Bolt wont pull back

desperatehills

desperatehills

Very Active Member
Messages
1,384
Practicing today with my Fierce Fury 28 nosler I ran into a problem. After a few shots the bolt stuck. It rotates up fine and feels normal but you can not pull it back. I took a block of wood and tapped on the lever but it will not budge. I am shooting factory nosler ammo. I ran 25 shots through this gun breaking in the barrel and sighting it in. I fired one more shot when I got my bull and four shots today. Any Ideas? There is a screw that angles up towards the front of the bolt if you remove the magazine you can see it. I'm tempted to remove it but not sure what it does. I am mechanically inclined but I am no gun smith. Before I ship this gun back to Fierce do you guys have any ideas?
 
It could be a pressure issue but since the bolt rotates fine it probably isn't. I would remove the barreled action from the stock and check to see that the trigger isn't bound somehow. Don?t tap on the bolt handle. You can bend or break it.
 
sounds to me like the case is stuck in the chamber for some reason....with the bolt handle lifted....I would put a heavy cleaning rod down the barrel into the case and give it a sharp rap with my hand....


497fc2397b939f19.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-22-19 AT 08:03PM (MST)[p] Were You Tamping the Powder?:D

It's a Common issue With Fierce Rifles!

They BRAGG on The Tight Tolerances!

But I Often wonder if they aren't Too Tight?

Christensen Arms have had Similar Problems in some of their Guns!








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
I have heard of this issue with Nosler before they say they overpressure something to do with the head spacing. I would just call Fierce in the morning they might be able to assist you over the phone.
 
> Were You Tamping the
>Powder?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>I know so many people in
>so many places
>They make allot of money but
>they got sad faces
>
>It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D

Bessy he said he is shooting factory ammo. I would send if back to Fierce and make sure it's ok.
 
>> Were You Tamping the
>>Powder?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>I know so many people in
>>so many places
>>They make allot of money but
>>they got sad faces
>>
>>It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
>
>Bessy he said he is shooting
>factory ammo. I would send
>if back to Fierce and
>make sure it's ok.

Did You see My Smiley Face BIGJOHN?

Ice Upon the PUMPKINS yesterday morning BIGJOHN!









I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
I Remember one time when REDDOG had the same kinda Problem!

He said it was Tighter than a NC!

I Still Ain't Figured out what that Means?








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
What does the rest of yuor ammo look like, no chance they got wet when out hunting or got oil on them or anything like that had a guy i know had water marks on some ammo from his shell belt, so he cleaned them with oil, stuck a case took him an hour to get it out, next shot, stuck a case again, then decided to clean them up and deoil them. Ocouse he always had trouble with his guns, cars, ect...
 
Brass has a spring to it unless you over-pressure it in the chamber.

It almost sounds like you got a little hotter load and it finally sealed into the chamber machine marks...but not enough to stop the bolt from rotating.

Actually, semi-common if the chamber is bit rough. I've seen it a couple+ times.

Zeke

#livelikezac
 
I've Cleaned Shells/Bullets for Years with WD-40 & Never a Problem!

My Guns Probably Ain't as Tight as a Fierce though!








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
Sometimes factory ammo is hot I have had this issue with one of my guns and the factory ammo was hot!!

My Uncle did what Homer said he put a ramrod down the barrel and tapped it out.

Not sure but check that ammo
 
I would get a buddy & do the rod down the barrel little taps and at the same time tiny bolt taps with a wood handle.
 
Like Zeke said. I am thinking a little rough in the camber. That's why I said give it back the the manufacture so they can smooth out the camber!
 
First of all, thanks for all the replies.

The ammo is Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range 175 grain accubonds.

I bought 4 boxes when I bought the gun and I bought 4 more this year. All the ammo is new/clean. It is stored in my gun safe

I have a nicer cleaning rod that I tried to tap on but I didn't want to mess it up so I went easy on it. I will dig out one of my older rods tonight and get a little more serious.

I spoke with the factory this morning. They claim there was a issue with the earlier brass from nosler. The newer brass can be identified by larger identification stamp on the end of the case. Tonight I will dig out all my ammo and see if I can tell a difference.

