Greetings to all from Pennsylvania. Not new to shooting or firearms, just looking for some answers to an issue I have with a Bergara HMR Pro.
FNG from PA
- Thread starter gunnysargent12
- Start date
Got a Bergara HMR pro rifle in 6.5CM. Bought new November 2019. Settled on Hornady American Gunner 140 gr HPBT ammo to break in and sight in the rifle. After approx. 25-30 rounds, this guns shot very well with 5 shot groups at 0.33" at 100 yards. I almost thought Hornady got match ammo mixed up as I feel this gun shots very well with that ammo. Very consistent velocities from high 2718fps to low of 2705 FPS. After that range session, firearm was cleaning. Few weeks later, another range session, same ammo, however at about 30-35 rounds, the bolt was getting hard to close and extraction a spent case required a sharp blow to the bolt to remove. Same scenarios, went home and cleaning out as I would do after any range session. Yesterday had a PRS match and here we go again, 30+ rounds down range and bolt will not close wihout some force and extracting a spent case required force to remove spent case. Thankfully, time ran out of a shot string and I attempted to remove a live round from the chamber. After another sharp blow, noticed that the bullet got stuck in the throat of the chamber as the bolt continued to hold onto the casing. I can't even make it through a 56 round match without this occurring about 1/2 through. I cleaned and cleaned for hours this morning as this issue is being address an this forum. I couldn't visually see a carbon deposit on the throat but what has me concerned is why this is occurring at relatively minimal shot count. Is the Hornady American Gunner ammo causing this or is there something else wrong with the chamber/throat area? I will be speaking with both Bergara and Hornady in the morning.
How's your barrel temperature after 30-35 rounds? Are you noticing the bolt sticking with a warm barrel and perhaps a round sitting in the hot chamber for a little while? Sounds like you could be getting some high pressures from hotter rounds that isn't occurring early with rounds in a cooler barrel.
barrel will get just warm to the touch. Never hot. In match, 7 rounds in 2 minutes then 15-20 cool down til next stag. There may be 100-110 rounds through this gun.
Throat may be cut really tight and the slightest bit of heat is expanding the metal enough to grab the projectile or case neck. Look at your case head for pressure signs and take a dial caliper to every loaded round and look for differences of +/- 0.010" as that ammo is loaded very quickly, not so much precisely on the seating. Sounds like a worn reamer may have been used and a little expansion makes it grab the projectile on the way in and case on the way out.
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