Or in the case causes of hard lever operation.
Are there any other causes than high pressure that would cause a lever action rifle to be very hard to open?
Background, I have put a fair number around 100 rounds through this rifle using trailboss and H4227 with no problems what so ever.
I obtaine a load from a third party, published, but not by a major reloading, powder or bullet manufacturer.
I ran the load through quickload and it looked fine, around 18000psi (as far as I know the action and this cartridge has been proofed to 64000psi, so a huge margin for error????
I wanted to reduce the load in order to achieve a desired velocity, reduce recoil and minimise or prevent leading. So I tested some loads at load and -1 through to - 5.5 (5 of each) all seemed to work fine, all hit an 8" target area at 100 yards. There were no signs of pressure, all primers looked normal and no extraction issues!
I took the same rifle back to the range two days later, with 20 of the most promising load loaded. The first two shoots missed the target and were around a foot wide of the same, extraction and primers were normal. The third shot missed by the same margin, I couldn't open the lever at first, I waited 2-3 minutes and then with a hell of a lot of effort it opened. The case looked normal, the primer looked normal. I fed the empty case back into the rifle it slipped in fine and then extracted fine? I then tried it again, same thing, again, on the forth chambering inj went in fine, but took a lot of effort to extract (I assume this was the same orientation as upon firing).
What happened? When I say effort I mean a serious amount (though no tools were required). I can only assume a pressure spike?
The powder in question is fast, double base and extruded (N110)
The cartridge a 375W.
The projectile 379-250 LEE.
Cases winchester 3rd firing.
It may not be the powder to blame as there is one other factor, I slugged my bore at .376" and have been using the bullets unsized at .379" (I have order a .377" die but the post is letting me down on this item). Whilst .003" over bore is a touch too much this doesn't explain the 125ish rounds success before number 126. Was it a pressure spike due to a reduction in the powder or did the bullet stick for a 1/2 ms before moving on?
I have been reloading cast for a while now, but until recently I had always exclusively taken my reloading data from Lyman or Hodgdon (ADI) as I was exclusively using their powders (I am in no way blaming VV powders). I did however step in to uncharted territory and in doing so may have invited unecessary risk!
Is this a phenomenon likely to repeat itsels, am I trying to push too big a bullet with to little powder?
Have I been stupid?
Are there any other causes than high pressure that would cause a lever action rifle to be very hard to open?
Background, I have put a fair number around 100 rounds through this rifle using trailboss and H4227 with no problems what so ever.
I obtaine a load from a third party, published, but not by a major reloading, powder or bullet manufacturer.
I ran the load through quickload and it looked fine, around 18000psi (as far as I know the action and this cartridge has been proofed to 64000psi, so a huge margin for error????
I wanted to reduce the load in order to achieve a desired velocity, reduce recoil and minimise or prevent leading. So I tested some loads at load and -1 through to - 5.5 (5 of each) all seemed to work fine, all hit an 8" target area at 100 yards. There were no signs of pressure, all primers looked normal and no extraction issues!
I took the same rifle back to the range two days later, with 20 of the most promising load loaded. The first two shoots missed the target and were around a foot wide of the same, extraction and primers were normal. The third shot missed by the same margin, I couldn't open the lever at first, I waited 2-3 minutes and then with a hell of a lot of effort it opened. The case looked normal, the primer looked normal. I fed the empty case back into the rifle it slipped in fine and then extracted fine? I then tried it again, same thing, again, on the forth chambering inj went in fine, but took a lot of effort to extract (I assume this was the same orientation as upon firing).
What happened? When I say effort I mean a serious amount (though no tools were required). I can only assume a pressure spike?
The powder in question is fast, double base and extruded (N110)
The cartridge a 375W.
The projectile 379-250 LEE.
Cases winchester 3rd firing.
It may not be the powder to blame as there is one other factor, I slugged my bore at .376" and have been using the bullets unsized at .379" (I have order a .377" die but the post is letting me down on this item). Whilst .003" over bore is a touch too much this doesn't explain the 125ish rounds success before number 126. Was it a pressure spike due to a reduction in the powder or did the bullet stick for a 1/2 ms before moving on?
I have been reloading cast for a while now, but until recently I had always exclusively taken my reloading data from Lyman or Hodgdon (ADI) as I was exclusively using their powders (I am in no way blaming VV powders). I did however step in to uncharted territory and in doing so may have invited unecessary risk!
Is this a phenomenon likely to repeat itsels, am I trying to push too big a bullet with to little powder?
Have I been stupid?
