Winchester Power Point FTF

NB444

NB444

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Anyone else having issues with Winchester Power Point ammo, 300 win mag to be specific? The last two boxes I have used I have had a failure to fire in each.
The first one I was about 10 rounds into the box and the gun went ping rather than boom, waited a few minutes then opened the bolt to dispose of the round. I don’t know about you guys but handling a live round with an obviously dented primer does not leave me feeling too confident on keeping 10 fingers. So I emailed Winchester and they had me ship the rest of the box with the fired and unfired rounds to their Canadian agent, minus the FTF of course, to examine them.
So off I go to Walmart to buy another box of 180g Winchester to sight in a different gun. Head to the range load a round and ping!! You got to be kidding me, the first round!!!! I was slightly pisssed off at this point, I did fire the remaining 19 rounds without any problem. A FTF at the range is one thing but in the field would be another level of anger.
Again to reiterate, 2 different guns and obvious primer strikes. Anybody else having these issues? This is not a Winchester rant as I find it accurate in my guns and like the performance on deer and moose.
 
Winchester ammunition seems to have had some terrible screw ups the last few years. Various reports of pistol ammo with OAL's all over the place, a big .22lr recall, backwards bullets in rifle ammo, blown primers that mess up bolt faces, and their brass quality for reloading purposes has plummeted. I just avoid most things Winchester now a days (ammuntion based that is; their Brown-Miroku-chester rifles and shotguns are great).
 
I'm a Winchester fan boy, for the Model 70 especially. Hard to believe their ammo is having so many issues when their firearms are generally well regarded.:confused::confused:
 
Did the failed rounds do anything other than just sit there and let you dent the primer without firiing the primer?

Any problems with other brands of ammunition?
 
It was two different guns, a Rem I have owned for almost 20 years and a Kimber I've fired maybe 40 rounds or so out of with no issues. the primers were well dented. They just acted like duds. Never had a FTF before with anything other than a 22.
 
its pretty much all i use in my Tikka...and thankfully i have never had a dud. hopefully i don't find one while hunting this year as that would leave me pretty bent out of shape...
 
I just used 2 boxes of winchester 7mm power point 175gr ammo, and although all went off, I had 2 brass cases split terribly at the neck, and there were 2 cases that had splits/tears?? just above the belt. Anyhow, the brass has gone to shyte lately. I used to love using their brass for all my reloading. But, the QC is a non-existent entity at the ammo plant I suspect......
 
Might be an issue with the low round count Kimber...

Weak firing pin string
Below spec firing pin protrusion
Headspace.

Trying a different mfgr ammunition would help in diagnosing same.

Having said that, I too have heard reports of issues with Winchester primers in the last few years.
 
The Kimber is okay I think, positive strikes on primer, cases are not stretched with rings or anything abnormal. The Remington fired cases are the same. Both guns are accurate with Winchester also which is a shame if their quality control is suspect.
I been saving my brass for a few years now and have 160 or so now, good time to start reloading 300 win mag I guess. I reload other cartridges but was always happy with the performance of the Winchester, until now.
 
NB444 said:
I'm a Winchester fan boy, for the Model 70 especially. Hard to believe their ammo is having so many issues when their firearms are generally well regarded.:confused::confused:
Click to expand...

Two different companies using the same name.
Olin Industries owns the ammo company. FN owns the rights to the firearm company name.
 
I have always had good luck with the cheaper Winchester ammo until 2 weeks ago when I had an issue with a 284 win round and several 30-06 rounds.
The problem with the 284 was not enough head space, my 284 is a BLR 81, the lever felt and looked fully closed but apparently it wasn't, because the gun would not fire, trigger wouldn't release the hammer,..strangely enough it was only the one round, all the rest worked fine. I measured the faulty round when I got home and it was a few thou longer at the neck than the rest of the rounds.

The 30-06 ammo fired just fine but there was soot on the head of the case around the primers,..this happened to 40% of them The primers did seem to be a little bit flattened compared to the rounds that didn't have soot on the head but no other signs of pressure,..maybe the primer pockets were just slack.
 
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I just had a couple of factory Win PP 150 gr 30-30 with split cases too. They were minor I just discarded them and didn't really think much about them until I read this and some other threads of people having problems. It must be their quality control in recent years because I have always found winchester ammo to be good stuff, never had any problems before.
 
I have a box of winchester .22 that has about 50% ftf rate. Priming compound in the bullet line groves instead of the rim...
Winchester would not return my emails or calls.
Never again.
 
I received some consideration in this case from Winchester. In the mail yesterday was a letter of apology and $35 us worth of "Winchester Ammunition Certificates". I hope CT or Walmart accepts them, Lol?:popCorn:
 
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