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Remington bolt wont close

jsthntn247

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 25, 2009
1,208
144
Mississippi
The bolt wont close on my remington 700 with my reloads. It closes fine with the factory ammo but after the same ammo is F/L resized and reloaded, it wont close. I can actually see where the extractor is shaving some of the brass off the end if I force the bolt closed. I figured that I didn't bump the shoulders back enough on the cases, but they measure the same as the factory and everything I could measure was within a few thousands of the factory ammo. This is a weatherby caliber, so the bullet is not jamming in the lands.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

correct, the die must be turned lower into the press. Adjust the die in small increments to bump an empty, fired case back until the bolt will close without felt resistance.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

You need that hornady tool to check your fired brass dimensions and then resize/bump -.002 (bolt actions) then you'll know if the brass is sized enough. -.003 on semi autos. The name of it is eluding me right now...
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Remove your firing pin to free things up so you have a better feel when adjusting you FL die. Creep down with your die until your bolt just ever so slightly drags as you close it. Without a custom chamber, custom matching FL die and a bump gage this is about the best you can do.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Ok fellas I couldn't sleep until I figured this out. I will admit to be a novice when it comes to reloading. I have reloaded a few different calibers, including belted magnums and have had good success but encountered no problems. I took some fired brass and inched the resizing die down until I felt I couldn't be doing something right. I still cant get the bolt to close on about 9 out of ten pieces. What gives now, I am clueless. I am atleast 5 full turns down from where I started and it is no better.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

This is not unusual. You simply need to bump the shoulder of the case a little more. It takes only a thousandth of an inch of "negative headspace" to prevent you from closing the bolt. I don't know what dies you are using, nor how you are setting them up, but Redding advised me to:

* Raise the ram to the top with the shellholder installed.
* Screw the die downward until it contacts the shellholder.
* Turn the die an additional half turn or so (I can't exactly remember), and tighten the lock nut.

I'm using a Redding Big Boss press and Redding dies.

Basically you are compressing the case a few thousandths more and bumping the shoulder. You can do this with a few fired cases and adjust the die until a resized case fits your chamber. Then your GTG.

 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Jack, when I reloaded the brass that currently won't fit, I resized it exactly the way you described. Earlier tonight I did as tooley suggested and got a once fired brass and put it in the die. I inched the die down one half turn then chambered it in my rifle. I repeated this step until I was almost six full turns down and I still can't chamber the round without forcing the bolt down. I am using rcbs dies.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

I am loading for the 257 weatherby. The only difference in the factory case and my reloaded ones is the area right above the belt. Factory new cases measure .208 and mine measure .212. I read where others were having this problem and purchased a belted magnum resizing die made by Larry wills and this fixed there problems. http://www.larrywillis.com/. This might be a gimmick but I about ready to get one.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jsthntn247</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am loading for the 257 weatherby. The only difference in the factory case and my reloaded ones is the area right above the belt. Factory new cases measure .208 and mine measure .212. I read where others were having this problem and purchased a belted magnum resizing die made by Larry wills and this fixed there problems. http://www.larrywillis.com/. This might be a gimmick but I about ready to get one. </div></div>

That is exactly what you need especially if you are shooting a factory chamber. The brass will expand to such a point that no factory full length sizing die will fix this no matter how much you try and bump the shoulder. The standard FL sizing die will just not get low enough to properly size the entire case body all the way down to the belt.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Have you run the die down until you either feel the shoudler in the die contact the shoulder on the case <span style="font-weight: bold">OR</span> bottomed out on the shell holder? If you haven't gotten that far yet you need to try that. Once you get to the point that two shoulders make contact it may be neccessary to go down a little further. All presses have some spring in them when FL sizing. Take one piece of brass and keep screwing the die down until you run out of travel or you break something and let us know what happens. When you say you've screwed the die down six turns all that means is you're getting further down the body there by squeezing the case body. By doing that you are pushing the shoulder forward not back. It's like squeezing a tube of tooth paste, it wants to go in both directions.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

I have experienced this problem only once. It was on .223 neck sized cases and the problem was I'd managed to buckle the shoulder by forcing the case up into the collet by using excessive force. Never once encountered it F/L sizing on belted or tapered cases though.

An easy way to check to see which part of the case is causing the problem is by using a permanent marker on the case, then trying to chamber it. The marker will show the area of resistance having been scraped off.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Yea, I'm pretty much going to chunk the brass that I resized last night. I ran the cases waay up in the die and almost got a few of them stuck. Looks like I am going to get the collet die and see if that helps. I have reloaded several hundred belted 7 mag cases for my savage and never had this problem. Do I just have a tight chamber?, cause one of the guys I shoot with has the same gun and I can't get his brass to chamber in my gun and it is as smooth as silk in his. Damn Remingtons. If I was gonna spend an extra 100 bucks on a die, I sure wanted it to be a competition die and not this.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jsthntn247</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Do I just have a tight chamber. </div></div>

No you have a loose chamber or the area just ahead of the belt is too large, and when the chamber is like this the collate die or new brass every time is the only thing that will fix this, that or a new barrel with a new chamber.

With belted cartridges no matter how far you spin the die down you will never fully size the brass down to the belt. They only way to do this is with a collate die.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Before I ordered the collet die on Monday I wanted to color a loaded round and chamber it to see where it was hitting. Here is a pic. It is hitting the soulder and dragging down the case in one spot only? It is not hitting above the belt. Please nobody advise me how to work the resizing die, I have worked it every freaking way possible. I might have a fuked up die.
BradsPics1-08-2011097.jpg
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

It looks like somehow you are forcing the shoulders of the case outwards. Are you using the X-dies by any chance? I'm just thinking if they were set too low it could be forcing the shoulders back.

