Ruger Amercan Predator 6.5 CM Chamber issue

[Idaho Trecker]

As the title says I have a RAP in 6.5 Creedmoor that has shot lights out for a couple years for me. I hadnt paid much attention to the dimensions of the cheap hornady brass that I had been using but it started splitting on me with just 4 reloads while primers were still good. I got the itch and bought some Lapua brass and ran the first 50 pieces through this rifle with good results. The issue came when I went to size them in my Whidden FL bushing die and I started taking measurements after seeing how much larger the chamber on the rifle is over spec. Here is what I came up with

New
shoulder: .460"
Base of body: .469"

Fired
shoulder: .466"
Base of body: .474"

Sized
Shoulder: .462"
Base of body: .471"

From these measurements it appears the die is sized correctly so it is a very oversized chamber.

The sized cases are being worked excessively and are very difficult to run in the press. I guess at this point I'm going to stop resizing them as I dont want to ruin my good brass this quickly.

Has anyone else had this problem with this rifle?

 

[gohring3006]

While I didn't have any problems with the cases splitting. I did have a very large chamber.
The Ruger RAP was my first 6.5 Creed and when I bought a new Savage LRH, I had to resize the cases down just to get them to chamber, and after they sat on the bench for a while, the spring back caused them to not chamber again.
I ended up tossing that brass and going with Norma.
Your die might be sizzling back to SAMMI spec and you need to set it up to just setback the shoulder .001-.002" and anneal after a few firings. That should fix your problem.
Are you having a case head separation or necks splitting?

 

[Idaho Trecker]

It's not the length from the case head to shoulder that's a problem it's the diameters. The chamber is so large that the entire case diameter has to be reduced down. It's not possible to do just the neck since the body diameter grows so much it won't run in the die.

 

[gohring3006]

Personally I would sell the rifle to someone who shoots factory ammo, and pick up something else. I found that the rifle is to cheap to get real serious with, like rebarrel or sending it back. They will just tell you it's within thier specs.

 

[Idaho Trecker]

Ive been kicking that idea around but this was supposed to be my wifes hunting rifle. I guess I can go back to shooting factory ammo for her since it liked them.

Do you have any experience with a newer Savage since your LRH as far chamber specs in a 6.5 CM?

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

I've bought two R.A.P creedmoor's in the last 2 years.

The first one I had the chamber was so oversized the web would split on the 2nd firing with max loads!

Big issue with them, but for the price your really can't complain much. They shoot good, but it's a little annoying.

You think that's bad, I have a factory R.E.M. 700 300 wsm that grows .014 at the web every firing! Stock chamber, now that brass is hard to resize haha.

 

[gohring3006]

Ive been kicking that idea around but this was supposed to be my wifes hunting rifle. I guess I can go back to shooting factory ammo for her since it liked them.

Do you have any experience with a newer Savage since your LRH as far chamber specs in a 6.5 CM?

I can say, my Savage is much smaller. I don't have any problems with Savage as far as chamber size.

 

[BOWLSEYE]

I thought I was crazy trying to resize for mine. Same issues and numbers look about the same from when i measured mine. I backed off the RCBS full length die and finally got it set up to where the brass was OK (the shoulders were looking like washboards). I kept thinking maybe it was the dies so I bought a Lee kit and the FL was worse yet! The Lee Kneck Size die works great and if you keep the rifle you might consider using that die and just kneck size, or I think you can send fired cases and your current die to the manufacture and they will modify the die. I am soured on the 6.5 CM right now and will probably send the rifle down the road. Not sure I wan't another one and be disappointed twice. I couldn't get the light bullets to shoot and was wanting those for coyotes. Just can't see shooting coyotes with 142 grainers.

 

[Idaho Trecker]

I've bought two R.A.P creedmoor's in the last 2 years.

The first one I had the chamber was so oversized the web would split on the 2nd firing with max loads!

Big issue with them, but for the price your really can't complain much. They shoot good, but it's a little annoying.

You think that's bad, I have a factory R.E.M. 700 300 wsm that grows .014 at the web every firing! Stock chamber, now that brass is hard to resize haha.

That's crazy! I had been working on 2 of these rifles. 1 my wifes and other my friends. 1 rifle chamber is only slightly oversized and goes through the die ok while the other is very oversized.
I can't believe how out of spec your wsm is!
I think I've convinced my wife she needs a new rifle