I bought some North Fork solids (both cup point and flats)in Dallas to try in my .458 Lott. So far, I've tried dummies loaded to the third groove down, and they will not feed consistantly in my RSM Ruger without jamming. Any deeper, and I will not be able to load a full powder charge without crushing the case.

You guys have any tricks to get these bullets to feed?

try to p.m. 500 grains...he has a lot of experience with these or just call the number on the north fork web site. he is a great guy and helpful. these bullets tend to go faster so you dont need to push them as hard. they will go through whatever you point them at. dont worry. just get them to feed properly. you might want to get your rifle long throated to handle a steady diet of these. ask jeffeosso about that in gunsmithing.

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
I bought some North Fork solids (both cup point and flats)in Dallas to try in my .458 Lott. So far, I've tried dummies loaded to the third groove down, and they will not feed consistantly in my RSM Ruger without jamming. Any deeper, and I will not be able to load a full powder charge without crushing the case.

You guys have any tricks to get these bullets to feed?

Mail your rifle and 6 dummies to Dennis Olson in Plains, Montana. It will come back feeding just great.

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
...and they will not feed consistantly in my RSM Ruger without jamming.

It's not just your RSM, most rifles will not feed flat meplat bullets without some having some modifications. I got someone badly injured by a buffalo when my rifle jammed on TB Sledgehammer solids. Everyone should cycle your rifle FAST with this type of bullet and work out all the kinks before your safari. Learn from my mistake, I sure did.

ForrestB,

Would you be willing to tell us the story? That incident sounds like it is worth an article to African Hunter magazine so that as many people as possible can learn how important reliable feeding is.

During development Mike B. sent me some of his .375" cup-point solids to try feeding in my rifles. I loaded some dummies in .375 H&H and .376 Steyr, and "fed away".

The push feed .376 Steyr ProHunter with is detachable box magazine would feed any LOA that would fit into the magazine box. The mag holds the round in line with the chamber.

My two CRF rifles needed the bullets seated deeper. These were a M70 clone and a BRNO M602.

jim

My RSM in .416 feeds the North Forks fine until the action is worked really slow, then they will sometimes jam with the end of the bullet going over the top of the chamber. I may try seating them a little deeper before going any further. They never seem to fail to feed when the action is worked at a normal speed.

My problem is mainly from the left side. Right side feeds ok. I can't go any deeper with the 4320 loads I am currently using. I could try a faster powder, but I really love the results I am getting with IMR 4320.

Guess I'll send this one off to Dennis, too (he already has my 404). While it's there, I'll let him add a cross bolt and bedding. Does UPS give a volume discount?

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
Does UPS give a volume discount?

No, but they can lose two guns more quickly than they can lose one!


Seriously, though, if you send this rifle in a boxed-up two-rifle case, Dennis can send both rifles back at the same time.

George

You ain't going to belive this! I talked to Dennis Olson, and he tried to talk me out of doing anything to the rifle. He said if it feeds round-nose bullets ok, why screw with it?

I got some sample packs in .375 and .458 and after loading and trying some dummies, I quickly realized that my staggered magazine bolt rifles in those calibers would need work to be at all reliable.

My Blaser R93 in .375 worked just fine with them, though. The rotary magazine works basically like an in-line single stack and fed them flawlessly.

GA

1) Your "favorite load" may need to be reduced anyway. Where the base of the bullet is compared to whatever bullet you used to get your favorite load, will tell you if reduction might be necessary.

2) Going from the 3rd groove to the first (front) groove will probably require a one grain reduction, which might give you the room you need.

3) Before you even worry about whether you can get the load in that you wish, load an empty case with just the bullet, seated to the front groove. That will tell you if a shorter OAL would improve feeding.

4) 4320 responds very well to the use of a drop tube. When I was working with it, I could get close to an additional 5% in a case, to the same level, when using a 24" tube and adding powder by trickling slowly down the tube. I hope you have better luck than I did dwith 4320. It had the largest variation in "can to can" performance of any powder that I have ever used.

5) That's why I sell sample packs.

Interestingly enough my 375 fed them better if you seated the bullet as LONG as possible to fit the magazine. I am not sure that I can explain that one but that is the way it worked. It may work for your rifle too, and if so, is a very inexpensive fix.

GAHUNTER,

You have a PM in regards to this issue.

quote:

Originally posted by NFMike:
That's why I sell sample packs.

Yes, indeed, Mike, and I do thank you for recommending the sample packs to me.

BTW, your 370 grain .416 soft points are great shooters in both my .416 Rigby and my .416 Rem. Mag. Although I haven't taken any game with them yet, I look forward to doing so.

Mike good visiting with you in Dallas. Can you keep us posted on using the cup point solids in doubles and let us know if you plan a run on .411 400 grains at some point. Bob

I have an M70 Classic action in 416 Rem Mag. The rifle has allways fed only 90% reliably from the left side, but since it had never been used for DG I had not messed with it.

Mike suggested a sample pack when I tried to order his Cup Point Solids. I got one. His CPSs also failed about 10% from the left. Since I am now getting ready for a Cape Buffalo hunt I "messed with it".

On a feed from the left it was occasionally jamming with the point above the chamber (and would do so with any RN bullets.) At first I thought I needed to hold the nose down longer, but that was not the case. I needed to let the base out more quickly. I had to modify the left lip of the magazine box. A .015 bend of the left lip to the right about 0.6 inches forward of the rear face of the box worked just fine. When the belt hits this bump it forces the rear of the case away from the wall and lessens the grip of the rail on the rear of the case. Since I did this I have had it feed 100% reliably - slow or fast. It now works with Mike's bullets and all the rest.

Under no circumstances should you alter the feed rails of the action itself. Leave that to the pros.