RELOADERS!!!

[Mark37082]

This is the exact reason I won't buy Leupold... They don't hold up. I have seen nightforce take a bullet through it and still work.

I am sure this was tongue in cheek, but I will bet Leupold will replace the scope. Come on guys, go to Snipers Hide with your Leupold bashing. This was a serious issue the OP was conveying.

 

[RockyMtnUT]

I am sure this was tongue in cheek, but I will bet Leupold will replace the scope. Come on guys, go to Snipers Hide with your Leupold bashing. This was a serious issue the OP was conveying.

You are right it was a serious issue. He was shooting a 6.5 of sorts and used wrong powder or left something in the barrel. Lets see the barrel?
That would help tell the full story.

This was not a double filled case of "normal powder" H4350 for this cartridge.
Example: a 6.5 creed won't double fill. (42-44 grains about fills the case with a 143 edx.)

 

[1000yrd plate pounder]

There was no way a cleaning rod or brush came anywhere near inside of barrel between previous shot and the kaboom round as this was being shot in silhouette match ...and for the barrel here it is

 

[Hickory1991]

Good chance Leopoldo will replace that scope. They have replaced two scopes I have broken the front bell off hunting. No questions asked.

 

[milo-2]

There was no way a cleaning rod or brush came anywhere near inside of barrel between previous shot and the kaboom round as this was being shot in silhouette match ...and for the barrel here it is

What are the thoughts on why it came apart? Guy has to have initial thoughts.

 

[Wrenches]

I can't see the barrel well enough to tell but it doesn't look to damaged. Was this a Tika action? Maybe it was a Pearlite failure in the receiver steel. Need some close up photos to have a better opinion.

 

[Homebrewer]

Need to know what Receiver the rifle was built on ...

 

[RockyMtnUT]

It is a Tikka guys. Barrel looks good from what I can see other than a few scratches.

1 Did Bullet lodge in barrel?
2. What did brass look like?

 

[1000yrd plate pounder]

No visible damage to barrel threads action metal where it split all bright and shiny so it was not like it was cracked/damaged previously action around 8 years old barrel around year and a half since put together reloader has better than fourty years under their belt squishing rounds together ...i am leaning my guess tword a tumbling pin in case from previous shot ended up just ahead of chamber area and next rounds bullet couldn't get past it causing the mess as barrel was found down range about fourty to fifty feet palma contour barrel so not a "truck axel" to fly that far

 

[1000yrd plate pounder]

Barrel was clean /no bullet stuck in it brass was vaporized. Only a chunk of base stuck in bolt face and a smear of brass around back of chamber taper/bolt junction

 

[milo-2]

Barrel was clean /no bullet stuck in it brass was vaporized. Only a chunk of base stuck in bolt face and a smear of brass around back of chamber taper/bolt junction

How far away was the bolt, that must have been what split the action, it coming backwards.
I did not see it, but know of the exact thing happen to a tikka.

 

[Pdyson]

.i am leaning my guess tword a tumbling pin in case from previous shot ended up just ahead of chamber area and next rounds bullet couldn't get past it causing the mess as barrel was found down range about fourty to fifty feet

Have you ever heard or seen something like pins causing damage like that before? Every barrel obstruction I've ever seen caused a split or a bulge. I worry about pins bridging in my reloads and I get out the bright light to make sure, but I never thought about blowing up a sturdy bolt action.

 

[Ray Gross]

I have seen photos of pins being ironed into a barrel, but I don't think a pin poses a big enough obstacle to cause something like this.

 

[Muddyboots]

Wow! Barrel looks fine so obstruction not likely. So what can cause such destruction to action failure and not visibly show damage to barrel? This was massive over pressure to action obviously. Not many things can do that except for wrong powder, overcharge, metal fatigue, lug failure? Case head separation should not cause this if action vents.

I hope we can get good investigation with valid cause and effect analysis so we can all learn from it.

Every time we see a serious incident like this, is a sobering reminder to double check our own reloading procedures, checks and audits of them to validate our own safety steps.

Fortunately the shooter was not harmed!