Unburned Powder 6.5-300 Wby

[assasinator]

Your answer to this is do not use a standard primer with ball powder. I have mentioned this several times, with my wildcats on 416 Rigby Improved cases, I was using US869 with loads above 120g and WLRM or FED215 and found using H50BMG I could safely use WLR primers with a nicer pressure curve. So I tried it with US869 and had under-ignition, extremely dirty burning and poor ES/SD. Switching back to WLRM primers solved the issue.
Your experience is a severe under-ignition event, likely dangerous if continued.
I saw this same thing working up loads in my 45-120, lucky it's a Ruger No.1, because any other action probably would have disintegrated all over the shooting bench when it double detonated on me, it was hangfire, then bang-kaboom, very scary!

Cheers.

wow. i have had ONE serious overpressure instance in 37 years. wasnt bad enough to pop my gun, but i had to beat the brass out.

be careful with our hobby. it may have been overconfidence on my part. we try things nobody else does. i know i do. i have no interest following the crowd.

doggone lets be careful folks please. we are literally playing with dynamite lol. and liking it. i really think this point he made is right. its no different than a overly light load in a big magnum. easy to get 80k psi.

-bill

 

[steel2]

Tagging in

 

[eshell]

Before factory loaded 6.5-300 Wby ammo was available, I ran a 6.5-300 Wby for about 1,000 rounds (mostly with H-870) and always used magnum primers to ensure good ignition. The first 750 rounds were in a 30" barrel, the last 200-250 were in the same barrel but set back and recrowned to 27". I never had excess amounts of powder fouling/unburned granules, nor did it ever set anything on fire.

 

[Seabeeken]

Never had this in a rifle but did have it one time when testing loads in my 454 Casull. AA-1680 powder with CCI SR primers. Stuck a bullet in the barrel and sandy colored powder grains all thru the barrel and cylinder. Talked to Western Powder about it and they had their lab try to duplicate it but couldn't get it to do it. While I had a heavy crimp on it, they believed the culprit was the crimp. It may have been in need of a hotter spark plug too. Got rid of the powder and never tested it again in anything. No fun knocking bullets out of a barrel.

Have you tried more neck tension or a crimp to help give that extra pressure and time to ignite?

 

[just_jon]

Never had this in a rifle but did have it one time when testing loads in my 454 Casull. AA-1680 powder with CCI SR primers. Stuck a bullet in the barrel and sandy colored powder grains all thru the barrel and cylinder. Talked to Western Powder about it and they had their lab try to duplicate it but couldn't get it to do it. While I had a heavy crimp on it, they believed the culprit was the crimp. It may have been in need of a hotter spark plug too. Got rid of the powder and never tested it again in anything. No fun knocking bullets out of a barrel.

Have you tried more neck tension or a crimp to help give that extra pressure and time to ignite?

That thought crossed my mind. I was running .003" neck tension and a 1/4 turn on a Lee FCD.

 

[VinceMule]

There is a tremendous difference in ignition characteristics between a Federal 215 primer and a Winchester magnum primer. Often, difficult-to-ignite powders(R#25) respond very well with a Win Mag primers.

Chronograph the loads, as weak ignition makes for wider extreme spreads....first indication.

When I changed from 215s to Win mag in the 7 Rem Mag, I immediately saw less than 10 fps Standard deviation, and with some seating depth tweaking, groups shrank to the size of a pencil eraser with 7 fps SD with some amazing vel of 3250 with the 150g Berger classic hunter.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Have you tried more neck tension or a crimp to help give that extra pressure and time to ignite?

I believe the other issue here is the fact that a Hammer bullet was being used with a very slow powder.
The reason I think this is because my own experience with solid copper and brass bullets has shown poor ignition with slow powders and HBN coating. Reduced friction causes the bullet to outrun the gas buildup. If it stops then starts, a catastrophic pressure excursion can result.
Yes, a crimp can definitely help, but I fiddle with neck interference and powder instead of a crimp.

Cheers.

 

[Calvin45]

I believe the other issue here is the fact that a Hammer bullet was being used with a very slow powder.
The reason I think this is because my own experience with solid copper and brass bullets has shown poor ignition with slow powders and HBN coating. Reduced friction causes the bullet to outrun the gas buildup. If it stops then starts, a catastrophic pressure excursion can result.
Yes, a crimp can definitely help, but I fiddle with neck interference and powder instead of a crimp.

Cheers.

I agree 100 about grooved monos and hbn coating however in the original post he states he was using a Berger, not a hammer.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I agree 100 about grooved monos and hbn coating however in the original post he states he was using a Berger, not a hammer.

Oh yes, I see my mistake, thought it said 144 Hammer, my bad.

Cheers.

 

[Wrenches]

I will share my experience with ball powder. In this case BLC-2 and Federal 210M primers in a 35 Whelen shooting 225 grain and 250 grain Hornady bullets and a 24 inch barrel 1-12 twist. This was in the early 2000's and no chronograph. Accuracy was minute of berm at 100 yards with either bullet. People shooting on the next bench said that they could see what looked like a horizonal mushroom cloud leaving the barrel with each shot. Left the range went home pulled down the remaining rounds, pushed out the Federal 210M primers and seated WW primers that said on the box (for standard or magnum loads). Back to the range the following weekend and the accuracy was there and no mushroom cloud from the muzzle. Those 210M's were not up to the task of lighting off the BLC-2 powder in this case.