A bit over a month ago I posted a thread here about buying a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade Maple 30.06. The rifle is everything you would want in a rifle. The trigger is awesome, ergos are spot on, it oozes quality with a beautiful metal and wood finish and is visually stunning. So, what is not to like?

Of the very first rounds I attempted to shoot through it, Hornady Whitetail 165gr(I think), the first two went 'bang', the next three didn't. Switching to Federal Fusion resulted in 100% reliability.

I took the bolt apart and cleaned a little bit of thin white grease out of it and reassembled it. I also contacted Hornady with a description and pictures. The reply stated the primer indent wasn't deep enough. How they could determine that from a couple of crappy cell phone photos were beyond me although I could see that as a possibility even though they looked pretty good to me.

Back to the range yesterday with the Winchester and the same box of ammo. Also along for the trip was my Benelli R1 30.06, which devoured the three 'dud' rounds as well as everything else I fed it. Switching to the Winchester, three of the four Hornady rounds went 'click', although the Benelli fired those also. The Winchester then proceeded to shoot the Federal and Remington I brought along with 100% reliability.

So, my brand new beautiful Winchester just won't shoot that Hornady ammo, although everything else I have tried poses no issues. I am trying to determine if I should contact Winchester (actually Browning), or just avoid Hornady Whitetail ammo. I wouldn't think it would be a headspace issue since it shoots everything else I tried, and that the same ammo worked in a semi auto with what is probably a more generous chamber. I guess I should try to measure the firing pin protrusion possibly, but beyond that....?

Any thoughts?

Maybe your rifle's headspace is a bit long, and/or the headspace of the Hornady ammo is short.

Did you flinch?

I think I would avoid Hornady for a bit. If it's lighting off federal and remington 100%, I lean that something is up with the hornady rounds. Maybe in a few months or source another box of hornady with a different lot number. Hray

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
Maybe your rifle's headspace is a bit long, and/or the headspace of the Hornady ammo is short.

Did you flinch?

Actually..... No, I didn't

I'm curious about headspace, firing pin protrusion and mainspring length on the rifle in question.

You bought the gun new it sounds?

Is the primer indentation good and consistent with the ammo it likes?

Years ago I bought a used Browning BLR lever gun in 308. I was suspect right away when receiving the gun, receiver screws were buggered up. When I got around to testing it, less than 1/2 would fire, reloads and factory ammunition.

When the seller balked, I dropped it off with Browning in Arnold, MO. Their verdict, chamber messed up, blamed it on reloads. For their part, they treated me fairly, let me keep parts, sold a replacement at cost.

I could have nursed it along with specialty reloads, they wanted the gun off the street, so to speak.

You could maybe test with go/no-go gages. If it tests fine with every other type of ammo, I could maybe live with it. I’d want to know more through testing first, maybe it left the factory out of spec.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
You bought the gun new it sounds?

Is the primer indentation good and consistent with the ammo it likes?

Years ago I bought a used Browning BLR lever gun in 308. I was suspect right away when receiving the gun, receiver screws were buggered up. When I got around to testing it, less than 1/2 would fire, reloads and factory ammunition.

When the seller balked, I dropped it off with Browning in Arnold, MO. Their verdict, chamber messed up, blamed it on reloads. For their part, they treated me fairly, let me keep parts, sold a replacement at cost.

I could have nursed it along with specialty reloads, they wanted the gun off the street, so to speak.

You could maybe test with go/no-go gages. If it tests fine with every other type of ammo, I could maybe live with it. I’d want to know more through testing first, maybe it left the factory out of spec.

Sounds like great CS from Browning! Yes, I did buy the rifle brand new. Although I will double check there was no issue with the primer indentation that I noticed on rounds from other manufacturers. Besides, they all went 'bang'! One would think if there was a headspace issue it wouldn't shoot other ammo 100% either, but it does. Conversely a semi auto, presumably with a more generous chamber shot all the 'dud' rounds?!

This isn't the only issue I Have had with Hornady ammo recently. Only 60% of Superformance 243 chambered with normal bolt closure effort in a brand new Tikka. Some were tight, some wouldn't let the bolt close at all!

The real debate is whether I should send the rifle to the manufacturer or to just avoid that particular ammo, possibly ignoring what may be a real issue.

If you can do more testing, including being sure it’s just the Hornady ammo, maybe no reason to send it back.

A number of years ago, many had issues cycling and feeding with Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo. This was in guns that reportedly fired many other ammo types just fine. It comes right up in a search, often the bullet profile is mentioned.

I have one 22 semi-auto, does well with most any ammo but you can’t get through a magazine of CCI ‘Velocitor’ ammo without a failure to feed. I just never use that type with it.

Just so you don’t only hear a ‘click’ when that 10 pointer is broadside at 75 yards.

I guess I'm missing something in this. When I have a specific box and load of ammo that doesn't go bang and everything else does go bang, my first thought is not the gun. I see this on a regular basis, including the part it goes bang in something else. Unless that's the ammo you must use move on and test what you will use to have full confidence in it.

I'd use a comparator and check the headspace of Hornaday round that won't fire, a round from another brand that does fire, and a fired round. If the fired round and other brand ammo are similar, and the Hornady ammo is shorter, you've likely found the problem.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
I'd use a comparator and check the headspace of Hornaday round that won't fire, a round from another brand that does fire, and a fired round. If the fired round and other brand ammo are similar, and the Hornady ammo is shorter, you've likely found the problem.

this,

also check a live vs fired round and see if the primer is seated properly, (as in not to deep)

also check FP Protusion as mentioned,

Sprg03 I don't know if this will help but bellow are 2 shell casings from 2 of my Win model 70. The casing on the left was fired about 8 years ago out of my new haven Model 70 classic CRF .270. The one on the right was fired a couple weeks ago out of my Model 70 FW .270 I bought new last year made by FN in Portugal imported by BACO. Hray





Edited to add that I have several boxes of spent casing of the one on the right and they are consistent