Cammed and Jambed

I needed to verify the zero on my Remington Mohawk 600 carbine a couple of days ago. This is a used gun I picked up years ago as a project and I have been messing with it ever since.

I loaded up a few rounds with 87 grain soft points that I intend to use on Javelina. This gun likes bullets out by the rifling, but I screwed up with my seating die, so these rounds were a couple of thousandths longer. I didn't notice until I was out in the desert and had to cam the bullets into the rifling with bolt ala the benchrest guns. Apparently, this gun really likes that. This group is .75" center to center.

Obviously a cammed load isn't a hunting load, and this wasn't a multi-round testing session, but I found it interesting. Have any of you experimented with this technique for real?

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Blue68f100 said:

Doing that increases pressure. What do your primers look like.

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I realize that. My loads are tailored for bullets just short of the rifling and they aren't max anyway. Like I said, this isn't a hunting load and not something I would do as a normal practice since I am not a benchrest competitor. It is interesting though.

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Armorer 101 said:

Did you not check the seating depth on just one laded cartridge with a magic marker before you loaded up a bunch of these? Come on, that is reloading 101 stuff.

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Who says I loaded up a bunch of these?? I missed that part. Paw through your loading history and let me know if you are perfect. I am sure you aren't unless you just started loading yesterday. Even then, I bet you aren't.

I loaded up enough to check my zero. It isn't the first time I've loaded these. After the first round, I checked the fired case using my nearly 50 years' experience, and it was fine, so I proceeded with what I needed to do. I corrected the setting on my micrometer seating die after the fact.

By the way, I don't ever use a magic marker. If I am going to check, I use a micrometer and a bullet comparator. I already know when that particular bullet contacts the rifling in that particular rifle. I actually want this bullet to be up close and personal with the rifling in this gun.

Another thing I do, if I am going hunting, is run every single round of my carry ammunition through my rifle to make sure there are no problems with the brass or anything else. I don't bother doing that if I am doing benchwork.

243winxb said:

Nice group.

This centers the round in the chamber & gives better starting pressures. Better for accuracy, till a loaded round needs removed. Light neck tension, pulled the bullet, letting IMR4350 laying in my action.

My 243 Win Mohawk likes Redding type S fl bushing die. I size 1/2 of the necks, to center rounds.

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I actually removed a chambered round for a test and it came out okay. Just enough rifling engagement for me to feel it when I closed the bolt. A very good point, though, on why you don't want to do this kind of thing with hunting ammo. You might actually need to remove the round.

I guess if you think you have a long round, you could raise your muzzle up some and slowly extract the case.