Post by: rainshadow1 on August 08, 2017, 08:21:14 AM
Any ideas? How do you loosen and smooth a remmy 700 bolt?
Post by: 7mmfan on August 08, 2017, 08:29:57 AM
Post by: b23 on August 08, 2017, 09:38:54 AM
I have a couple rem 700 youth 243's. Not a ton of rounds thru them but quite a few. Both guns have taken 3 deer each for my two sons. Happy with everything about them except for how tight the bolts operate. They're kids' guns and sometimes I can barely work the bolts myself. For a kid that's effectvely a jam!
Any ideas? How do you loosen and smooth a remmy 700 bolt?
Do you mean just cycling the bolt is very difficult or on a loaded round closing the bolt is hard to do, or is it both?
Has it always been like that or is this something new that it just started doing??
Not knowing what exactly you mean, some of the first things I'd do is make sure the action isn't in some kind of a bind. I'd check to make sure the magazine box is loose and not tight. If the mag box is tight and won't wiggle around freely a little it could be putting the action in a bit of a bind and cause the problems you're describing.
How tight are the action screws?
If it were mine, I'd take the barreled action out of the stock then reassemble it but make sure the mag box is in the proper location because it's easy to get off just a little and it'll bind up.
Also, the action screws don't need to be gorilla tight, only about 35 in-lbs is all you really need and if you aren't using a in-lb torque wrench, it's VERY easy to get wayyyyyy over that and not even realize it.
If it's only a problem closing the bolt on loaded ammo, are these reloads or factory ammo? Could be a headspace issue if what you mean is it's hard to close the bolt with a round in the chamber. If you are reloading, you may need to bump the shoulder back a bit more.
Post by: jrebel on August 08, 2017, 09:44:12 AM
More info is needed....but I am thinking along the same lines as the first two responsed.
Post by: rainshadow1 on August 08, 2017, 02:36:39 PM
Seems harder than just pushing the bullet a little, and I've never stuck a bullet with it. But it's sure possible.
That'd be an easy fix, hope that's it.
Cycling empty is snug, but not hard, it's chambering a loaded round that's hard. I haven't tried an unloaded round, to see if it's the extractor binding on the base, but I'll try that.
Post by: 7mmfan on August 08, 2017, 03:11:09 PM
Post by: winshooter88 on August 08, 2017, 04:10:56 PM
Post by: Yondering on August 08, 2017, 04:15:47 PM
They are reloads, and I'm wondering the headspace thing too. I set the headspace to the bullet based on my Encore 243, kissing the lands, then also loaded the kids' rounds with it too. Hadn't thought about that.
Seems harder than just pushing the bullet a little, and I've never stuck a bullet with it. But it's sure possible.
That'd be an easy fix, hope that's it.
Cycling empty is snug, but not hard, it's chambering a loaded round that's hard. I haven't tried an unloaded round, to see if it's the extractor binding on the base, but I'll try that.
Headspace has nothing to do with the bullet; it sounds like you're confusing two different things and the actual headspace may be a little long for the 700. Headspace is measured between the base of case head and the datum point on the shoulder; use something like the Hornady headspace comparator to measure that, or just screw in the sizing die in small increments until the bolt closes easily on an empty case.
From what you describe, it definitely sounds like a problem with your ammo, not the rifles.
Post by: hunter399 on August 08, 2017, 04:37:44 PM
Post by: JimmyHoffa on August 08, 2017, 04:40:24 PM
Post by: b23 on August 08, 2017, 05:06:10 PM
They are reloads, and I'm wondering the headspace thing too. I set the headspace to the bullet based on my Encore 243, kissing the lands, then also loaded the kids' rounds with it too. Hadn't thought about that.
Seems harder than just pushing the bullet a little, and I've never stuck a bullet with it. But it's sure possible.
That'd be an easy fix, hope that's it.
Cycling empty is snug, but not hard, it's chambering a loaded round that's hard. I haven't tried an unloaded round, to see if it's the extractor binding on the base, but I'll try that.
Headspace has nothing to do with the bullet; it sounds like you're confusing two different things and the actual headspace may be a little long for the 700. Headspace is measured between the base of case head and the datum point on the shoulder; use something like the Hornady headspace comparator to measure that, or just screw in the sizing die in small increments until the bolt closes easily on an empty case.
From what you describe, it definitely sounds like a problem with your ammo, not the rifles.
:yeah:
Yondering has it pretty well explained and I agree that headspace is likely your problem and you need to screw your sizing die down a little more so it bumps the shoulder back on your brass. Unless you have multiple problems going on, this should fix the tight on close issue.
Post by: Yondering on August 08, 2017, 08:37:27 PM
fully resizing the reloads?
Actually that's a great question that I took for granted in my earlier response. OP - if you're neck sizing instead of full length sizing by any chance, that's your problem. Neck sized brass really needs to be dedicated to the gun it was fired in (if we're talking about factory rifles anyway).
Post by: Bill W on August 08, 2017, 08:45:22 PM
Post by: rainshadow1 on August 09, 2017, 01:38:34 PM
Post by: Yondering on August 09, 2017, 01:49:01 PM
Post by: b23 on August 09, 2017, 02:19:20 PM
I know guys that'll use the same 10 or so pieces of brass to work up a load and they'll have no clue how many times those ten pieces were shot, then once they get the load they want they load up however many and mix those ten right in with the rest that are virgin brass or maybe only been shot once and can't figure out why their gun is all of a sudden shooting all over the place or some are tight and some aren't.
Post by: Mongo Hunter on August 17, 2017, 12:39:48 PM
Always good to double check your reloads in the gun you plan on using them in. Factory loads are normally a little generous so they will work in 99.9% of factory guns. just double check your measurements next time, no biggie.
Post by: hunter399 on August 17, 2017, 12:45:11 PM
That's what I was thinking to seat the bullet enough , to match factory ammo.as a starting point anyway.