HC Xbolt Action is Tight

[BCD]

Finally shot my 300 WSM. The bolt is really tight and really snugs down when I push it to the down position. It feels like it is too tight. Has anyone else ever experienced this and any thoughts or suggestions here?

Thank you!

 

[kevlar88]

With or without a round in the chamber? I'll assume with, could just be a tight chamber. SAMMI spec allows something like .006" of variance and this could make some factory ammo have a tight fit. Did you try more then one type of ammo?

 

[BCD]

It is only tight when a round is in the chamber. I have only tried federal power shock so far but I have other ammo on order.

Thanks!

 

[wind gypsy]

sounds like a tight chamber..

 

[BCD]

Is a tight chamber something I should be concerned about?

 

[kevlar88]

I have three Xbolts. The wifes 7-08 chamber is right where it should be, my 280 chamber is a little long and my 300 WM chamber is very short/tight. We reload for everything so we can just adjust dies and bump the shoulder on the brass back in this type of situation. There are small variances in not only every chamber but also in brass manufactured, so if you have a chamber on the shorter side and a piece of brass on the longer side this can happen. The first thing I would do is see how it cycles a different factory load or two. If all factory ammo is tight I'd swing by a local smith to see if he has a set of go/no go gauges you could use to check the chamber with. I would not be concerned in the least as long as there were no high pressure signs (excessively flattened primer, popped primer, or extractor marks in the case head).

 

[BCD]

Thanks for the responses! I’m waiting for some other ammo to arrive so I’ll check that as well. The other thing that seems a little odd is that when I have a full magazine and one in the chamber it does not really completely eject the round from the chamber. It pops out but kinda sits on top of the magazine. It ejects spent rounds and the other three unspent rounds in the magazine just fine. Does that seem odd?

Thank you!

 

[Dog_Logghe]

Lets go shoot some time and compare