The good news is my new Howa 6.5 creedmore shot lights out. 5 holes touching at 200 yards and hitting steel every shot at 550. That will be my first string gun on my hunt in Utah in two weeks. Last thing I want is a spined mule deer buck getting deeper into the canyon while I work to get another round in.
 
>It could be a pressure issue
>but since the bolt rotates
>fine it probably isn't. I
>would remove the barreled action
>from the stock and check
>to see that the trigger
>isn't bound somehow. Don?t tap
>on the bolt handle. You
>can bend or break it.
>
That would be one hell of a tap.......if the bolt handle bent or broke before pulling off the case rim it was gonna break anyway.....




497fc2397b939f19.jpg
 
If you are using an older cleaning rod to tap the case/bolt back I would recommend a wrap of tape around the whole rod. Protect the rod from hitting the crown and damaging the barrel.
 
Hey Desperatehills,

For what it is worth, my buddy an I both bought custom Fierces a few years ago. His in 6.5x284 and mine in 26 Nosler.

He had a similar problem that his bolt was extremely tight and he would have to use a block of wood to tap the bolt handle to remove a round from his chamber. He had a local rifle builder scope his bore and he said it was scuffed and pitted and he should ask them to put a new barrel on it. He sent it back to the factory and they said the factory ammo he was using (Doubletap w/ accubonds I believe) was not consistent in the COAL. The bullets were also not loaded straight (not concentric to the cartridge). The factory ended up polishing the chamber I believe and it was confirmed the ammo was not within tolerance and the ammo manufacturer replaced his boxes.

His gun shot well other than that and I ended up going back to shooting my Kimber and just bought a Tikka to try one of those out haha!

Hope you get your stuck bolt situation resolved...

Horniac
 
A 2lb Mini Sledge will Fix Most FIERCE Rifles!








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
Update..... I got the stuck round out tonight. I took one of my old Hobbes cleaning rods and put black electrical tape on it vertically. I hit it firmly with my hand and it popped out on the second try. There was a ding on the corner where the case necks down but I suspect that happened when it hit the ground. I do not see any drag marks or lines on the side of the case. I will measure the case tomorrow and compare it to cases that didn't get stuck.

I pulled all my ammo out and I can see a difference between what I bought in 2017 and this year. The identification stamp on the base of the newer ammo is bolder and easy to read. Also the primers are silver on the newer ammo, they were brass colored on the older ammo.

So much for the salesman's theory at fierce, it was one of the newer ammo that got stuck. I will take a box of each to the range this week and see how it goes. If I can get ten rounds of each without another stuck bolt I may get my confidence back in this gun. This gun shoots better than me. I will be able to test it out to 600 yards. I'll let you all know how it goes.
 
I know one thing if it was MY rifle...spending that kind of money and it don't work..I'd be pretty pissed!!!
 
I say sell the gun and just go buy a Winchester Model 70. I am really entertained by all the money people are throwing down for custom and semi custom guns. I have 4 rifles straight out of the factory box that shoot sub MOA out to 300 yards. They are a Remington, Winchester, Ruger and Savage. The real key is to reload your own ammo, most guns can shoot great unless you screw them up somehow.
 
I took some of the new brass including the case that got stuck and some from when I shot the gun two years ago and measured them with a digital micrometer. They are all identical at the base, middle, and neck. I am starting to believe the ding on the case might not be from extracting it. I will shoot it this week some time and let you guys know how it goes.

5660128noslercase.jpg


As for reloading...someday. I think to do it right it takes a lot of time which I wont have till I retire. I shot a 5 shot group with this gun at 200 yards with all the holes touching each other. This was with the factory ammo. This gun outshoots my abilities so I will not be tossing it anytime soon.
81887target.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-24-19 AT 09:05PM (MST)[p]Thanks for letting us know how it went. Would make a person kind of nervous.
 
That's an amazing group! Hope it was just a fluke that the case got stuck.