Instead of screwing the dies all the way in back everything out, take a fireformed case and start to resize. Try chambering the case after every pass until you get the required result. If this doesn't work I'd suspect your dies are fooked...
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jagged77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It looks like somehow you are forcing the shoulders of the case outwards. Are you using the X-dies by any chance? I'm just thinking if they were set too low it could be forcing the shoulders back.

Instead of screwing the dies all the way in back everything out, take a fireformed case and start to resize. Try chambering the case after every pass until you get the required result. If this doesn't work I'd suspect your dies are fooked... </div></div>

Yea, I tried that already I thinker my dies are the problem!!!
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jerkface11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Does the shoulder look like that before you seat a bullet? </div></div>

No, the scrape mark only occurs when I chamber the round. Brass looks fine coming out of the die. I am getting a new die tomorrow and hope that fixes the problem. If not I will take the gun to a smith to look at the chamber.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jsthntn247</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jerkface11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Does the shoulder look like that before you seat a bullet? </div></div>

No, the scrape mark only occurs when I chamber the round. Brass looks fine coming out of the die. I am getting a new die tomorrow and hope that fixes the problem. If not I will take the gun to a smith to look at the chamber. </div></div>

You may have one of those famous "out of concentric Remington chambers"

Take that same piece of brass and turn it 90 degrees and see what happens. Also, as you extract the case, ride it back with your thumb or finger on it and gently, so as not to mark it further, remove it with your fingers. That will tell you if the chamber is out of concentricity or you are getting the mark from extraction rub. Personally, I think a sharpie colored case wouldn't rub near as bad as what your case is showing from extraction.

You don't need to remove the extractor to do this check.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

I replaced the die and the same thing is occuring. I called RCBS and they think I have an extremly tight chamber and the shoulders arn't getting bumped back enough. I am going to send them 5 fired cases and the die so they can do some measuring. If it turns out to be a problem from Remington, this will be my first and last Remington to buy. I have always been a Savage guy and bought the damn Remington because I wanted a 257 Weatherby but don't wont a Weatherby. I should have gotten the 308 PC like I first wanted.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Encountered a similar problem once with a 6mmBR with a no-turn neck in a custom Pac-Nor barrel. I had to use a rubber hammer to get the rounds to seat, and again to get them to extract. The load was moderate and the brass was Lapua. There were no pressure signs on the fired cases. The brass had been fired several times, possibly in different rifles.

I carefully ran all the loaded (and lubed) cases into a Reddding body die. Afterwards, everything dropped in smooth as silk.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jsthntn247</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I replaced the die and the same thing is occuring. I called RCBS and they think I have an extremly tight chamber and the shoulders arn't getting bumped back enough. I am going to send them 5 fired cases and the die so they can do some measuring. If it turns out to be a problem from Remington, this will be my first and last Remington to buy. I have always been a Savage guy and bought the damn Remington because I wanted a 257 Weatherby but don't wont a Weatherby. I should have gotten the 308 PC like I first wanted. </div></div>

Ya know, I like Savages too. But that isn't your problem now is it?

How about a little feedback on what you've found. Did you call Dave Tooley like he offered? He would talk you through the issue.

At this point, I would just take it in to a gunsmith. Unless you can communicate back what you are finding when a question is asked of you.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wh309</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Encountered a similar problem once with a 6mmBR with a no-turn neck in a custom Pac-Nor barrel. I had to use a rubber hammer to get the rounds to seat, and again to get them to extract. The load was moderate and the brass was Lapua. There were no pressure signs on the fired cases. The brass had been fired several times, possibly in different rifles.

I carefully ran all the loaded (and lubed) cases into a Reddding body die. Afterwards, everything dropped in smooth as silk. </div></div>

Sounds like this will solve my problems. I am going to try this out. Thanks.
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jsthntn247</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wh309</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Encountered a similar problem once with a 6mmBR with a no-turn neck in a custom Pac-Nor barrel. I had to use a rubber hammer to get the rounds to seat, and again to get them to extract. The load was moderate and the brass was Lapua. There were no pressure signs on the fired cases. The brass had been fired several times, possibly in different rifles.

I carefully ran all the loaded (and lubed) cases into a Reddding body die. Afterwards, everything dropped in smooth as silk. </div></div>

Sounds like this will solve my problems. I am going to try this out. Thanks.</div></div>

You are aware that a Weatherby case and a 6mmBR case headspace completely different?
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

Not sure what dies you are using ... but may I suggest Redding compitition dies... they are the best. My Father-in-law had a similar issue and it was that the dies were not set up correctly. not sure if this was said ...but you want to put your RAM in the full press position .. meaning that the RAM is totally extended ... screw down the die until it hits the floor plate and then turn the 1/4 to 1/2 further down. Now the die is set up correctly. You may want to get go-no-go guage for your caliber so you can see if it meets SAMI spec's or not. A good digital caliper, and the hornandy bullet seating guages are a very good investment as well..
 
Re: Remington bolt wont close

I had the same problem and a few of my colleagues also

I'm 100% sure your die is not down enough, put it on the schell holder ( is your schell holder an RCBS also ?) and turn 1/4 more, another important thing is the grease you use don't put too much and at the right place