Factory barrel not headspacing. No clue what to do now. Desperately need help.

[Jaegerr]

I recently swapped a new factory 7 PRC barrel onto a new factory 300 WM rifle I had prior to tikka releasing the 7 PRC.

The go gauge was slightly tight but I rechecked now that my factory ammo175 ELD-X’s showed up and had to put a little force for the bolt to close.

The attached pictures are from one bullet that was chambered, and the other fresh from the box. It had slight land marks and a black ring around the case head on the round that was fired. I followed the guide and torqued the barrel to 80 foot pounds and applied the correct anti-seize when assembling. I had been under the assumption a factory barrel wouldn’t have much of an issue but did I mess up? I leave in November for a hunt and lost on what I messed up here.

I really need some help if you’ve run into this before.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Factory tikka take off barrel onto a factory tikka action?

 

[Jaegerr]

Factory tikka take off barrel onto a factory tikka action?

Correct. Ordered the factory barrel from JA outdoors. I had bought the rifle a few months before tikka released their 7PRC rifle so just moved ahead with buying a factory barrel and swapping it. Both rifle and action are new unfired.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Hm. Normally that works. Apparently in this case it didn't, or the ammo is slightly out of spec. Did you happen to inspect the chamber to make sure it was clean and free of defects?

 

[Smithb9841]

Correct. Ordered the factory barrel from JA outdoors. I had bought the rifle a few months before tikka released their 7PRC rifle so just moved ahead with buying a factory barrel and swapping it. Both rifle and action are new unfired.

Might be worth it to try another ammo to verify it’s not an ammo issue. I remember years ago I had an issue with a couple boxes of federal (if I remember correctly) about half the round would chamber easily and half wouldn’t.

It would be worth ruling out before sending the gun out or pulling your hair out.

 

[mtnbound]

I recently swapped a new factory 7 PRC barrel onto a new factory 300 WM rifle I had prior to tikka releasing the 7 PRC.

The go gauge was slightly tight but I rechecked now that my factory ammo175 ELD-X’s showed up and had to put a little force for the bolt to close.

The attached pictures are from one bullet that was chambered, and the other fresh from the box. It had slight land marks and a black ring around the case head on the round that was fired. I followed the guide and torqued the barrel to 80 foot pounds and applied the correct anti-seize when assembling. I had been under the assumption a factory barrel wouldn’t have much of an issue but did I mess up? I leave in November for a hunt and lost on what I messed up here.

I really need some help if you’ve run into this before.

On my barrel that I just did when I closed the bolt on the Go-gauge there was no extra force needed, it felt like my other actions chambering a round so I’m wondering about your Go-gauge.

 

[Jaegerr]

On my barrel that I just did when I closed the bolt on the Go-gauge there was no extra force needed, it felt like my other actions chambering a round so I’m wondering about your Go-gauge.

I’m new to tikka so the bolt feels like it has some force to close it on an empty chamber, I could “feel” the go gauge and on the first cycle it felt heavier than subsequent cycles?

 

[Jaegerr]

Hm. Normally that works. Apparently in this case it didn't, or the ammo is slightly out of spec. Did you happen to inspect the chamber to make sure it was clean and free of defects?

I have not cleaned it yet no

 

[smith406]

Did you ever chamber a live round into the new .300wm barrel?

As for the ring it seems to me you meant to say a chambered round, not a fired round.
I wonder if the bolt face would have left a ring in its original configuration.

I would clean the bolt face as well as swab the chamber.

Onto the scratches on the bullet, for me the dog hair in the mag is in better focus than the bullet.
Are you sure it’s from the lands and not from feeding from a mag?

Maybe try one single fed after cleaning the bolt face as well as mag feeding one without putting the bolt into battery to compare.

This is how I would start. Good luck.

 

[Jaegerr]

Did you ever chamber a live round into the new .300wm barrel?

As for the ring it seems to me you meant to say a chambered round, not a fired round.
I wonder if the bolt face would have left a ring in its original configuration.

I would clean the bolt face as well as swab the chamber.

Onto the scratches on the bullet, for me the dog hair in the mag is in better focus than the bullet.
Are you sure it’s from the lands and not from feeding from a mag?

Maybe try one single fed after cleaning the bolt face as well as mag feeding one without putting the bolt into battery to compare.

This is how I would start. Good luck.

Dog hair, life of living with two labs lol

I only bought the 300WM for the bolt stop and bolt face so never tried any ammo through it but wishing I had.

I assumed it was the lands because of the curved nature of the scratch. I’m out of town working at the moment, would some 91% alcohol suffice to do a quick wipe of the bolt face and chamber?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

If you can close on the go gauge it’s fine even if it’s a minimum headspace, unlike your brass cartridge the go gauge is steel and it won’t close completely if the chamber is too short.

A min headspace chamber might close hard on some ammo.

 

[Jaegerr]

If you can close on the go gauge it’s fine even if it’s a minimum headspace, unlike your brass cartridge the go gauge is steel and it won’t close completely if the chamber is too short.

A min headspace chamber might close hard on some ammo.

10-4

 

[Jaegerr]

Rifle seems to be cycling and seating a little better after running a few mags through and cycling the bolt.

 

[rogerdoger]

My tikka 6.5 prc doesn’t like the eldx, I tried two different lot numbers and still had heavy bolt close and lift. I tried the eldm’s and have had no issue. Just to make sure I went to store and got some with same lot number for the hunting season.

 

[mtnbound]

Rifle seems to be cycling and seating a little better after running a few mags through and cycling the bolt.

Glad to hear it's cycling better.