Primers coming out while shooting

[chris93555]

I'm having problems with reloads on .243, I'm shooting a Savage Axis Bolt action rifle and about 4 out of 10 shoots, the primer blows out causing the gun to get jammed up. I'm using Tulammo large rifle primers and varget powder, and using mid loads. I load other calibers and don't have this problem. Thanks for the help

 

[mallc]

Brass?

Where did you get the brass?

Scott

 

[average_shooter]

How old and how many uses has the brass seen? The primer pockets could be worn out, or just out of spec.

Or does it blow out at the firing pin strike, which could mean the primers aren't seated deeply enough or the firing pin is too long?

Edit: mallc beat me to the brass question. Might be something to that.

 

[JimKirk]

By blows out ... do you mean backed partly out or out out?

 

[chris93555]

How old and how many uses has the brass seen? The primer pockets could be worn out, or just out of spec.

Or does it blow out at the firing pin strike, which could mean the primers aren't seated deeply enough or the firing pin is too long?

Edit: mallc beat me to the brass question. Might be something to that.

Some once fired from brass I shoot from factory, some once fired from the local gun shop

 

[chris93555]

Where did you get the brass?

Scott

Some once fired from brass I shoot from factory, some once fired from the local gun shop

 

[chris93555]

By blows out ... do you mean backed partly out or out out?

They come out completely, the back of the brass have burnt marks on it

 

[chris93555]

Some once fired from brass I shoot from factory, some once fired from the local gun shop

The gun is only a couple of months old and factory ammo fires great with no problems at all, I have looked at the primers and they look like they are seated the same as factory

 

[chris93555]

How old and how many uses has the brass seen? The primer pockets could be worn out, or just out of spec.

Or does it blow out at the firing pin strike, which could mean the primers aren't seated deeply enough or the firing pin is too long?

Edit: mallc beat me to the brass question. Might be something to that.

The gun is only a couple of months old and factory ammo fires great with no problems at all, I have looked at the primers and they look like they are seated the same as factory

 

[Chawbaccer]

Up your powder charge a little bit.

Woops, I should of looked up the data.

 

[chris93555]

Up your powder charge a little bit.

How does uping the powder charge make the primers not come out, i'm just trying to get a better idea on it

 

[snuffy]

Up your powder charge a little bit.

No NO NO! If primers are being blown out, there's WAY too much pressure. Upping the powder charge will result in a blown up GUN!

Something is seriously wrong with that load. Wrong info or wrong weight bullet.

Chris, give us the load, everything---brass make, bullet make and weight, powder weight in grains, the rest we already know.

Oh, and just click on submit reply ONCE!

 

[average_shooter]

The upped charge might force the case against the breech face and "re-seat" the primer. But I would think charge weight would only cause this for very low end or below listed minimum charges.

Originally Posted by JimKirk
By blows out ... do you mean backed partly out or out out?

They come out completely, the back of the brass have burnt marks on it

I don't know how a properly functioning firearm, firing the proper ammunition, would have tolerances that would allow a primer to fully eject itself from the case. Something isn't adding up here.

 

[jcwit]

Is it possible the cases have been resized way to far?

 

[snuffy]

I don't know how a properly functioning firearm, firing the proper ammunition, would have tolerances that would allow a primer to fully eject itself from the case. Something isn't adding up here.

You've obviously never had it happen, an over-the-top-powder charge, I mean.

Excess pressure expands the head of the case so much, the primer pocket expands so much that the primer simply falls out of the pocket. (After ejecting the case) If Chris tried to re-seat a new primer in one of those pockets, the new primer would fall right back out.

 

[average_shooter]

... the primer pocket expands so much that the primer simply falls out of the pocket. (After ejecting the case)...

I suppose I could understand it better in a near-kb level powder charge.

I guess I was understanding that the primer was ejecting itself from the case while the round was still chambered.

And I'm thankful that to date I haven't, to my knowledge, had any excessive loads come off the press. I get pretty anal about triple-checking my powder is flowing right at the charge I want before starting a run, then re-checking every ~50 rounds during the session.

 

[chris93555]

No NO NO! If primers are being blown out, there's WAY too much pressure. Upping the powder charge will result in a blown up GUN!

Something is seriously wrong with that load. Wrong info or wrong weight bullet.

Chris, give us the load, everything---brass make, bullet make and weight, powder weight in grains, the rest we already know.

Oh, and just click on submit reply ONCE!

OK, I just looked at the brass and it's only happening to FC brass, but not all of them. I'm using 80gr. Speer Hot-corr bullets, 40gr. of varget, and tulammo large rifles primers. I use a Lee Single stage press with Lee 2 die set with full length sizer. I put a light crimp on them if any.

 

[rcmodel]

Cease & Desist- DO NOT shoot any more of those loads.
You are one step away from blowing yourself up right now!!!

Your 40.0 / 80 grain loads are at least 1.5 grains over MAX according to Hodgdon Varget data!!!

As Snuffy said, the only reason primers fall out is from an over-pressure load expanding the case head.

That you are getting burn marks on the case heads mean that you are just one tick away from disaster!!

rc

 

[average_shooter]

That is not a mid-range load. According to my Speer manual (#13) 40.0 gr Varget is as at maximum for an 80 gr bullet. If you're throwing anything over 40 gr you're overcharged.

Speer lists Varget, for an 80 gr bullet as: min. 36.0 gr, max 40.0 gr.

 

[average_shooter]

Chriss93555, what manual are you using, or where are you getting your loading data from?

 

[jcwit]

Are you using data for the .243 Win. Super Short Mag.?

If so STOP!

 

[chris93555]

That is not a mid-range load. According to my Speer manual (#13) 40.0 gr Varget is as at maximum for an 80 gr bullet. If you're throwing anything over 40 gr you're overcharged.

Speer lists Varget, for an 80 gr bullet as: min. 36.0 gr, max 40.0 gr.

According my Speer Manuel #14 for that bullet (1211) max load is 42gr. Page 247 38-42-gr range

 

[rcmodel]

You might want to check your scales for accuracy with check weights too.

You are using scales aren't you??

According my Speer Manuel #14 for that bullet (1211) max load is 42gr.

That doesn't mean every rifle ever made will handle that MAX load. That means you start at the starting load, and work your way up until your gun starts showing pressure signs. Then back off a little.

You gun is screaming pressure signs at you, whether you will listen to it or not.

But regardless of what your manual or my manual say MAX is, if you continue down the path you are on now, you are going to blow up your rifle.

rc

 

[gamestalker]

Wow, that is deffinitely not a good sign. Pressure is over the top, no doubt. What OAL are they seated at? And why are you crimping them? Did you work this load up, or did you just decide to load the 40.0 gr. charge?

As RC said, DO NOT shoot any more of them!

 

[chris93555]

You might want to check your scales for accuracy with check weights too.

You are using scales aren't you??

According my Speer Manuel #14 for that bullet (1211) max load is 42gr. That doesn't mean every rifle ever made will handle that MAX load.

But regardless of what your manual or my manual say MAX is, if you continue down the path you are on now, you are going to blow up your rifle.

rc

Yes I'm using a scale, I reload a lot of different loads with all the same equipment don't have any problems like this, I'm going to tear apart these loads are see if i'm off