Hornady ELD-Match 300 prc ammo.

[KY49]

Anyone else having sticky bolt problems with the factory ELD-M ammo? I have fired 60 rounds of factory 300 prc through a brand new Savage 110 LRH and a brand new Browning x Bolt and both rifles had difficulty ejecting spent cases. In both situations, the bolts would not completely cycle to the up position. After a delay of up to 30 seconds, the bolts on both rifles would completely cycle using stiff pressure on the bolt handle and then would allow for rearward movement to eject the empty case. No ruptured or cracked cases but every primer appear to be flattened. Firing pin indention appears normal. I spoke with Hornady, Savage and Browning and while everyone agrees they will fix any problem, they also agree it is the fault of someone else. I am preparing to reduce load some of the fully resized cases to see if the problem persists. Anyone else seeing this issue??

[Dave Hoback]

Member nathantc had cases sticking with factory ammo. He had a gunsmith work on it & was told it was a burr in the chamber. I think they reamed the chamber & he's been good since. So it’s at least two of you who’ve experienced it.

[Robinhood]

Member nathantc had cases sticking with factory ammo. He had a gunsmith work on it & was told it was a burr in the chamber. I think they reamed the chamber & he's been good since. So it’s at least two of you who’ve experienced it.

Or a good polishing.

[Dave Hoback]

Or a good polishing.

That’s what I would do. I’ve polished other sticky chambers, but never a 300PRC chamber. Was letting him know what Nathan did with the same problem in his 300PRC. He listed they milled, chambered & polished. https://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?69412-Oryx-CAN-be-milled-out-to-accept-3-85-CIP-Magazine-Its-beautiful-110FCP-300PRC

[nathantc]

Yes, my rifle locked up on the very first round fired. Hornady 225g match 300 PRC. Did so for the smith for the next 5 rounds. All were checked for pressure signs and there were none. The barrel was removed and check. There was a machining bur in the chamber. 1/8 of the barrel was cut, rethreaded, rechambered, and rethroughted to saami spec. Then polished. Not one issue in the last 50ish rounds since. All the same ammo from the same lot number. I've noticed, the newer the savage rifle, the more QC issues i find. Savage will expect you to pay the shipping to send it it for warranty. For just a touch more than the shipping cost, the smith fixed the issue and bedded the stock. (pointless as i later sold the stock)

If its not a chamber issue, savage actions could also be out of "time" or have issue with primary extraction. Id bet its the chamber though.

This was a brand new Savage 110 FCP HS Precision in 300 PRC bought just a few months ago. This exact model
https://www.savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=22088

Other than that issue i cannot offer much else as pretty much nothing but the barreled action is still stock on my rifle. Hope this gets you started off in the correct direction.

[efm77]

Being that he said he's having the problem out of two different rifles, one a Savage, and the other a Browning, I'm kinda leaning toward hot ammo. I guess it's not impossible, but seems very unlikely that two different brands would have the same rough chamber problem.

[Dave Hoback]

Doing some quick searching, I’ve come across several reports of sticking cases, increased bolt lift effort, etc. Granted, one can likely find the same with most high pressure magnum cartridges.

[nathantc]

Being that he said he's having the problem out of two different rifles, one a Savage, and the other a Browning, I'm kinda leaning toward hot ammo. I guess it's not impossible, but seems very unlikely that two different brands would have the same rough chamber problem.
in earlier rifles there was a common issue across brands of the throat being to tight. Or something to that effect. Doubt that would be the issue though. Could be the ammo, i just know i had the exact same issue, then after chamber work. It is as smooth as butter. No difference cycling unfired rounds vs fired. At least not one i can tell. As for flat primers. well All of them look like this. But so do all my my barnaul 7.62x39, as well as some older 7mm rem mag brass i've got left over.
All are noticeably flatter than unfired. I don't see signs of overpressure at all. All of these rounds ironically were fired from savage rifles.
https://imgdump5.novarata.net/k3b1id.jpg

[efm77]

It's my understanding the 300 PRC has pretty tight throat tolerances anyway. Wonder if maybe they're a little too tight in some instances and could be causing the issue? Wonder if your chamber work smoothed the throat too or opened it just enough?

[nathantc]

It's my understanding the 300 PRC has pretty tight throat tolerances anyway. Wonder if maybe they're a little too tight in some instances and could be causing the issue? Wonder if your chamber work smoothed the throat too or opened it just enough?
its very possible

[yobuck]

It's my understanding the 300 PRC has pretty tight throat tolerances anyway. Wonder if maybe they're a little too tight in some instances and could be causing the issue? Wonder if your chamber work smoothed the throat too or opened it just enough?
For sure a tight neck could cause those type issues, unless the necks are turned on the brass to alleviate it.
And turning necks isnt something you just willy nilly go about doing.
Which is why most prefer whats referred to as a no turn neck chamber.
But i cant imagine that being the case in a factory chamber.
A chamber cast would show if that is the issue in guns having the problem.

[nathantc]

For sure a tight neck could cause those type issues, unless the necks are turned on the brass to alleviate it.
And turning necks isnt something you just willy nilly go about doing.
Which is why most prefer whats referred to as a no turn neck chamber.
But i cant imagine that being the case in a factory chamber.
A chamber cast would show if that is the issue in guns having the problem.

unfortunately the chamber and throat were both redone completely when the bur was found. I know it isn't always necessary but 100% guaranteed would fix the issue on my rifle. So the entire chamber was recut, throat redone, and then polished. Maybe the bur found in my rifle was never really the issue. Factory chamber might mean something different in the 300PRC. Especially that there is a lot of manufacturers that had issues chambering this round in the earlier rifles. Maybe that is just yet another issue. I still say to take the ammo, and the rifles in question to a competent smith.

