OK, I know the "usual" suspect: high pressure. But the load I'm shooting (.458 Lott, 500 gr. Hornady Interlock, 80 gr. H-4895) is basically a starting load, and it's one that gave me no trouble previously. And it's from the same can of powder.

I have a Win M-70, custom built as a .458 Lott. I'm using BeLL brass, and I'm loading the cases with .458 Win Mag dies. I'm having the bolt lift problem with brand new cases, as well as 2-5 times reloaded cases.

The "difficulty" is raising the bolt handle the second half of the way up. It moves about halfway just fine, then gets difficult. Cases and primers look normal, and the velocity is 2245-- an expected level of performance with a lighter load.

I'm doubting that it's a pressure problem. So my question for the assembled experts: What other causes are there for this bolt lift problem? I've never experienced this before, and I have (with other guns) run quite heavy loads.

Or does it sound like a pressure problem?

Pertinax, the perplexed

Of course it may be a pressure problem but it could be a rough chamber. I had a wildcat made on my new reamer and I had extraction problems like you describe and the gunsmith polished the chamber for nothing when I complained about it. I could have been pressure in my rifle also as with the wildcat who knows what the max load is?

How long have you had the rifle? Are the case belts expanding?

Sounds like a pressure problem. Iknow that's not what you want to hear, but it is as you say the usual suspect. I will assume that you haven't changed anything in your mix. So you need to look at the procedure a little. For example, I was seating some bullets(.308) and in the process I had to adjust the die down, unfortunately it deformed the case around the neck just a little. When I went to the range to fire said rounds they wouldn't chamber. So if nothing has changed componet wise, try to remember back and see if anything abnormal may have occured, and measure your cases if you haven't already.Also check you load data to make sure it was correct.

Pertinax, to me it could be any reason outlined above. But then, if roughness of some part is the culprit, it should always behave the same, whatever load you're shooting. If it happens with some loads only, well... but you already know the answer.

Is you extractor rivet or ejector pin worn?