Reloading doesn't take too much time. Plus once you get the right load for a particular rifle you just load up a couple hundred and you're good to go for a very long time. My 300 Win shoots not quite that good. But I loaded up a 180 grain boat tail at 2950 FPS, always using IMR 4064 and it will get the job done on anything. Have 300 +\- rounds loaded up and they all shoot the same.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-19 AT 07:10AM (MST)[p]I would still maybe have someone look at that chamber. That is a great 200 yard group ! But I guess your fine if you make the first one count . Or start packing a wooden hammer in your pack. :)
 
I am going to run 20 rounds through it in the next few days. If I have no issues I am going to assume it was the ding in the case. If it acts up then I will send it to the factory. My deer hunt is only a couple hours from the new Fierce facility so I might be able to pick it up in person while I am down for my hunt.

Even if it goes well I may pack the new 6.5 creedmore anyway. The gun is lighter and I have verified its accuracy out to 550 yards. If this was a elk hunt I would take my chances with the nosler.
 
Update.... I went to the range yesterday. First three shots with the older ammo the gun worked perfect. First shot with the newer ammo hung the bolt. It tapped out with the first hit of the tape covered ram rod. Next shot hung the bolt as well. I left that one in and will send it back to the factory. I spoke with Fierce today and although we both agree there is a difference in the ammo, we can polish things up and and make it shoot both. Fierce has been great to work with, they want to make the rifle right even though it is as much a ammo issue. I will send the gun to them today and they will have it ready for my hunt on the 9th

All 5 shots yesterday were spot on. 2 hit a 8" steel plate at 550 yards. The other 3 were inside the 2" bullseye at 200 yards.

The casing I knocked out at the range had a identical ding on the corner like the picture above. I checked each shell before I loaded them so I know its from the removal process.
 
It is beginning to sound like that one brand of ammo is too hot for your rifle. Too bad you did not chrony both loads to see if there was a good increase in velocity on the ammo that sticks in the chamber if both bullets are of the same weight.

RELH
 
>The cases that don't stick the
>bolt don't have that ding?
>
>
>
>
>
497fc2397b939f19.jpg



No, the only cases with the ding are the ones that need to be tapped out with the cleaning rod. The first one I thought was from hitting the ground. Now I think it is from the action trying to eject the shell with the cleaning rod pushing in it. I was tempted to have a buddy support the bolt while I tapped out the current stuck casing but decided it would be best to leave it stuck so the factory could see the problem first hand.
 
A couple years ago I couldn't find any 26 nosler brass for reloading. I was at a box store and they had two boxes of the nosler 140 accubonds at a decent price so I bought both boxes and headed home to pull the bullets. I pulled the bullets from the first box and dumped the powder which was US869. To my surprise when I dumped the second box they were stuffed with retumbo. Probably not your problem but food for thought when buying factory ammunition.
 
You never know, there could be changes to the factory load. Both the new and old ammo are equally accurate. Hopefully polishing the chamber solves the issue. I have a good friend that has offered to do some reloading for me but I have a near lifetime supply of accurate factory ammo if polishing the chamber solves the problem.
 
>A couple years ago I couldn't
>find any 26 nosler brass
>for reloading. I was at
>a box store and they
>had two boxes of the
>nosler 140 accubonds at a
>decent price so I bought
>both boxes and headed home
>to pull the bullets. I
>pulled the bullets from the
>first box and dumped the
>powder which was US869. To
>my surprise when I dumped
>the second box they were
>stuffed with retumbo. Probably not
>your problem but food for
>thought when buying factory ammunition.
>


just curious...HTF could you identify the powder????




497fc2397b939f19.jpg
 
US869 is a ball powder and Retumbo is an extruded ?stick powder?. Based on charge weights in the case it pretty much eliminated all other powders in noslers load data.
 
I guess you don't have the rifle to run this test now. But the ammo that is sticking, you could color the slug black with a sharpie then cycle the round in and out of the action. (Don?t shoot the round) Examine the colored slug and see if the bullet is coming in contact with your riflings. That can cause increased pressure when firing the rifle which would cause the case to swell and be hard to extract.

Or if you action is super tight the brass could be a little longer in the neck. Or just slightly thicker in the shoulder and this would also cause increased pressure when firing.

Hope you get it all up and running smoothly.
 
>US869 is a ball powder and
>Retumbo is an extruded ?stick
>powder?. Based on charge weights
>in the case it pretty
>much eliminated all other powders
>in noslers load data.



there are lots of ball and stick powders.......




497fc2397b939f19.jpg
 
5 holes touching at 200 yards with factory ammo tells me the tolerances in that chamber are probably unforgiving. A thousands off in concentricity, overall length at the ogive, +/- 1/2 grain of powder or any minute inconsistencies can produce head-scratching results.

Rifle like yours just begs for a custom reloading die based on the dimensions of your fire-formed brass. I know you mentioned that you have a good supply of factory ammo, but save some of that brass in case the reloading bug really bites you. At least at that point, you will control every aspect of rolling your own rounds.

I reload for my cheap Savage model 11 in 6.5 Creedmoor and best I can do is 1/2 MOA at 200 yards using a 143gr ELDX projectile zipping along at 2861 fps.

Good enough for me :D
 
I just got done chronoing some Nosler factory ammo for a 7mm STW. Variation on a 4 shot group was 280 fps. The good news was the velocity was between 100 to 200 fps slower than advertised so no danger of blowing anything up. By comparison, my handloads vary 30 - 40 fps in a 4 shot group.

I'm not a fan of factory ammo but I was surprised by the Nosler stuff.

There is no way that little ding survived your chamber pressures. It happened getting it out. $.02

Bluehair
Splitting my time time between the winter and summer range......
May you live long enough to cash in those preference points. Amen
 
I have had the very same issue with my Best of the West 7 mag...they have already had it sent back once happens once in say 50 shots. Shooting Hornady 162's....wont come wont come and then just releases like normal....
 
Update... I sent the gun back to Fierce. I was told they could polish the chamber and solve the issue. UPS delivered the gun to them Monday September 30th. I waited till the end of the week to call and check on it, that was a bad idea. That Friday no one answered the phone so I left a message. We traveled all day Saturday and Sunday arrived at deer camp. Monday we dropped down to get cell service and we got a answer, they had not looked at the gun yet. I explained where I came from and where I was hunting and hoped to use the gun on my hunt. Before I shipped the gun they said that wouldn't be a problem. He said they would try to get it done and to check around noon the next day.

We scouted Tuesday morning and dropped back to town. We called and the gun was ready to go. We left Enterprise and headed to Redmond. We tried calling to get directions to their place once in Redmond and got no answer. After a couple wrong turns we arrived at their headquarters at 4:00. We walked in to their new facility and no one was in the lobby. Soon a young man stepped out of a office with his hat on completely sideways. He squared up his hat and asked if he could help us. Soon we were in the back room. The young man that worked on the gun greeted us and said the gun was fine and the trouble was the ammo. I asked if he polished the chamber and he did not.

My head just about exploded. I asked him why did I ship the gun and make a six hour round trip drive to be told something I already knew. He claims they have contacted Nosler and Nosler has fixed the issue and I should contact them about replacing the ammo that is giving me issues. I wish I had gotten that answer when I called originally. It would have saved me a lot of time and money.

Before I left I asked to shoot the gun to see if it was still on after being shipped. At 200 yards it knocked the center out of the X. I shot my buck with it opening morning.

I believe this is a great gun and the issue is ammo related. I will contact Nosler next and see what kind of story they give me. But I can not recommend anyone buy a Fierce. For the money I paid for the gun there are lots of other options. Their customer service is sketchy at best. The thing that made me madder than anything was them not picking up the phone. I tried to reach them 5 minutes before I arrived at the factory. I guessed it was hunting season and they were short handed. There was no less than 10 guys in the back room, only a couple looked to be busy running equipment. There was one young lady in a office that I saw yet no one will answer a phone. And for gods sake, if you can't get to the phone, at least answer your messages.
 
