Range day, misfire!

[PGJPJ]

The company I work for decided to bless us with every other Friday off, so I took the opportunity to hit the range. It’s kind of nice to be there when no one else is around.

Anyway, after a somewhat disappointing start I decided to slow down and re-group. I put up a fresh target, did some great shooting. My last two groups were the best that rifle had ever given me. 3/8 inch, and one 5/8 inch (center to center). Not bad for a Ruger!

BUT, I actually had a misfire! I don’t know what happened, they are my own loads, but I’m pretty careful about handling the primers. The primer did have a solid impact mark from the firing pin. I fired several rounds after that, with no issues.

I’m thinking either I contaminated the primer with case lube, or it was just a bad primer from the factory (CCI 250). Anyone have any ideas?

BTW, my load is:
Ruger M77, 300 WinMag
68 grns IMR 4350
CCI 250
Winchester case
180 grns Nos BT
C.O.L. 3.355

Thanks!

 

[DrMike]

From time-to-time bad lots of primers do slip through and onto reloading benches. However, recently, I had a lot of CCI250 primers in which about one in three did not ignite. I thought it was a new rifle (a Ruger Hawkeye) and checked it out carefully--dressing the firing pin, checking the spring, etc. The next time I went to the range, one in three did not ignite. One run of shots actually had six in a row that did not fire. Testing the loads with other brands gave solid firing. This is two lots of CCI250s in recent days that have given me trouble.

 

[old #7]

I have had more miss fires from factory ammo than hand loads.
I would put my money on a bad primer or a large chamber and the firing pin knocked the cartridge forward resulting in a weak strike on the primer.

 

[JD338]

I have only had 1 mis fire in 34 yrs of hand loading. I had a click and a imprint on the primer of a 7x30 Waters in my T/C Contender hand gun. The gun had seen a lot of snow and spent a fair amount of time in the back of my Yukon. I think it was due to snow/moisture in sub zero temps more than a bad primer. I still have the shell and one day I will try it again.

JD338

 

[YoteSmoker]

JD, since you mention it was a TC, I suspect it was a headspace issue and not the primer, but a case that's shoulder wasnt bumped back far enough. I ran into this problem by neck sizing cases for a 7mm08 encore barrel until i learned that they need to be full length sized and bumped back a decent amount. At least, this has been my experience and others have atested to having this issue.

 

[cold_hunter]

PGJPJ I too have had this problem with cci 200's and it was a whole 100 that did it. The gun was a buddy's m70 3006 and i checked the gun over pretty good. dressed the pin, put a magnum spring in and it still did it. My only question is do you neck size os full length. If you neck size that takes all of the long chamber issues out of it. In my case it cost my buddy a deer and put me on the spot and his dad said handloads are no good of course. I never handle primers they go right in my handprimer tray and then in the case. So maybe im not the only one that has had an issue with a cci primer

 

[bobbyrum]

Some years back while hunting deer with my 7mm mag., a buck came out on the break 150 yds. down, easy shot :wink: The cartridge hung fire and the bullet hit in front of him. Deer made a real quick exit. An hour or so later, another nice buck came out on the same trail & believe it or not, another hangfire. The bullet hit between his legs :evil: Same result, deer made a quick exit. I made the mile walk back to my truck and got a new batch of reloads. Third buck out went home. Following the season, I switched everything over to Fed. primers & have used nothing else since & not a single hang fire. I have no explanation as to what happened. It was a very reputable brand of primers & very carefully loaded. Go figure :roll: