Savage Palma Rifle

[cladd]

I just finished shooting my new Savage Palma rifle in 308 today and it really seems like it's going to be a shooter. I was shooting some Speer 125 TNT's to break in the barrel and they shot extremely well. This evening I loaded up some Berger 155's combined with Varget to see how they shoot tomorrow. I used a Sinclair gauge to determine the OAL with the Berger 155's and it resulted in an OAL of 2.81 (just off the lands). When I chambered one of these rounds tonight the bolt was extremely hard to close although when I measured the round after I removed it it still measured exactly the same.

Any idea on what's going on?

[Slowpoke Slim]

I would say it's either the brass isn't sized enough, or you're bullet is seated too long. Take a magic marker and mark up the ogive area of the bullet, and the shoulder area of the brass, and rechamber it again. You should see marks in the marker ink where the interference is happening.

[cladd]

I tried the marker trick and there appears to be marks on the shoulder - I use a Redding full length die and resize per the instructions should I screw the die down just a little more to size the shoulder more?

[Slowpoke Slim]

Yes.

Keep turning the die down, and try chambering the sized brass until the bolt will close.

[cladd]

Perfect! I turn the die down one quarter turn past the point where the bottom of the resizing die touched the shell holder (redding instructions state to just have contact between die and shell holder) resized it and an empty case chambered without difficulty. My other brass that I had resized with the "just touching of die and shell holder" chambered hard so that must have been it. I shoot this brass in my FN SPR tactical rifle - I assume resizing my brass with my new setting will not have any negative affect on using it in this gun also?

Thanks a bunch!

[teele1]

Well if that brass fit your other rifle without the extra 1/4 turn then the headspace must be different. I'd get a tool from Innovative Technologies to measure the headspace from both rifle's brass. Also get a set of Skips Die Shims and set your die for one or the other rifle brass on the .005 shim then use the appropriate shim for the other rifle. You only want the shoulder set back .001-.002. Don't alternate brass between the two rifles. I use a Redding FL Bushing die to size .308 brass for 3 different rifles this way and get .001 shoulder bump.

[Ramdiesel]

I have an AR-15 and a savage 223. I keep my brass separate from each other.

[cladd]

Thanks for the responses - have decided to follow Ramdiesel's advice - will devote my good Lapua brass to the Palma rifle and purchase more brass for my FN. This way I don't have to worry about trying to make brass fit more than 1 rifle - as good as the Palma looks like it's going to shoot it deserves it's own brass.

Thanks again

[shovelheadave]

I have an AR-15 and a savage 223. I keep my brass separate from each other.

X2

[Slowpoke Slim]

Yes, absolutely use separate brass for each. With that much difference between rifles (NOT uncommon), you would be over working your brass anyway, and brass life would have been short.

You might also think about neck sizing your Lapua brass in your Savage. Brass life will be longer, and usually, groups will be smaller. Then only FL size the brass when it becomes hard to close the bolt again. You don't want to over do it with bumping the shoulder back, just about 1/8 turn of the FL die at a time until the bolt just closes on the case should do it.

You don't need to buy a bunch of "thingy's" or "trinkets" to do that. The "old school" way of turning the die and checking it as you go will work.

Just my 2 cents worth...