>Update... I sent the gun back
>to Fierce. I was told
>they could polish the chamber
>and solve the issue. UPS
>delivered the gun to them
>Monday September 30th. I waited
>till the end of the
>week to call and check
>on it, that was a
>bad idea. That Friday no
>one answered the phone so
>I left a message. We
>traveled all day Saturday and
>Sunday arrived at deer camp.
>Monday we dropped down to
>get cell service and we
>got a answer, they had
>not looked at the gun
>yet. I explained where I
>came from and where I
>was hunting and hoped to
>use the gun on my
>hunt. Before I shipped the
>gun they said that wouldn't
>be a problem. He said
>they would try to get
>it done and to check
>around noon the next day.
>
>
> We scouted
>Tuesday morning and dropped back
>to town. We called and
>the gun was ready to
>go. We left Enterprise and
>headed to Redmond. We tried
>calling to get directions to
>their place once in Redmond
>and got no answer. After
>a couple wrong turns we
>arrived at their headquarters at
>4:00. We walked in to
>their new facility and no
>one was in the lobby.
>Soon a young man stepped
>out of a office with
>his hat on completely sideways.
>He squared up his hat
>and asked if he could
>help us. Soon we were
>in the back room. The
>young man that worked on
>the gun greeted us and
>said the gun was fine
>and the trouble was the
>ammo. I asked if he
>polished the chamber and he
>did not.
>
> My head
>just about exploded. I asked
>him why did I ship
>the gun and make a
>six hour round trip drive
>to be told something I
>already knew. He claims they
>have contacted Nosler and Nosler
>has fixed the issue and
>I should contact them about
>replacing the ammo that is
>giving me issues. I wish
>I had gotten that answer
>when I called originally. It
>would have saved me a
>lot of time and money.
>
>
> Before I
>left I asked to shoot
>the gun to see if
>it was still on after
>being shipped. At 200 yards
>it knocked the center out
>of the X. I shot
>my buck with it opening
>morning.
>
> I believe
>this is a great gun
>and the issue is ammo
>related. I will contact Nosler
>next and see what kind
>of story they give me.
>But I can not recommend
>anyone buy a Fierce. For
>the money I paid for
>the gun there are lots
>of other options. Their customer
>service is sketchy at best.
>The thing that made me
>madder than anything was them
>not picking up the phone.
>I tried to reach them
>5 minutes before I arrived
>at the factory. I guessed
>it was hunting season and
>they were short handed. There
>was no less than 10
>guys in the back room,
>only a couple looked to
>be busy running equipment. There
>was one young lady in
>a office that I saw
>yet no one will answer
>a phone. And for gods
>sake, if you can't get
>to the phone, at least
>answer your messages.

Fierce customer service not the greatest - shocker!

I ordered a custom built gun at the SCI show from Fierce specifically for a once in a lifetime sheep hunt in the NWT based on promises and assurances it would be in my hands for my hunt. I ended up taking my Kimber Montana so I would have something to shoot my Dall with...

Horniac
 
>Fierce just sent out a Facebook
>video about this very issue.
>Might want to take a
>look at it.


That's frickin hilarious! I just watched that video as I am having the same issues with my Fierce 28 Nosler. Only problem is that mine did it with the Hornady Precision Hunter 162 gr Eld-x that he says works great!! Sent the ammo back to Hornady to have it tested, they replied back that ammo is totally in spec and that the problem lies with the gun. Something to the effect of the chamber being below the Saami minimum?! According to Hornady. Not happy about this at all.
 
I don't know what a SAAMI measurement is. I wonder who can check that? It would be nice to know exactly what the issue is and if it can be corrected
 
So SAAMI stands for Sporting Arms and Ammunition Institute. In the early 1900s modern gunpowder was replacing black powder in cartridges and nobody had a standard for safety in ammunition loading and ballistics. Basically SAAMI was created after an act of congress passed to say we need guns to not break or injure the citizens of the US. They publish the specific cartridge measurements and pressure testing that makes it so you should be able buy any modern firearm and any modern ammo for that firearm and they are compatible to shoot.

