Shot my first young buck. Shaken up after a malfunction.
- Thread starter canoetrpr
- Start date
I've learned the hard way with staying too close to the lands.
Factory spec's for all my reloads.
I pull the bolt and drop in each round and make sure they make
the pleasant clunk noise when they bottom.
Never had an issue since.
I agree on the third round in this story of the OP's.
Factory spec's for all my reloads.
I pull the bolt and drop in each round and make sure they make
the pleasant clunk noise when they bottom.
Never had an issue since.
I agree on the third round in this story of the OP's.
Not if it was properly seated.....I suspect COAL was the issue, especially with the OPs comments later in this thread.
"...the primer pushed the bullet into the chamber..." A primer can and will push a bullet into the barrel. Usually several inches. A second shot into an obstructed barrel usually causes extreme damage to the rifle. A bulged barrel at the least.
The whole cartridge is in the chamber. Having too much OAL can result in the bullet getting stuck in the lands upon extraction. As mentioned there'd be powder everywhere.
"...wasn't a squib, he would have known..." Not necessarily. Heat of the moment can negate hearing it. Had one in a .45 I didn't hear.
The whole cartridge is in the chamber. Having too much OAL can result in the bullet getting stuck in the lands upon extraction. As mentioned there'd be powder everywhere.
"...wasn't a squib, he would have known..." Not necessarily. Heat of the moment can negate hearing it. Had one in a .45 I didn't hear.
That is mighty kind of you but tomorrow is my last day here. I'm in the South River area.
Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I like this answer.
A very experienced reloader can dial in ammo close to the lands, tight cases, etc and get away with it. They will check each round before heading to the camp. However, the OP is on his first deer hunting trip, and a rookie reloader. I imagine he got a lot of stick at the camp when his expensive bolt action and custom ammo had a malfunction - I bet he will modify his approach next year. In time, he may even get a pump or a lever ...
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Cosmic, why not impart why I ought to get a lever or a pump instead is a bolt for hunting?
No one ever did rib me about an expensive bolt action. No one I hang out with seems to think a Win 70 at some $680 at Lebaron when I bought it is expensive. One of the better deals out there if you ask me and about the same price as several other popular rifles.
I'm measuring with a Sinclair OAL gauge to the ojive. I make a dummy round with the bullet used for measuring so the OAL is right at the lands. I use a Sinclair comparator and set the zero of the calipers to where that dummy round measures. That way for every round I load, I measure -0.015 or whatever distance I'm seeking to get away from the lands.
You are right that something went wrong here and I've got to go back and re measure distance to the lands for this bullet and the OAL of my dummy round.
There are much better and simpler methods than the dummy round, which is prone to imprecision. Imagine the bullet being pulled out of the case slightly upon extraction - what will that do to your metrology? I suggest you go 30 thou off the lands - that will give you some margin for error.
Regarding the use of pumps, levers, etc. In Central Ontario, where the bush is tight and the deer are hurried, a quick follow up shot can be very desirable. 80% of the hunters in our area use pumps, levers, or semis. if you show up with a bolt gun at these camps, you're going to get a less than promising watch.
Regarding the use of pumps, levers, etc. In Central Ontario, where the bush is tight and the deer are hurried, a quick follow up shot can be very desirable. 80% of the hunters in our area use pumps, levers, or semis. if you show up with a bolt gun at these camps, you're going to get a less than promising watch.
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Which is why you repeat the process multiple times until you obtain the same result several times. I then use the same bullet to set up my seating die. I routinely load to .010" off of the lands, with no issues at all. In some cases, if I changed that to .030" off of the lands, the group size would double.
I use bolt guns in heavy timber for elk and moose, and never have I felt as though I was at any disadvantage by using a bolt gun. If I don't think that I can do the job with one shot, I don't shoot. Then again, I don't live in a province where there have already been over a half dozen accidental shootings during the current hunting season.
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First of all, I use exclusively bolts, except for my shotgun for when hunting 65 which is a pump... The camp I am a member of has no problem putting me on a good watch... They also like the fact that they don't have to track my deer into the swamp every year because I didn't blast away at the sign of fur...
Actually, I believe 5 of the 6 were self inflicted darwinism...
Oh... And I live in a province where we actually hunt instead of shooting at living targets from the side of the road after putting our double doubles down....
Well - I should point out that I use bolt guns equally with non bolt guns, when deer hunting. If I'm dogging, I tend to go with the 760 pump or the Ross carbine, as the situation seems to demand quick shooting. Having spent years reloading bolt guns for accuracy, I no longer have the urge to wring out the most of a given gun. After all, for a standing free-hand shot at 70 yards, there is no practical advantage to a 1/2 MOA load over a 2 MOA load. Moreover, iron sights can offer superior target acquisition in quick shooting situations, and I still use them (peep site with aperture removed) even though I am far sighted.
Each to his own - the point I was trying to make originally is that the internet is often a poor substitute for experience in the field. We've started mentoring young hunters from the "big smoke" at our camp. Its amazing how many mis-conceptions they have based upon internet or big-box store lore.
Each to his own - the point I was trying to make originally is that the internet is often a poor substitute for experience in the field. We've started mentoring young hunters from the "big smoke" at our camp. Its amazing how many mis-conceptions they have based upon internet or big-box store lore.
