Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Help with WSM feeding/ejection problems

Could use some help! I also posted this topic in the "Ask the Gunwriter" forum, so this is a repeat. This may have been addressed before, but I did a search and found very little discussion on the subject.

I just had a custom rifle built on a Rem 700 SA, chambered for 7mm WSM. The rifle shoots great, but it has feeding and ejection problems in the WSM chambering that it obviously didn't have back when it was a 7mm-08. It won't eject a live round at all (which is not really a big issue, since it pivots the round out of the ejection port where I can pluck it out rather than pick it up off the ground), BUT about 30% of the time, it won't eject an empty case either, which IS a problem. In addition, if you don't work the bolt fast when pushing a round into battery, the round will generally pop out from under the magazine rails, causing the case head to spring above the bolt face! The last round in the magazine can be especially difficult to chamber. 160gr. 7WSM factory rounds are at absolute max OAL for the magazine box and the short fat WSM case has to tilt up at a severe angle in order to slide across the feed ramp and chamber. I do handload, so I'll be able to tweak OAL which may or may not help some, but being a new rifle, I've only used factory ammo so far. Prior to having the gun built, it never dawned on me that the short fat cases would present a feeding problem, especially since the majors all offer new rifles in the various short mags. I did an internet search and found that mine isn't exactly an isolated problem, however. I noticed Brownells has a magazine box and follower for the WSM cases, but by using it, magazine capacity drops from 3 rounds to 2, which I don't really want. I definitely don't want to convert the rifle to a single shot either.

Does anyone have any suggestions for fixing these problems? What, if anything, do the manufacturers do differently with their short magnum actions vs. their standard short actions for proper functioning of WSM / SAUM cartridges?

For the record, other than enlarging the bolt face for the WSM case head, my bolt has had a Sako-style extractor installed, and it uses a modified magazine box for the WSM cases. Nothing else has been modified inside the action. It has the original plunger ejector from when the rifle was a 7-08. The new extractor works flawlessly, but is it possible something about it may be contributing to the ejection problem? A couple of buddies have had the Sako extractor mod done to theirs with no problems, but theirs are also chambered in standard short action cartridges.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice you can give!

Easy solution here. Sell it and buy a 7mm Ultra Mag or other big seven.

Why not take it back to the "Smith" that built it. If it's just been done, I'd be lookin' to the smith to rework it to resolve the feeding problems.

......which is my exact reply in the 'ask the gunwriters' column..

I can like the HS Precision DBM for Shamu/Whizzum conversions on the 700 short. VERY positive and a little extry COAL wiggle room to boot.

Ejection sounds like a quirk in the rear of the ejection port. My guess is,without rifle in hand,that the case is hitting the rear of the port before it is schucked loose of the extractor. If that's the case,it's no big deal to radius that area in increments,to achieve positive reliability.

Long way of sayin',that's what I done to mine and I'm beyond delighted,though I can't like Sako extractors in a 700.....................

More info about this rifle:
1. I already had a standard M700 short action that I used, which is why the rifle wasn't built on a short mag action to begin with.
2. I didn't realize there would be a problem with feeding or I might have gone a different route to begin with, but what's done is done, so I'm hoping I can fix the feeding issues without too much trouble.
3. I do plan to have the smith fix it, but I wanted to get some input from others on possible cures first just for my own understanding.
4. I already have another big 7, and the goal here was to make an ultra-light mountain rifle, which this gun definitely is. The action used is a lightened and blueprinted M700 action, with skeletonized bolt handle, fluted bolt body, milled receiver in non-stress areas, already with Jewell trigger, so I wanted to use the action I already had, since so much machine work was done and money spent.
5. Don't want to sell the rifle, as it shoots great accuracy-wise, and it's quick pointing and well-balanced. I want to make sure I can get the feeding problem fixed before I even think about that option.

Mine was hanging up on the bottom of the ejection window itself. Chamber an empty round and slowly open the bolt. Look closely for the hang up.

As Stick said it is probably on the back side of the ejection port or in my case the bottom. I took about .01" off of the bottom of my window in order to get empties to release from the extactor. I watched closely and could see the shoulder actually hang on the bottom edge of the port.......

As far as the shell popping out of the mag, you probably need a WSM follower. I put an extended Wyatts box in mine and killed several birds with one stone. I think $35 for the box and about $40 to my smith for milling the action, bolt stop, stock, and adjusting feed lips is very reasonable.

The Wyatts box has feed lips and a flat follower that pretty much turns it into a center feed design....The extra OAL is nice as well especially for VLD bullets that I'm running........Pretty slick!


X-VERMINATOR

xverminator,
How many rounds does your Wyatt's box hold?

All I have to say is, there's more to making a .308 sized action work as a WSM than opening up the bolt face and screwing on a new tube. And not every gunny is capable of doing the work required beyond opening the bolt and screwing the tube.

Two down and one in the pipe.....and that's fine with me. It's just a vagi hair shy of taking three. A bottom metal swap or very slightly extended pillars would allow for three down.

For the open country hunting I do with this rifle 3 shots is plenty...


X-VERMINATOR

From your description you will need the following,
1. New Mag Box, Follower and spring.
2. Ramp and rail work
3. The right smith to do this!
bigbull

Rifledude, you need to call Borden Rifles and talk to Jim Borden, I understand he has designed a fix for the feeding problems associated with these "Fat" cases in Rem 700 actions! Later,ackleyfan

Thanks very much for the tip, Ackleyfan! I did talk to Jim and he said he has the WSM feeding issue figured out. He guarantees his fix will work and price was very reasonable. Based on our conversation and Jim's excellent reputation, I felt more confident in sending it to him than back to the original gunsmith. I very much appreciate your input!

Your welcome! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Let us know how it all works out!! Ackleyfan