Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber Mountain Ascent 300 WSM Feeding Issue

So I've got a load I'm happy with. 200AB set .025" off the lands. Here is my issue and I can't figure this out. If I put three down into the magazine and one in the chamber......all feeds well and fine. Flawless. However, if I fire that round in the tube, the next round will get jammed. As long as I don't fire the gun, it will cleanly feed all four rounds. But fire it and it will jam round three. If I only load 2 in the chamber and fire it its fine. I think there may be a spring/follower issue. Anyone run into this?

I guess I don't get having one in the chamber and three down.

What's your load and speed? Handloads I assume?

One suggestion is to get your hands on some 600 Emery and polish the underside feed rails. Nearly every rifle can benefit from that. Ditto the feedramp.

Recoil is rearranging things in the box and causing the rounds and/or follower/spring to shift so that things aren't lined up the same in live fire.

It needs attention. Maybe you can do it yourself.

Like Brad says who need 4 anyway?

WSM's tend to suck anyway when it comes to function. Ive cursed them more than rifles chambered for anything else.

Brad thanks for the emery cloth tip. I'll try that.

Further to Brad's advice; often if you cycle rounds through your rifle a few times, you will often see scratches on the brass from those sharp under edges of the rails.....polish the rails.

Brad sent you good advice. Although even after that, I would load three and chamber only after setting up on an elk. Never felt I needed more than that in reserve.

I agree with everything Bob and Brad are saying, except when you can load 3 in the magazine, you better damn well be able to load one in the chamber too. I've had the same issues with the Model 70 300 WSM's and got rid of them. They are alright if you don't mind not being able to keep a full mag and 1 in the chamber. This is a form over function scenario and I prefer rifles that function properly. Probably just me though from the sounds of it...

Is the Kimber even designed to accept 3 and 1 up the spout?

Those fat WSM cartridges are no bargain when it comes to magazine stacking and flawless function.

This. Rounds moving forward in box. Feed lips and follower are the problem, no idea on the solution.

UPDATE - at the advice os some, I polished the feed rails. Filed the feed ramp lip slightly and polished with Emory cloth. Also suspected the follower spring was sliding forward allowing the rear of the follower to drop. You could see this in the stock paint with the action removed. I placed some epoxy in the front part of mag bottom to stop the spring from sliding during recoil.

At the range this morning all rounds cycled fine after firing. Appears to have worked. We'll see if the condition comes back but this gun had never picked up and racked after firing from a full mag, and now it does. Thanks for for the help Brad.

Hey, glad it worked!