[yobuck]

An even quicker check of the chamber of any gun is to simply take a fired case from that gun and insert a bullet tip first into the neck.
If need be, another loaded round can be used by just inserting the exposed part of the bullet into the case.
If it goes in easily with no resistance, it for sure wouldnt be a tight neck issue.
Chances are that on a factory chamber a bullet would fall right into the fired case with little to no help.

[nathantc]

An even quicker check of the chamber of any gun is to simply take a fired case from that gun and insert a bullet tip first into the neck.
If need be, another loaded round can be used by just inserting the exposed part of the bullet into the case.
If it goes in easily with no resistance, it for sure wouldnt be a tight neck issue.
Chances are that on a factory chamber a bullet would fall right into the fired case with little to no help.

i learned something today, thank you. Going to go try that now. Never thought of that. (i still dont reload)

[nathantc]

An even quicker check of the chamber of any gun is to simply take a fired case from that gun and insert a bullet tip first into the neck.
If need be, another loaded round can be used by just inserting the exposed part of the bullet into the case.
If it goes in easily with no resistance, it for sure wouldnt be a tight neck issue.
Chances are that on a factory chamber a bullet would fall right into the fired case with little to no help.

check this out, here is one of the spent brass from before my rifle had chamber work. JUST LIKE YOU SAID, it would have to be pressed in to fit. Harder than i wanted to push. The next photo is spent brass from after the fix. I'd call it a "neat" fit if you know what that means from an industry stand point. There is resistance, but so little the weight of the unfired round can "wiggle" in on its own. I have 6 total round that required a mallet to extract before the fix, all of them are super tight on the projectile.
In the first photo you can see where the extractor damaged the brass, i have no idea if that brass is even salvageable like that but i kept the 6 i have that did this.

https://imgdump5.novarata.net/wtceo1.jpg
https://imgdump5.novarata.net/zfvvuj.jpg

[Dave Hoback]

Even the case neck with the “wiggle” is a snug chamber with factory ammunition.

OR:

In my case, it’s the brass to blame. For my 260, the brass I load for range/plinking is fired LC 7.62x51 NATO brass. I resize it to .264”, but I don’t turn the brass necks on the first firing as 260 brass. Bullets won’t go in the fired cases, but the never a single case sticks even a little bit. The ones I use again get their necks turned after.

[yobuck]

Well turning the necks can solve a tight neck situation, but it can also create a situation which can only be solved with a bushing die.
Or buying new brass and starting over, so know what your doing before you start.
So here again a qualified gunsmith fixed a dangerous situation.
And the old fired brass proves it.
Thats why he said bring the gun and some fired cases.
Savage should be made aware of this.

[nathantc]

Well turning the necks can solve a tight neck situation, but it can also create a situation which can only be solved with a bushing die.
Or buying new brass and starting over, so know what your doing before you start.
So here again a qualified gunsmith fixed a dangerous situation.
And the old fired brass proves it.
Thats why he said bring the gun and some fired cases.
Savage should be made aware of this.
they would have been, had they not expected me to pay the shipping for a brand new $1400 rifle they messed up. I feel the QC at savage has slipped away over the years, and i'm pretty sure they know, and don't care. That being said, the gunsmith was actually cheaper than the shipping if you do not count the extra's i had him do. I strongly recommend finding a good smith.

[KY49]

Re the 300 PRC-M ammo and sticky bolt issue. I sent the Savage 110 LRH back to the factory for inspection. They report using a reamer and a polisher to the chamber and sent it back to me. I fired three more rounds of Match (Lot# 3211709) and bolt locked up on each shot. I reloaded some of the previously fired cases backing off the H1000 to 74 gr which should have produced about 2700 fps, down from the advertised 2810 of the factory Match ammo. All reloads fired and cycled normally through the rifle. (I checked the fresh bullet in the mouth of a fired case but all went in with little or no pressure.) Called Hornady and as I have 10 original rounds left, they are shipping them back for testing. I will detail results. BTW when returning the Savage to the company, I took it back to the dealer (Buds Guns) and they shipped it to and from Savage at no charge to me.

[nathantc]

Re the 300 PRC-M ammo and sticky bolt issue. I sent the Savage 110 LRH back to the factory for inspection. They report using a reamer and a polisher to the chamber and sent it back to me. I fired three more rounds of Match (Lot# 3211709) and bolt locked up on each shot. I reloaded some of the previously fired cases backing off the H1000 to 74 gr which should have produced about 2700 fps, down from the advertised 2810 of the factory Match ammo. All reloads fired and cycled normally through the rifle. (I checked the fresh bullet in the mouth of a fired case but all went in with little or no pressure.) Called Hornady and as I have 10 original rounds left, they are shipping them back for testing. I will detail results. BTW when returning the Savage to the company, I took it back to the dealer (Buds Guns) and they shipped it to and from Savage at no charge to me.

same lot as 4 of the 5 total boxes i have here. That was the same lot # that gave me trouble originally before a rechamber and polish (not done by savage). Its the same number the last 40 rounds have been after the fix without issue.
https://imgdump5.novarata.net/e4m61j.jpg