Box magazine Bullet Damage

[TYIdaho]

I have just picked up a Savage .338 Lapua LRH. As you know it has a box magazine, I normally find the best loads (in most rifles) seating bullets at or very close to the lands, but I am trying to use the box magazine. The loads have to be seated quite short, which is ok as long as I can make them accurate, however, the bullets are being seated back and the tip slightly damaged from the recoil. Have any of you found a way to prevent this? FYI, I am shooting the 300Gr. Berger and it happens even with the lighter loads.

Thanks ahead of time for any help.

[LoneWolf]

Are you using a standard bullet seater or a VLD Bullet seater? I've read guys having seating issues and damaging the tips of bullets while seating because they weren't using the VLD version.

[TYIdaho]

I am using the RCBS Gold Match Bench Rest seater and I did check to make sure it was not touching the tip of the bullets. The bullets are fine after loading with a max of 0.002" runout and no tip damage. After only one shot I remeasure the seating depth to the Ogive with a comparator and the bullet is pushed back\deeper, 0.015". It is definitely from the recoil.

FYI I am using the bushing dies and was not getting enough tension originally, I am now using the .364 bushing which feels like plenty of tension.

[Arky 223]

Saw a fix for this in "Rifle" some time back, don't remember the number. He silver soldered two thin metal strips vertically inside clip. He placed them to catch the front of the taper.

[TYIdaho]

Thanks Arky, I remember that fix from years ago. The Savage box magazine (this one is centerfeed) has a ridge formed on each side of the magazine to accomplish the same thing, and it appears to be working for the shells that are lower, but the top shell in the magazine gets damaged. None of the shells below the top one are damaged until they occupy the top slot. I am looking to see if I can either bend the feed lips down a little to keep the top shell behind these ridges or maybe build the ridges up a little with some JB weld or something.

Is there anyone else that is having this same problem?

[drt4lfe]

I have same rifle( at Savage for repair ) and a friend has BA110......you will be lucky if you find a good accurate load that will allow use of magazine......with VLD's you will probably have to single load, C.O.A.L will probably be too long for magazine....

[TYIdaho]

Drt4lfe, I'm right on track with you there. Seating the VLD's out to the lands normally has some great benefits and will probably be the way I go in the end. But in an effort to use the magazine I am starting with a load that will fit.

Now for an update. I have modified my magazine using JB Weld to in effect raise the formed...I will call them, case arrest...ridges that are designed to stop forward movement of the cartridge under recoil. The cases still feed fine and load with no problem, I will be testing them tomorrow and will report results for those interested.

Drt4lfe

What is your Savage being repaired for?