Trm82
Well-Known Member
Christensen 50 rd break in is BS and a total waste of components and time. I have owned 3 Ridgelines and 1 Classic in the last two years and did zero break in and the all shot 1/2 to 3/4 moa
Christensen 28 Nosler (Pressure/Extractor)
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shooters
Well-Known Member
So out of curiosity, are these rifles not fired before leaving their shop? Wouldn't they have seen or noticed an issue? Just loading a round should have indicated an issue, and ejecting it with the sticky bolt??
MagnumManiac
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Yes, sticky closing/extraction with a loaded round is a dead giveaway that all is not well. I will bet that the chamber is small, possibly smaller than SAAMI spec.
I use match grade reamers, it is easy for me to cut a chamber short that NO new brass will fit into it. Case heads will be scratched/wiped if I force the bolt closed without firing them.
I don't know how Christensen check their rifles, but this is not good.
Cheers.
I had this exact same issue with my CA Ridgeline in 300wsm.
Every type and weight of factory ammo would give me a sticky bolt lift and those same extractor marks. I ended up sending it back to Christensen Arms and they were very good about it. They got it back to me in under a month and now I have no pressure signs and its shooting 1/2 MOA.
I believe they said the problem was due to some kind of burr in the bolt head.
Every type and weight of factory ammo would give me a sticky bolt lift and those same extractor marks. I ended up sending it back to Christensen Arms and they were very good about it. They got it back to me in under a month and now I have no pressure signs and its shooting 1/2 MOA.
I believe they said the problem was due to some kind of burr in the bolt head.
shooters
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. Just mailed the rifle off to see what they say and what they do. Disappointing to know that rifles leave their shop like this. Appears to be quite common and often Ive gathered. If they were test fired before leaving, then they would clearly see an issue. Definitely a quality control matter. Makes me think their slapped together and send out the door.
LongBomber
Well-Known Member
Shooter- did you ever check what I asked about a burr on the ejector holes on the bolt face?
shooters
Well-Known Member
I did as well as another, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Call and speak to a well known gunsmith they will explain it to you. I am not going on my word or the internet. I listed reasons that may cause this issue, tight bore, chamber/head space etc. So you are stating no research needed since you own other rifles? Glad to know you are more knowledgeable then the best barrel makers/gunsmiths in the country, I will PM you next time I am having trouble with my rifle.
xr650rRider
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I also bought a .28 Nosler Ridgeline, I've never fired a factory round and made my brass by necking up .26 Nosler cases. I was getting ejector marks and smears as well, trying to load even mid-range book loads. Just for instance Nosler lists 80.0 grains of Retumbo being a mid-range load. I'm loading 78.5 grains and anything higher, ejector marks. My velocity is right at 3100 fps and accuracy is good, so it's good enough for me. I had pulled ejectors, cleaned up edges, trimmed springs slightly, etc. Just had to back down the loads and everything is good.
I don't think this is a case of a hot load, this is a 168 at 3075 fps advertised, pretty mundane by 28 nosler specs. I had some noticeable ejector marks (nothing near what the OP is experiencing) in my x-bolt with this same ammo, but after full length sizing the brass and loading 180's I didn't hit ejector marks until around 3270 fps.
Definitely seems like a super tight chamber issue.
Definitely seems like a super tight chamber issue.
tankgijohn72
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I have a 26 nosler that I rebarreled with PTG headspace gauges. The factory nosler ammo fits a little tight in the chamber. I checked it multiple times with the headspace gauges and it will close on the go gauge and won't close on the no-go. Where is the issue in the tolerancing? Don't know. Could be the headspace gauges are too short, or the brass is too long. The nosler ammo had heavy bolt lifts, but no marks near as bad as what you are showing. In fact I have never seen ejector marks that bad. I had a Remington 300 WM that I had to beat the bolt handle open with a 2x4 when it was brand new shooting Winchester ammo. Remington went in and opened up the chamber and had no further issues. May want to consider having the rifle checked for headspace. If it comes back clean, let me know.
dougduey
Well-Known Member
I've had similar issues with my Christensen Arms Classic in 338 Lapua. Was told by other CA owners that the chambers are very tight in these rifles and they reach pressure early compared to other factory rifles. Factory ammo shot fine and virgin brass was no issue. I did reach pressure way before book max. My issue is/was with fire formed brass (Lapua & Nosler brand) that gave me a stuck bolt and stuck case no matter what the load was. Christensen told me not to even bother sending the rifle back if it shot factory ammo without an issue.
So, after banging my head against a wall, I was referred to a local gunsmith from a competitive shooter at my local range. Little did I know that this gunsmith is legendary and couldn't have ended up with anyone better. He checked headspace (which was fine), then checked my dies to make sure they were sizing correctly, and all was good. There were rough spots in the chamber that he could see with a borescope, and he believed that they were the cause of the stuck brass. So, he took the rifle apart and thoroughly polished the chamber. I just got it back and haven't had a chance to shoot it and see if the problem is resolved. If not, he told me to bring it back to him.
I'll keep you informed
So, after banging my head against a wall, I was referred to a local gunsmith from a competitive shooter at my local range. Little did I know that this gunsmith is legendary and couldn't have ended up with anyone better. He checked headspace (which was fine), then checked my dies to make sure they were sizing correctly, and all was good. There were rough spots in the chamber that he could see with a borescope, and he believed that they were the cause of the stuck brass. So, he took the rifle apart and thoroughly polished the chamber. I just got it back and haven't had a chance to shoot it and see if the problem is resolved. If not, he told me to bring it back to him.
I'll keep you informed
Do you even know what a "tight chamber" means. They use SAAMI spec reamers, so that is absolutely ridiculous. Now there is a very high probability that they are using reamers past their usable life which could cause issues. Maybe they are not taking the care they should be actually chambering the rifle. Maybe their QC needs to be stepped up. Just don't be making statements on the internet that just are not true, especially if you don't know what it even means. If they had not run the reamer deep enough the headspace would be wrong and it would be pretty unlikely a round would even chamber. Maybe they set headspace on the tight side of SAAMI but the round would still chamber. All of these "issues" are why reloading manuals have starting loads instead of just jumping to the max that some of us apparently have become accustomed to using.
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txusapride007
New Member
Shooters- Do you mind updating me on how Christensen's customer service was? Did they fix the issue? Are there pressure restrictions still? I am about to purchase a 28 Nosler in the Ridgeline FFT and would love your brutally honest opinion. If they aren't going to take pressures well, I may as well get a 7 PRC (if I even decide to stick with Christensen). Thank you in advance and sorry to bring up an old thread.