If a gun maker isn't building their firearms to SAAMI specifications problems can occur. Long story short go buy a Winchester Model 70 and quit screwing with these wild cat startups.
 
I am having this same issue with my rifle but it is a Weatherby 300 Win Mag. I just contacted Weatherby this week and have not heard anything back from them. I have been shooting factory ammo in a couple different brands and they have all done the same thing. Crazy thing is that it doesn't happen on every shot though.
 
Update.... I spoke with nosler today. They have been in contact with Fierce regarding the the issue. They claim that the reamer fierce uses to cut the chambers will wear and get smaller over time and who knows how many "tight cambers" they have sold. They are constantly fielding calls regarding this issue. They also claim if they would have polished the chamber it would solve the problem. Nosler offered to exchange the ammo to see if the newer runs have the same issue. Noslers customer service is first rate.
 
Interesting! Have you spoke to Fierce about this? What is their response? I know they were blaming Nosler in their Facebook video...? But as I said in an earlier post, I've had the same issue only it was with the Hornady ammunition. If the issue is with Fierce you would hope they would make it right.
 
Yes, I started at Fierce. I first spoke with Shawn and he told me that polishing the chamber would solve the problem so I sent them the gun. Because they had not touched the rifle and I was in town, I think they just didn't want to take the time to polish it. I may have the chamber polished by someone else, I will not send it back to the factory unless they offer to pay shipping both ways. I wont call them and I doubt they will call me and offer to do the right thing.
 
After all the above posts I would say it would be best to stay far away from Fierce Rifles.
I have a Rifles Inc Strata in 300 RUM it's like packing around a 22 I have hunted with it for 18 yrs zero problems.
 
I had the same thing happen to me two days ago with my guides rifle same rifle,factory ammo. And we were out on the mountain so it got a little dicey. I made a shot on an elk and put it down and it rolled down the hill into some very thick scrub oak and tried to stand back up so I went to put another round in him and the bolt would not pull back. We kept an eye on the elk with a spotting scope but could see very little of it while the guide and I tried to get the bolt unstuck I took the trigger mechanism out that didn't help put it back in in the guide continue to mess with it and all of sudden it came out. we put a full clip in and cycled those shells through and it seemed fine I did not have to fire another round at the elk he had hexpired. needless to say my guide was not very happy because I know what he paid for that rifle with his zeiss scope on it. I just thank God that I made a fatal shot on it I could only imagine what would have happened if I wounded the elk and he got away because we couldn't get another round in the chamber.
 
Glad it worked out for you. That was my biggest fear, having a animal get further and further down the canyon and not be able to stop him.

I still have not heard back from nosler on the ammo I sent in.
 
Update...

I just got off the phone with Nosler. Bottom line is Fierce produced some rifles that are are the bottom end of the SAMI spec and Nosler produced some ammo at the upper end of the specification. Noslers customer service is outstanding, something I can not say for Fierce. Nosler is producing their ammo closer to the smaller side now and has exchanged the 4 boxes I sent in. When the chambers are cut with a reamer the reamer wears and gets smaller over time. Fierce uses their reamers a little too long. The Nosler employee I spoke with said they have even had the same issues with a few of their rifles. They have pulled the barrels on those rifles and run a fresher reamer thru them to solve the problem. Fierce offered to polish my chamber but once they had the rifle they chose to do nothing and blame Noslers ammo. Dealing with Fierce was a waste of my time and money.
 
Will Everybody at the HUNT-EXPO Flock to Fierce's Booth again this year?








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
> Will Everybody at the HUNT-EXPO
>Flock to Fierce's Booth again
>this year?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>I know so many people in
>so many places
>They make allot of money but
>they got sad faces
>
>It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D

I think they will be running the other way ! ?
 
>> Will Everybody at the HUNT-EXPO
>>Flock to Fierce's Booth again
>>this year?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>I know so many people in
>>so many places
>>They make allot of money but
>>they got sad faces
>>
>>It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
>
>I think they will be running
>the other way ! ?
>

Anything to get a possible instaglam photo op...
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-16-19 AT 09:25PM (MST)[p]Have them run or recut the chamber with a new reamer and reheadspace it to spec, and you should alleviate the issue forever. The issue is with the gun not the ammo. The suggestion to run some rounds thru the gun is right on the money. Tight chambers result in issues using ammo not specifically set up with a set of dies for the gun.

