kmw1954
Member
Before everyone starts crying out over pressure, DON'T!
I have a Savage Model11 that was purchased as a barreled action 243 with the intention of barreling it into a 6BR. Instead I came across a brand new unfired Model 12 223 Varmint barrel for a price I could not pass up.
First came a new Boyd's stock and with that I did shoot the 243 barrel and bedded the action. Gun shot pretty well though I had no intention of keeping that 243. So from there I obtained a 223 magazine and purchased a 223 bolt heat from Gun Shack.
Swapped barrels and bolt heads and everything worked wonderfully. Even fired a few factory Federal loads in it to verify. From there started working up loads using 69gr Nosler Comp bullets and TAC powder. Found a load between 23.6 and 23.8 that worked great. That was until outside temps soared over 90* and the load fell apart. So from there I started loading the same bullet with Accurate 2460. Western load data for the 69gr Sierra is 22.1 to 23.4 gr at 2.245"..
I had worked up this load previously for my Savage Model10 223 loaded out to 2.260" and found a great load with 2460 at 23.3gr so for the Model 11 I started at 22.4 and started working up and found a load of 2460 at 23.2 shot best. So then I started loading and playing with seating depth and then while doing this all of a sudden I started seeing cratered primers and then even a few pierced.
Now I had no idea why I am seeing this pressure spike or what I believe is a pressure spike.
I went back to the bench and verified everything. The brass measurements, the bullets, the powder, primers and even both powder scales. Everything checked out. Yet one does not get a pressure spike for no reason and I could find no discrepancy. Now I also assure you all that this load shot well with no pressure signs in two different rifles. No pierced primers, no flattened primers, no cratering and no sticky bolt or extractions.
One friend is insisting this is an over pressure but no explanation for why all of a sudden. Another friend and BR Shooter believes I developed a carbon ring. A thorough scrubbing helped but didn't relieve it so maybe I just didn't get it all out. I even went so far as to reload 5 each from 21.8 to 23.0gr which all still showed the same signs of cratering. Next I fired 8 rounds of factory Federal loads and am still seeing signs of cratering. Lastly I took some of those same loads I had fired before in the Model 11, the 69gr Nosler with 2460 powder and these were loaded from 22.7, 23.0 and 23.3 and shot them from my Model 10 and my AXIS, again they all shot terrifically with no cratering and no other over pressure signs.
So need input as to what could be going on. Lastly upon inspection of the bolt head I can see a very shiny area right around where the firing pin protrudes. Almost looks like a bevel going inside the hole for the firing pin.
I have a Savage Model11 that was purchased as a barreled action 243 with the intention of barreling it into a 6BR. Instead I came across a brand new unfired Model 12 223 Varmint barrel for a price I could not pass up.
First came a new Boyd's stock and with that I did shoot the 243 barrel and bedded the action. Gun shot pretty well though I had no intention of keeping that 243. So from there I obtained a 223 magazine and purchased a 223 bolt heat from Gun Shack.
Swapped barrels and bolt heads and everything worked wonderfully. Even fired a few factory Federal loads in it to verify. From there started working up loads using 69gr Nosler Comp bullets and TAC powder. Found a load between 23.6 and 23.8 that worked great. That was until outside temps soared over 90* and the load fell apart. So from there I started loading the same bullet with Accurate 2460. Western load data for the 69gr Sierra is 22.1 to 23.4 gr at 2.245"..
I had worked up this load previously for my Savage Model10 223 loaded out to 2.260" and found a great load with 2460 at 23.3gr so for the Model 11 I started at 22.4 and started working up and found a load of 2460 at 23.2 shot best. So then I started loading and playing with seating depth and then while doing this all of a sudden I started seeing cratered primers and then even a few pierced.
Now I had no idea why I am seeing this pressure spike or what I believe is a pressure spike.
I went back to the bench and verified everything. The brass measurements, the bullets, the powder, primers and even both powder scales. Everything checked out. Yet one does not get a pressure spike for no reason and I could find no discrepancy. Now I also assure you all that this load shot well with no pressure signs in two different rifles. No pierced primers, no flattened primers, no cratering and no sticky bolt or extractions.
One friend is insisting this is an over pressure but no explanation for why all of a sudden. Another friend and BR Shooter believes I developed a carbon ring. A thorough scrubbing helped but didn't relieve it so maybe I just didn't get it all out. I even went so far as to reload 5 each from 21.8 to 23.0gr which all still showed the same signs of cratering. Next I fired 8 rounds of factory Federal loads and am still seeing signs of cratering. Lastly I took some of those same loads I had fired before in the Model 11, the 69gr Nosler with 2460 powder and these were loaded from 22.7, 23.0 and 23.3 and shot them from my Model 10 and my AXIS, again they all shot terrifically with no cratering and no other over pressure signs.
So need input as to what could be going on. Lastly upon inspection of the bolt head I can see a very shiny area right around where the firing pin protrudes. Almost looks like a bevel going inside the hole for the firing pin.
