Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 303 Sav Headspace

If I put a 008 pc. of shim behind the brass and then close the lever (should that be a no-go situation), or is my thinking screwed up. I am trying to

decide if I should buy a field headspace gauge.

I wouldn't trust the brass ? how do you know what the actual dimensions are of the brass..??

plab

the rim is 060 on the shell I used.

you have your primers backing out right ? have you tried factory ammo ?

plab

there are lots of reasons you get backed out primers.. low pressure can cause it...did you clean the chamber ? is you lever locking up good ? try some factory stuff . maybe someone here has a gauge . ?

plab

I fired a factory 190 gr silvertip and the primer backed up. I took one of the fire formed shells and reduced the load to 30 gr IMR 4895 and just neck sized the case

and the primer did not move.

OK .. so maybe there's an issue if the factory round backed out.. I'd take to a good smith . but you still may need to have a gauge for headspace. , smith may not own a 303 gauge
if you just want to get a feel for what's going on, you maybe on the right track with your shim.. but I wouldn't condemn
a rifle based on that

plab

As I mentioned in your other thread invest in the gauge its more than worth the money and will also let you know when its time to trim if you shoot a lot.. BUY IT !

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-E-Wilson-Case-Gage-303-Savage-GC-303S/182057714744?_

[url=https://postimages.org/]

.30-30 headspace gauges can be used.

This ^^^^^^

Right! ^^^ headspace on the rim. Improvement from neck sizing a 303 case and reloading indicates your formed case is bearing on the shoulder when chambered, not the rim. Check rim thickness, .008 is too much difference between go and no-go.

Any chance this is a rifle that's had the "lever bite adjustment"? The arc of the lever is the mechanism that brings the bolt into battery. It could be your bolt is not rising all the way up into the receiver taper at the heel.

If the lever bite is properly adjusted the bolt will be driven to its full upright and locked position.

an old shade tree mechanic way of gauging headspace is use plasti gauge from the auto parts store. put a stick across the chambered cartridge and close the bolt . read with the gauge scale on the package.
come to think of it they may not even sell plasti gauge anymore.
anyway that was how we did it in the 50's

They still sell plasti gauge.

A 30-30 headspace gauges works for many cartridges, including 303 Savage. Download the pacific tool's headspace compatibility pdf at the bottom of this page:

http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/saam.../151-choose_gauge_type-field_gauge_brown

How about .22 HP gauge?

Rick, the spec list at Brownell's for the Forester 30-30 headspace gauge does list 22HP.
SPECS: Machined Steel. Size varies with caliber and gauge style. NOTE: Gauges Interchangeable between calibers have same Stock #. .30-30 Cartridges are .219 Wasp, .219 Zipper, .22 Sav HP, .30-30, .32 Win Spl, .32-40, .375 Win and .38-55. .30-06 Cartridges are .25-06, .270 Win, .30-06, 8mm-06, .338-06 and .35 Whelen. Magnum Cartridges are .257 Weatherby, .264 Win, 6.5 Rem Mag, .270 Weatherby, .275 H&H, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Weatherby, 7x61 S&H, .300 H&H, .300 Win Mag, .30-338, .300 Weatherby, .308 Norma, 8mm Mag, .338 Win, .340 Weatherby, .350 Rem Mag, .358 Norma, .375 H&H, .416 Rem Mag and .458 Win.

I thought I should bring it up as it is not always listed on the interchangeability lists.