Polishing the chamber may help but if they don't remove enough material you'll have the issue again.

Factory ammo is usually sized to the smaller dimension size to alleviate issues with all the different manufacturers who make guns. When fired the case expands to the size of the chamber and a bolt not functioning is a classic sign of chamber pressures exceeding saami specs (hot loads)or a small chamber (tight) but manufacturers normally load ammunition to be below saami specs for liability reasons and too allow for expansion to fit the chamber, so the gun functions properly.

This is the cliff notes version but bench rest guns are built with tight cambers and you always build a set of dies to go with the gun for better accuracy since bench resters hand load on a bench during many matches using only a neck sizing die since they alter powder for conditions present during the match.

It looks like they built you an accurate gun and hope you get the bugs worked out. Nosler sent you ammunition to avoid any liability issues. Given that other companies ammo doesn't work in other rifles they've built, it's the rifle.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-17-19 AT 04:12AM (MST)[p]
> I Remember one time when
>REDDOG had the same kinda
>Problem!
>
>He said it was Tighter than
>a NC!
>
>I Still Ain't Figured out what
>that Means?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>I know so many people in
>so many places
>They make allot of money but
>they got sad faces
>
>It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D


You know what it means..

Lol they blamed Nosler?

You basically have a bench rest chamber, totally by accident. Well not really accidental but it sounds like they're running their reamers down to a nub. Meaning they just keep sharpening them instead of replacing them, they get a tad smaller each time. The dings in your case is just it smacking the chamber wall, scope mount if it's a one piece , or scope itself if it's a two piece, likely because the rod is in the case not letting it throw properly. Even so double check your spent case clearance especially if you have a rail or a windage turret hanging proud over the port. Likely not your problem here but it can knock the case right back into the action, which will likely cause a jam if you're cycling it fast for a follow up.

As Bessy mentioned I've had a few rifles like this. The one he's talking about was a 30-378 that would blow the primer on factory ammo.

Instead of having it re barreled I just turned my necks down a few thou. It's a pain in the ass, but those tight chambers sure can shoot if you can set up your ammo properly.

Not hard but usually requires a few more tools and a little more knowledge than the average reloader has..and forget ever shooting factory ammo out of it again.
 
One other thing. Nosler builds guns and has made ammunition for years and They developed that round for the own gun line. Since they test their own guns daily they would catch the issue very quickly when test firing their own guns if it was an issue with their ammunition.
 
>Update...
>
>I just got off the phone
>with Nosler. Bottom line is
>Fierce produced some rifles that
>are are the bottom end
>of the SAMI spec and
>Nosler produced some ammo at
>the upper end of the
>specification. Noslers customer service is
>outstanding, something I can not
>say for Fierce. Nosler is
>producing their ammo closer to
>the smaller side now and
>has exchanged the 4 boxes
>I sent in. When the
>chambers are cut with a
>reamer the reamer wears and
>gets smaller over time. Fierce
>uses their reamers a little
>too long. The Nosler employee
>I spoke with said they
>have even had the same
>issues with a few of
>their rifles. They have pulled
>the barrels on those rifles
>and run a fresher reamer
>thru them to solve the
>problem. Fierce offered to polish
>my chamber but once they
>had the rifle they chose
>to do nothing and blame
>Noslers ammo. Dealing with Fierce
>was a waste of my
>time and money.

1st Option.
If you want to keep the rifle I would take it to a gunsmith and have him fix it and just move on

2nd Option
Sell the gun or trade in on another gun

You don't seem to have any warranty with Fierce
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-19 AT 09:36AM (MST)[p]Does anyone know who the clown is on the Fierce show, you know the one that repeats ?that's the Fierce life? constantly?
Gawd he gets old...
 
>LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-19
>AT 09:36?AM (MST)
>
>Does anyone know who the clown
>is on the Fierce show,
>you know the one that
>repeats ?that's the Fierce life?
>constantly?
>Gawd he gets old...


Do you mean Johnny Mogle ? You know he use to work at Christensen Arms.
 
I received 4 new boxes of ammo today from Nosler. It took a few months but they replaced my bigger ammo with some that is on the smaller side of the SAAMI specs for no charge.
 
I wont get to try the newer ammo till this spring but I am optimistic it will work fine. The ammo I got with the gun in '17 has been fine. It was only the ammo from '19 I had trouble with. Nosler had issues with their guns as well so I would like to think the have a solution. I bought 2 boxes of hornady precision hunter to try as well.
 
It is a combination of issues. In a nut shell the chamber is on the small side. But it shoots too good to give up on it.
 
desperatehills said:
It is a combination of issues. In a nut shell the chamber is on the small side. But it shoots too good to give up on it.
Click to expand...

desperatehills said:
It is a combination of issues. In a nut shell the chamber is on the small side. But it shoots too good to give up on it.
Click to expand...
I have the same issue on a 300 PRC. Hornady Match 225 ELD-M ammo. With Hornady being the only factory ammo it needs to shoot these. My Borescope showed more material up by the lands than I'm used to seeing. No sharp slope and cut off at the very beginning of them. No idea if this is good, bad, or indifferent. Finally found some Lapua brass so I'll be reloading when it's returned. Same dent on a few cases and obvious rubbing on the neck. I think the dent was from not lifting the bolt completely before whacking it. :) It's in the shop now. 6 to 8 week turn which hurts. I'm OK with too much material that can be removed to a very tight tolerance. Better than not enough. Just a little frustrating with the money spent.
 
Fierce uses a sako/mauser style action. the dents are common to every mauser claw extractor I've ever shot. I like it so I put up with it.

My fierce rifle is tight to tolerance too. I made the mistake of reloading using RL-19, which apparently is sensitive to temperature. Anything over 85, which is only summer target practice, and the bolt would lift tight. Usually a couple shots in after everything was hot. I switched powders and no more problems.

Watch the Lapua Brass, it's usually thicker which means less internal volume. So if you're already sensitive to pressure start light.
 
RL-19 being sensitive to temp is good to know. Am certainly aware that loads are sensitive to temp (why I never work up loads in hot weather)- but have never seen anything on one powder vs another being more sensitive.
 
Found that with both 19 and 22. I've switched to T insensitive powders where I can. Been working with IMR's Enduron powders some but I see higher pressure at relatively low speed.
 
Found this chart on T sensitivity a while back. Can't attest to it's accuracy but its at least a directional indicator.
 

Attachments

  • Powder sensi.pdf
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Thanks for that guys- I found a great write up on Reloder powders and temp sensitivity. Interesting read indeed. Good news for me is many of my loads (esp my most critical ones) use H4831sc, which if you believe the hype is less sensitive. I think under normal situations I wouldn't worry, but since I occasionally shoot in warmer weather I will review the R19/22 loads I have.
 
RL23 is supposed to be T insensitive. Alliant is coming out with a few, as is IMR.

I shot some 338's loaded with RL22 over a chrono last year that were supposed to be at 2850 MV. Bullets sat in the sun for a while. Chrono read 3100+ with pressure signs. It's a real thing. If you hunt in very cold weather you'll see a 100 to 200 fps drop in MV. Not a big deal at 200 yards but at 500+ it is.

Found some H1000 for my 300 PRc, if I ever get it back......
 
Last edited:
250 fps difference- wow- way worse than the write up I saw. Real indeed. I imagine the sun would have heated them up 30-40 degrees, but still...

I work my loads always at 60-70 degree temps, careful not to do the sun thing. 95% of my hunting/shooting is at that or cooler temps. But I did run into 85 while antelope hunting in Wyoming :)
 
I would have a finishing reamer hand turned in it by a smith.
Bet it won't be an ammo issue.
It only takes a couple thousandths to be way too tight.
 

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