Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 300 savage chambering problem? New Reloader

I am new to reloading, and just started loading for my 300 savage. Everything is going well except I am having a problem in that some (many) of my reloads get hung-up when getting fed into the chamber. The problem is clearly the very end of the outside of the case neck is catching on the lip of the chamber.

I have noticed that the factory ammo: 1. uses bullets with crimp grooves (knurled) and 2. The cases are crimped into the groove and have an almost chamfered surface on the outside, so they slide right in.

I do have a Lee factory crimp die, and using this only seems to help slightly. Have other Savage users had this problem. Is there a trick to tapering the outside lip of cases that I am missing. None of my manuals address this issue at all? It seems that somehow I need to get a chamfer on the outside
of the case, but am not sure the best way to do it?

One thing I suspect, is that I am using factory Remmington cases that I saved that have not been trimmed (trimmer is in the mail). I hope new cases (Winchester) along with trimming will help, but I feel I am missing something.

Any advice is appreciated!

Are they getting hung up going from the magazine to the chamber or actually being hung up when you try to close the action?

If your cases are trimmed to spec, you will want to debur and outside chamfer your cases. I use the RCBS tool but everyone Lyman, Hornady and a few others make them.

They are getting hung-up going from magazine to Chamber. Once past the "lip" they go into the rest of the chamber and the lever locks up okay.

I will look for tools that put a chamfer on the ouside
of the case neck. I had seen a couple for chamfering the
inside of the neck, but not the outside. I know a simple de-burr tool will work to a degree, but I will look for a tools specifically for this.

Thanks

PoorAim�



The problem you're having is NOT a common problem with the .300 Savage.



It�s possible your cartridge cases are a bit TOO LONG thus causing the forward edge of the case-mouth to strike against the rear opening of the chamber before the cartridge case being fed into the chamber can �level-out� and slide smoothly into the chamber. To cure this problem, you should trim the cases back to the MINIMUM case length of 1.865 inches, then deburr the inside and outside edges of the case-mouth. Maximum case length for the .300 Savage cartridge case is 1.871 inches.



Also make sure your maximum overall cartridge length (including the bullet) does NOT exceed 2.60 inches.



Reading-between-the-lines of your post, I'd guess you are loading for a Model 99 Savage lever-action rifle similar to mine. If this is the case, I strongly advise you to FULL-LENGTH RESIZE all your cartridge cases including any NEW cases you use... and trim all your cases to minimum case length only AFTER you've full-length resized them.



Full-length resizing & trimming your cases to minimum case length will quite possibly solve your problem if you also insure your overall cartridge length does not exceed 2.60 inches.



There�s a common reloader�s deburring hand-tool made by a good many reloading suppliers that looks like a sorta �rocket ship�� with cutting edges on the pointed nose that you use to chamfer the INSIDE edge of the mouth of the cartridge case and cutting edges of the �tails� of the tool that chamfer the OUTSIDE edge of the mouth of the cartridge case. This hand-tool works PERFECTLY to accomplish all the �deburring� you need to do to a cartridge case after it is trimmed. However, you only use this tool AFTER you trim the cases, NOT before you trim them... and you trim the cases only AFTER you full-length resize them.



When you �deburr�, the idea is to knock-down the edges of the case mouth that are created when you trim the case, NOT �sharpen� the case-mouth. You don�t want any �edges� sticking �out� or �in� when you push the case up into your bullet-seating die. The edges sticking �out� will be crushed down by the bullet-seating die�s internal design possibly causing the case to resist going fully up into the die without greater than necessary pressure. The edges sticking �in� will tend to scratch the bullet�s body thus possibly causing problems with accuracy as well as making the bullet more difficult to seat evenly.



I reload for the 9x19, .38 Special/.357 magnum, .44 Special/.44 magnum, .45 ACP, .222, .300 Savage and .338 Win. Magnum. I full-length resize the .300 Savage cases for use in my 1953 �EG� Model 99 Savage lever-action rifle. I�ve found that you MUST trim all NEW cartridge cases because their case-mouths are often cut �uneven�.



I�ve found that after shooting my �hot� hunting loads (2680 fps) just once, some the cases have stretched as much as .04�-.05� or more� and I must re-trim every .300 Savage cartridge case back to minimum case length due to case stretching. I�ve also found that I get very little or no case stretching with milder loads in the 2550 fps-2600 fps range.



My �hunting load� is a �maximum load� consisting of 41.5 grains of IMR4895 behind a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet sparked by a standard Winchester large rifle primer in Winchester cartridge cases. This load yields a chronographed 2680 fps average (at 80�F) out of the 24-inch barrel of my rifle�s 24-inch barrel. This load may be DANGEROUS in your rifle, therefore you should "work up" to this maximum load with caution.



