Bolt handle stuck

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sailors_throw_rocks

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Hey guys I started reloading for my Remington 710 30-06. Put together 35 test rounds of hornady vmax 110 for coyote hunting. Followed the hornady book for all sizing and they were within .01 of suggested. When I got to the range I fired two factory hornady sst 165 to warm the barrel then I was going to start my testing of my loads for accuracy. Loaded the first round which was my lowest powder charge, fired and tried to extract the shell but it wouldn't come out. Bolt would unlock from the lugs but not pull back. Finally put down my purse and got the shell to come out. Loaded another shell and tried to extract it without firing. But wouldn't come out. Finally had to kick start the bolt to remove the unfired round. Put the same rounds in my tikka t3 30-06 and fired 34 rounds without a hitch.
So my question is this why could this be happening and how can I fix this? Since I would like to dedicate this as my coyote gun.
If there is another thread started with this same problem can you share the link since I couldn't find it.

Thanks in advance
Isaac
 
Its a resizing problem. If the rounds were fired in a rifle with a chamber thats larger than average they may not be resized all the way down to the web. The fact that they chamber and fire in the Tikka but not the Remington is your clue.

Check that the fulllength sizer is screwed all the way down to touch the shell holder and try chambering a case in the Rem and see if it sticks. The try it in the Tikka. Also try some new unfired brass cases. In an extreme situation you may need a small base sizer.

There is a high variance between so called factory chamber dimensions. God knows how many chambers they ream with each reamer till they toss it.
 
Did you make sure the shellholder makes firm contact with the die when sizing? The initial adjustment in the instructions often isn't enough. If you can see light between the shellholder and die when sizing then lower the ram and turn the die in 1/8 to 1/4 turn until there's no gap. Your shoulders may not be pushed back far enough.
 
Heddok said:
Its a resizing problem. If the rounds were fired in a rifle with a chamber thats larger than average they may not be resized all the way down to the web. The fact that they chamber and fire in the Tikka but not the Remington is your clue.

Check that the fulllength sizer is screwed all the way down to touch the shell holder and try chambering a case in the Rem and see if it sticks. The try it in the Tikka. Also try some new unfired brass cases. In an extreme situation you may need a small base sizer.

There is a high variance between so called factory chamber dimensions. God knows how many chambers they ream with each reamer till they toss it.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^^^ This.
Learned the same lesson with 45-70 fired out of my Marlin 1895 and when reloaded (not all 45-70 dies are full length I discovered) they would not even chamber in my Winchester 1886.
 
A quick tip Isaac for testing a hunting load . Do not "warm up" your barrel with other bullets and make sure you take good note of your "Cold barrel point of impact".
good chances are you will shoot at a coyote on a cold barrel and the POI might be slightly different than a "warm up" barrel !!!
 
How did you confirm that the cases were properly resized? (not under, not over)
Case gauge, or test in rifle?

Where did the brass come from? That same rifle or another rifle?

Looks like a headspace issue to me.

Something bothers me. His bolt closes, the rifle fires, but he cannot extract?
Is the brass loose or jammed in there when you close the bolt, and re-open on an unfired cartridge?
 
Heddok nailed it.
I keep my brass specific to each rifle from new, and since have never had an issue.
When i loaded and resized and used same brass in a variety of rifles, problems galore...
Your only fix is to small base resize or try sizing more with die you have if you can. But brass memory is a bugger at times.
 
Mixing cases fired in various firearms, rather than keeping them segregated by firearm, is a great way to experience issues like those that are being described. Even when the cases are sized in a properly adjusted FL die, this can happen. As well, the 710 rifles are known to have chambers that may be rough, which just further aggravates the issue.
 
Try chambering a sized case before seating a bullet. That can help pin point if it's your sizer, or something happening when you're seating.

Often it's just a tweak of the f/l sizer to remedy these symptoms, but to eliminate other possibilities test one step at a time.

...hard learned for me, as I kept adjusting a sizing die when my seater was bellowing the shoulder a smidge. (again just a bit out of adjustment)
 
Kryogen said:
That means that your tikka brass was not sized enough to bring it back to your rem specs. Screw the die in more.
Click to expand...

It's not at all uncommon for cases fired in one rifle, to not even chamber in another rifle, even after being FL sized in a FL die that is bottomed hard onto the shell holder.
 
I but a lot of once fired Lake City 5.56 brass and the first time I resize it I use a small base die. This is because this brass has been fired in so many different chambers and the small base die reduces the case to minimum SAAMI dimensions.

If you do not have small base dies you can try pausing at the top of the ram stroke for a few seconds. This will reduce brass spring back which is the major problem of sticky brass fired in another chamber.

Raising the bolt handle is primary extraction which should break the case free of the chamber walls. When the bolt handle can not be pulled to the rear (secondary extraction) the case did not spring back from the chamber walls and is binding. Meaning the diameter of the case was not small enough after sizing and did not "spring back" far enough after being fired.
 
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