Ruger M77 stuck bolt

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tks394

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Had no problem with this rifle until recently. It's chambered in 30-06 Spg. I loaded 10 rounds 5 different loads for a 165 gr JSP in once fired, completely processed brass. Different HS mostly RP and winchester. The loads were slightly more than starting loads according to Lee and Ammoguide guidance. I crimped them in a bit. COL was 3.25" some space before the rifling. on three of the five loads the bolt stuck completely. I cound rotate up but it would not pull back. I had to put a cleaning rod down the barrel and tap the bolt back with a hammer. I had not completely cleaned the gun before firing. I took out the bolt and cleaned the wee wee out of everything. I put the brass that had stuck back in the chamber to see if it was ok and , when I closed the bolt it did it again, stuck tight. I tapped it free, put an unfired full sized brass case in and it cycled out, ejecting fine. When I would tap the stuck brass out it would also eject properly once the rod was pulled out. What gives? is it the brass or the gun? Did I overcrimp and cause the neck or case to expand so much it jammed? I talked to a gunsmith and he said "sticky bolt" it's a gun problem. But unfired brass cycled just fine. Ain't shooting it again 'till I resolve the prob. :confused:
Any help would be greatly appreciated
 
Did you head-space the chamber with a gauge before getting going on the loads?
 
Had no problem with this rifle until recently

Have it checked by a competent gunsmith if you think there's a chance of a glitch in the rifle itself. Make sure chamber is clean, bolt face is clean, etc. If not, fire a factory round, see if it extracts with no probs. If it does, that would indicate something is likely amiss with your most recent reloads.

Hard bolt lift and withdrawl generally indicates too much pressure. Not being able to extract the fired case, way too much pressure, assuming the chamber isn't rough or ultra-cruddy too?
 
Sounds like over-pressure, just offhand...

If some extracted okay, I sorta doubt that it's rough chamber walls. Loose headspace would tend more to blow primers out due to the case head not being tight against the bolt face.

Powder measure, or scales? If you used scales, have you ever checked calibration? Easy enough to use .223 bullets as an adequate reference. 40, 80 and 120 grain checkpoints will be within a very few tenths of righteous. Or 50, whatever.
 
If everything else is in order: Firearm, COL, cases sized/trimmed properly, powder charges within "spec" etc...might wanta double check the crimp part?

Only loads I crimp, are for lever rifles, semi-auto rifles and revolvers. Most of them are just a mild roll-crimp on bullets w/cannelures for crimping. I've never crimped any loads for any bolt rifle.
 
who ever said try a factory round is right, i had a problem years ago with a rem 700 sticking with my reloads, after going the whole nine yards checking for no no,s. i tried a few factory loads and wala every thing fine. tried several of my reloads in an other rifle and the same thing,stuck or very hard extraction. i just thru that batch of reloads away and have not had that problem since. my gunsmith said i probely got a box of soft brass that was not annealed right. eastbank.
 
Once I got a piece of soft lead ffrom soft points stuck in my chamber. For a while I couldn't figure out what was going on until I put a q tip down the chamber and pulled out a chunk of lead. It was making chambering and extraction difficult.
 
thanx all. Consensus: the loads. I crimped too tight (hey I'm just a newbie at reloading only been doing it for 8 mo.s) The loads that stuck were Reloader 7 - 39.2 gr, Benchmark - 49.0 gr, H4895 - 44.5 gr. These two loads did not stick: Blc2 - 47.0 gr and Varget - 48.0 gr. I used a scale to weigh these loads. I have a box of remington corelock 150 gr factory's I'll try this weekend. Wow they want a buck around even in Wally World. I'll let ya know what happens.
 
I crimped too tight
Crimping or not will not change the pressure of a load enough to be noticable.

You have something else going on there.

Did you check your scales for accuracy?

Anyway, RL-7 is too fast a powder for a 150 bullet.
Lyman shows 40.2 as a MAX load with a 125 grain bullet.
Your 39.2 / 150 load is too hot.