This load has proven very accurate in my rifle and averages � inch, 3-shot groups @ 100 yards off the bench-rest.



If you don�t have any, get a good pair of dial or digital calipers with which to measure your cartridge cases. Look in your local pawn shop for a decent stainless-steel dial or digital caliper. You should be able to buy a good used one for $25-$40 depending on the brand. You don�t need a top quality brand� a �decent� one will do just fine.





Strength & Honor...



Ron T.

Thanks for all the advice Ron,

I am indeed using a Savage 99g. I just got my case trimmer in the mail, so in the future I will be trimming all cases. I do however have a good set of calipers, and was only reloading brass that was under the max. 1.871" I was also making sure overall loaded length was less than 2.600" (they were 2.590"- 2.595") so I don't think excessive length
was the problem. I could try shorter OALs to validate though. (keeping in mind min. OAL for certain loads too)

I have found the deburr tool you mentioned and can easily see how it works on the O.D. Hopefully with the trimmer and the deburring, this problem will be resolved! If not, I will experiment with shorter lengths just to see.

Thanks again

I had the same problem with mine. I missed a deer my first day out trying to work the lever quietly and got a jam. It was especially bad with round nose factory ammo, worse when I worked the lever slowly.

The use of pointed bullets, ensuring the outside edge has a clean chamfer, and attention to my crimp seems to have solved the problem. Enough inward turn to keep the rim from catching and not so much as to create an ubrupt angle.

I also think as I got used to the rifle, I worked the lever more fluidly and facilitated smooth feeding.

I agree, bullets with a crimping groove have worked much better for me than using the lee crimp on a smooth jacketed bullet.

Keep trying. These are fine rifles and worth every effort

When I deburr after full-length resizing, I first deburr the OUTSIDE mouth of the mouth of the individual case, then flip the deburring tool over & deburr the INSIDE case mouth of an individual case, and then... before putting the case down in the "finished" box, I flip the deburring tool over once again and "touch up" the OUTSIDE edge of the case mouth again just in case the deburring of the inside of the case-mouth caused an "edge" on the outside of the case-mouth again (which CAN happen occasionally).



Then I "feel" for a burr around the outside edge of the case mouth by gripping the case in one hand and running my thumb and opposing finger of the other hand repeatedly "up" the case neck & over the case-mouth to see if I can "feel" ANY "burr" on the outside of the case-mouth.



After you do some deburring for a while and get some experience as to how long it takes and how many "twists" of the deburring tool it takes (just a few) to do a good job of deburring, you will know how many "turns" to give the deburring tool and this job will be "2nd. nature" to you.



You sound like a "thinking man"... and so I'm sure you'll conquer this problem. Just remember that you must have all the tools if you expect to load the "good loads".



BTW, crimping the bullet is NOT necessary when reloading most rifle cartridges. The longer neck of most rifle cartridges holds the bullet in a very secure manner, especially on mild-kicking cartridges like the .300 Savage. If you were shooting a .30/378 or a .460 Weatherby, I might suggest crimping, but not on a .300 Savage.



Crimping slows down the case-mouth's release of your bullet and thus allows the powder gas pressure to build up to a greater degree behind the still stationery bullet. This action is very likely to RAISE your chamber pressure thus possibly causing an otherwise acceptable load to show unacceptably "high pressure". I'd forget about the crimping... it's NOT necessary with most rifle rounds and it counter-productive for your .300 Savage reloads.



Good luck to you and if I can be of any more help, please P.M. me or post a question here. I don't know ALL of the "answers", but I know more than a few... lolol.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />





Strength & Honor...



Ron T.

I'll have to agree I have had better accuracy when not crimping rifle handloads. I don't crimp for any of my bolt guns.

But in my lever guns - yes the savage - I have had soft nose bullets catch the edge of a chamber and get pushed in slightly when not using a crimp.

Factory loads are crimped for these types of reasons.

PoorAim,
I have a '99 in 300 Savage,which I am just getting aquainted with.
I have the same problem as you do. I even have trouble with a round that is single loaded directly into the chamber.
The problem is with the bullet,not the case,which is f/l resized and at less then max length.
Jacketed bullets are no problem. Cast bullets sometimes,hang up. I think that you are on the right track,looking at the case mouth.
I expand ths case mouth less for jacketed bullets;force them into the case,for a tight fit,whout any crimp.
I leave the case mouth more open for the cast bullets,so I do not deform them. Even though I apply a light crimp to bebell the case mouth,they sometimes hang up.
Chamfer the case mouth and don't expand it anymore then you have to. If you shoot boattail jacketed bullets,try not expanding,at all.
Frank