Stuck case/bolt?

General Firearms Precision Rifle - Bolt Gun
1

Hey guys, got a question. I took my rifle out yesterday (remmy sendero 7mm mag) for some range time. I dont even consider myself a newbie in precision shooting because I have no clue what to do or where to start. Anyways, I figured I’d try a different bullet and went with the Hornady 139 gr SST moly. I usually shoot remington140 gr but the store didnt have any. When I got to the range, I shot what I had left of my 140 gr from the last range trip (about 20 rnds), and let the rifle cool down. After that, I took out the box of Hornady and loaded a round. It went in fine, and after I shot it, the bolt would not move. After wrestling with it for a few minutes, it finally came unstuck. I inspected the case, and couldnt see anything wrong with it. It looked identical to a remington case that I placed next to it. So I figured maybe it was just that particular round. I loaded another in, and the same thing happened. I was not able to get this one free, and had to use a rubber mallet at home to knock the bolt back. So, at $45 a box, this kinda sucks for me. Is this the guns fault, or the ammo? What would cause the bolt to get stuck like that?

Thanks,
Mate

2

Don’t know but don’t shoot any more of that. Malleting a bolt open is not a good thing.

3

Excessive chamber pressure.

4

Sounds like you did get a little more pressure than you should have. I would call Hornady and give them the LOT#. If anyone else has reported problems they should replace the ammo. Should you have any concerns about the rifle take it to a guns smith. I had a Remington sendero in 300WM that would do the same thing and it ended up being a rebuild in the end.

5

If you or someone has calipers, measure the length of the spent case. That could cause the sticking and overpressure.

Trim length on the 7mm Rem Mag is 2.5".