Hodgdons shows 43.0 grains Benchmark as a MAX load with a 150.
Your 49.0 / 150 load is way too hot!

45.5 is max with H-4895, so you are very close to max with your 44.5 load.

rc
 
I don't know if your loads are over max or not (it would be an easy check on any of the powder manufacturers sites though) but check your OAL. I had some reloads that were way too long and they made things very sticky. I would check your load data though.
 
Welcome to THR, tks394.

Rel-7 with 165gr!!!!:what:

Where did you get your data to load your ammo? Your load listed for Benchmark is over loaded!
I cannot find a load for Rel-7 right now, but it's way too fast burning in an '06 for a hunting load.
I'm not surprised that you're experiencing trouble.

Look at www.hodgdon.com for the correct load data on some of the powders.

NCsmitty
 
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Anyway, RL-7 is too fast a powder for a 150 bullet.
Lyman shows 40.2 as a MAX load with a 125 grain bullet.
Your 39.2 / 150 load is too hot.

Hodgdons shows 43.0 grains Benchmark as a MAX load with a 150.
Your 49.0 / 150 load is way too hot!

Six grains over max! :what:


Me thinks Ruger makes a strong rifle.
 
Thanks guys
I used Lee's Modern Reloading but upon checking the hogdon site I was surprised, hmm. I'm sure glad the gun didn't explode!!! I'll triple check the loads before trying again
 
Hold on there Nellie!

Woah there!
I rechecked my log. It was 46.0 gr of Benchmark not 49.0. The Hodgdon database shows start 46.5 to max 49.5 for 150 gr. COL 3.25". I was shooting a 165 gr Prvi JSP, the start is 45.0 to max 47.7 COL 3.3. My COL was 3.25" (at the Cannelure) so I was about at the mid point. Sorry about the confusion. I may have been picking up pieces of skull at 49.0 gr.

Thinking of that Hendix song "If six was a nine"

I used Lee's Modern Reloading 2nd ed. Richard Lee lists Reoader 7 last in the list for the 165 gr jacketed start 38.5 to max 40.5. But, yeah, it is LAST and he lists the better loads first. His first load is H4350 which I haven't seen any of anywhere in months.
 
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HODGDON:

150 GR. NOS BT Hodgdon Benchmark .308" 3.250" 46.5 2792fps 44,600 CUP 49.5 2944 fps 49,300 CUP

165 GR. SIE SPBT Hodgdon Benchmark .308" 3.300" 45.0 2686fps 45,600 CUP 47.7 2795fps 49,300 CUP
 
Was this load worked up to in your rifle?

Did the starting loads suffer from sticky bolt lift

how far are your bullets from contacting the lands?

Have you tried factory loads?

Till you can answer all these questions we simply cannot offer you any help
 
The loads in my previous post are quoted from the Hodgdon website to point out where my loads stood in relation to available data. I had not tried these particular loads in this rifle. I had used starting loads of 150gr bullets in that rifle before with no problem These loads were the first 165 gr loads and the first loads over starting loads I had tried in the Ruger.

My 5 loads for the 165 gr bullet
that stuck were
Reloader 7 - 39.2 gr
Benchmark - 46.0 gr
H4895 - 44.5 gr.
These two loads did not stick:
Blc2 - 47.0 gr
Varget - 48.0 gr.
The bolt lifted ok it just would not pull back and extract. My COL in all 5 loads was 3.25"
The bullet was approx .15" from the lands
I have not yet shot factory rounds from it yet, I have some Rem 150gr PSP to try in it, I just have been unable to get to it yet. Lousy weather here this weekend. I will get to it around Thanksgiving I am anxious to find out the result of factory loads in the Ruger myself.
 
it's not the rifle

Today I shot 4 rds of Remington 150 gr PSP factory ammo thru the Ruger and it fuctioned flawlessly. That rifle is a tack driver. Each case extracted fine without a hitch. It had to be those particular loads that caused the sticking bolt.
 
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