when the .243 had a reputation for pressure spikes and many people avoided it for that reason. I think that Dr. Brownell's experience suggests the possible cause.
OK - there's my contribution. Comments and/or another "Rifle Myth & Mystery" ... ?
