excessive smoke after shot

I am shooting my 10t-sr in 6.5 creedmoor. I shot a 14 round string of 147gr eld match and 143gr eldx. first 5 shots were the 147 and had a good 1" group at 100 with a few fliers. then 5 of the eldx which shot a lot worse, 1.5-2" then 4 of the match ammo. after about the 12th shot i noticed a lot of smoke coming out. it didn't really smell funny but was odd. these shots made 40 total for the rifle. I cleaned it real good with clp brushed and wiped out when i first got it and have shot 10-12 round sessions with running a dry bore snake after each session. so this was maybe my 4th shooting session with it. all 14 shots were at a slow pace, taking time in between groups to reload my mag. the barrel was hot to the touch. I retrieved my target and shot a temp gun at the barrel right in front of throat and it was 118 degrees so i don't think it was too hot. anyways im thinking it was maybe the powder fouling causing all the smoke? I don't know, what do ya'll think?

Where was the smoke coming from?


If it was coming out of the action you need to look at your primers. Also clean your bolt face real well. If there are black marks around the primer you probably have a "cut bolt face as well. Not the end of the world but it would warrant a call to Savage.

Might be your cleaning procedures. For instance are you using a chamber guide so that your cleaners aren't back flowing into the action and magazine?

it is smoke coming out of the muzzle. the last few shots i had to wait a second for the smoke to clear to see my shot. Ive been shooting an ar-15 the past 6 years and am getting back into bolt action precision shooting. ive done mag dumps on ar's and not had this amount of smoke. my last bolt action was a .308 and didnt have this problem. Its just something odd i noticed. the rounds were factory ammo not reloads. i did use a bore guide as well as muzzle downhill, but i had shot 26 rounds before that, cleaning with a dry bore snake at the end of my other shooting sessions so i believe solvent isnt the issue. although i bedded my scope base and used cooking spray as a release agent but i figured that would have been burnt out in the first few shots IF any got in the action which i doubt because I didnt drench it.

I would quit shooting that ammo. Probably also let the manufacture know what the issue is. I had an instance where I emailed the ammo manufacture due to an issue. It ultimately led to a recall of the lot. They also more than replaces the defective ammo I had sent back.

i had to wait a second for the smoke to clear to see my shot.

Really? Factory ammo?

I would try some different ammo

Possibly a change in the humidity or other atmospheric weather change?.
I know on some days my super accurate 30-06 loads with a max charge of IMR4350 seem to make quite a cloud.

I believe you just discovered the real truth. Smokeless Powder isn't.

Yes, less smokey than black powder but all kinds of conditions or even the powder itself can cause smoke. I sometimes watch other shooters and while shooting a box of factory ammo some will leave a cloud, others not. I write it off to the actual air conditions in front of the barrel at the time.

One other thing to look for but I think you might have noticed it before firing but the presence of oil or grease on the bullet itself can cause smoke. Doesn't take much but if you hand some on your hands???? Could even be wax from the factory.

oil or cleaning solution in the action/ chamber.