Help - 270 Load damaging my Bolt

[barlowrs]

Update: I have confirmed that my Primers are from a known lot of bad WLR primers (Lot DHL765Q). Winchester will buy them back from me and supposedly will pay to repair my bolt, (waiting on confirmation on that once i get quotes). Unfortunately, I have several hundred loaded rounds using these primers in my safe and no new primers to replace them with. This shortage sucks.

 

[SDHNTR]

That sucks! Hope they make you satisfied.

 

[Mulyhuntr]

I had gas cutting with win primers years ago in a 243 and threw all my win primers away. Federal or cci only now.

 

[30338]

I still use a few Winchester primers during times like these. That said, they are my last choice due to their well documented quality issues. Glad the OP got it sorted out.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

The bolt face on my Tikka was damaged by a bad WLR primer. I contact Winchester, provided all of the requested information, and have heard nothing back. I pulled down the loads I had and moved on.

CCI and Federal for me now.

 

[FRONTIERSMAN87]

Hey Everyone, I am looking for any insight you may have. I have been reloading casually for years, and just picked up a new Tikka T3x ultra lite in .270 for this season. I am working on developing a load for her now but have run into some strange issues.

First about the load:

Bullet: Barnes TTSX 130gr
Brass: Federal once fired (case volume measured after fire formed at 69.10 gr H2O).
Case Size: Full length sized with a 0.002" shoulder bump (measured using Sinclair shoulder tool)
Case Prep: Brass trimmed to 2.5300, primer pockets cleaned and flash hole deburred.
Primer: Standard Large Rifle - Silver is CCI, Gold is Winchester
Powder: Ramshot Hunter (Suggested load range is from 51 - 56.6 for TSX, assume about the same)
Seat Depth: 0.062" off Lands. Initially i shot for 0.05" off lands per Barnes suggestion, but would not clear my magazine, so I kept seating until they worked in my mag.
OAL: 3.367"

I have never used Ramshot before, but its all I can get my hands on these days.


So I have two issues:

1. I loaded 10 rounds with what would have been a mild load just so I could get velocity numbers to calibrate my GordonsReloading tool data. This load used the CCI primers and 52.2 gr of Ramshot, all other parameters are above. The issue is that despite this being in the low end of the suggested powder charge range, As you can see in the photo below, I was getting high pressure signs already (primer is flattened). This load was giving me an average velocity of 2,866.6 with a SD of 23 ft/sec which seems to be pretty close to what this weight should give in terms of velocity.

Why am I seeing high pressure signs? should I start lower but then have a slow .270 round? Is something else wring with my load?


2. I loaded 10 more rounds (Win Primers) starting at 54.4gr and increasing 0.2 gr each shot to look for nodes. on two of my shots, a pinhole blew out of the back of the primers (at 54.6gr and 55.2 gr). I have heard years ago Winchester had quality issues that resulted in something like this. Could this be caused by that or something wrong with my load. (These primers are pretty old!). Note I stopped at 55.0gr which gave a max velocity of 3,071 ft/sec.

Lastly, is my freshly fluted Bolt ok??!! It has 4 small dimples in it now!

Sounds like too much powder

 

[Seeknelk]

I don’t load for a 270 and didn’t look up data, so take this FWIW, which probably isn’t much. .062 off the lands seems pretty short for a reload, at least compared to some of my stuff that is .005. It’s not like you are shooting really long, heavy for caliber bullets and intentionally trying to wring every single FPS out of it either, so why don’t they fit in your magazine? I would double check your measurement of where the lands is, and also the dimensions of your brass after it’s been fired in your rifle. Are your measurements not accurate, is your chamber long, or the throat really that long?

Does factory ammo show the same pressure signs (looks like you have ejector marks or what should be a starting load?)

If that checks out, I would revisit your loading process. Sizing due adjusted properly, scale calibrated, flash holes not too big etc.

If that checks out I would either send it back to tikka or a smith depending on if it’s new or not. Had a buddy that nicked the lands with a segmented cleaning rod. It created a burr and the rifle blew primers on previously safe loads until the burr was removed.

Cuz it's a Tikka and they can't connect the easiest dots regarding mag length and throating. Short ,short mags and long ,long throats. But I love em and they shoot! Just wish they did other things RIGHT!

 

[sdupontjr]

Not a 270, but my tikka 308 had similar issues. I have been using varget but just picked up some Ramshot TAC for some 130 ttsx to try and get more velocity. I read tons of threads on this site and others about TAC and figured lets give it a try. I have lots of Remington, Federal, Hornady and some winchester brass. I decided to develop a load using both the Remington and Federal brass, being I have a ton of both. Both were loaded with equal charges and shot separately, so that I could keep the data separate. What I found was the Federal brass showed pressure signs way before the Remington brass, about 1.5 - 2 grains before. Is it softer, in my case it appeared to be. It's hard to see you pic and I can't blow it up, but is the hole in the primer or did it create a hole in the brass around the primer? Loose primer pocket could create an "escape" route for the gasses.

Funny thing is I ran the same test with Varget using Rem and Fed brass and the results were almost the same. The Fed did show pressure signs about 1g before the Remington.

In both cases, using TAC and Varget, I never experienced any bolt lift issues or any other signs other than flatten primer. Oh, and I'm using federal match LRP. Not sure this helps, but that was my experience with Federal brass. I'm going to keep them for some lighter loads or just messing around, but will exclusively use my Remington brass because I have so much of it.

 

[barlowrs]

It's hard to see you pic and I can't blow it up, but is the hole in the primer or did it create a hole in the brass around the primer? Loose primer pocket could create an "escape" route for the gasses.

The hole is in the primer, I have confirmed they were from one of the bad lots of winchester primers.