In an effort to "wring" out the last bit of accuracy from my small bore varmint rifle can I help myself by removing the push feed plunger ejector?

Thank you.

Hello,
Over the years, some 4 plus decades shooting long range prone matches, have seen others remove the plunger ejector believing it placed undue pressure on the contact side of the brass???? I neve did that on the rifles I shot using that system and do not believe my scores would have been better had I done so, but that is just my experience. Would not think that with a good chamber job there would be enough tolerance to permit the movement of the cartridge by the plunger spring pressure. Some shooters do remove them but only to prevent having to "chase" their brass and merely pluck them out of the rifle. Most rifles for the style of shooting I described are solid bottoms anyway so the brass just remains there. If you take it out and try it, no difference, can always put it back. Good Luck.

I never seen any difference in accuracy but I would change the spring so the brass just fell to the side of the gun. Much better then picking them out of the action.

I blew a primer once that had the effect of forcibly moving the ejector plunger back and distorting it a little, along with the ejector spring. I straightened the plunger out and it worked just fine. The spring had gotten a kink in it but I tried it anyway and it now only flips them a foot or so, which makes the brass easier to find.

I'd suggest like BFR to change the spring tension and see how you like it. My suggestion would be to clip a coil off at a time and experiment with an empty case. Stop when it only ejects a foot or so. Or you can use a dummy cartridge and keep going until it can just eject a loaded round. You want it to be able to eject a loaded round so you don't get a hang up if you ever are needing a fast follow up shot, but it is nice to have them be able to be easily caught.

If there is any effect (and that is a big if, to me) it would be to orient the cartridge in the chamber consistently and with constant tension each time? Should be a relative plus, not a negetive. Having said that I concede a perfect chamber in perfect alignment with the bore is best served with a perfectly centered round in the chamber but how often do all of those conditions exist simultaneously?

quote:

but how often do all of those conditions exist simultaneously?

With a factory gun it's not very likely. A custom assembled gun, everytime.

Anything that forces the bullet out of alignment will affect accuracy. To what degree depends on how far off axis it is moved (how sloppy the fit between the cartridge and chamber). The effect could be negligible, or, it could be a lot. Try it and see.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:

quote:

but how often do all of those conditions exist simultaneously?

With a factory gun it's not very likely. A custom assembled gun, everytime.

Anything that forces the bullet out of alignment will affect accuracy. To what degree depends on how far off axis it is moved (how sloppy the fit between the cartridge and chamber). The effect could be negligible, or, it could be a lot. Try it and see.

Well put, Westpac.

When I was actively competing in BR, I removed the ejector SPRING from ALL my rifles. I left the plunger in place just to keep crap from accumulating in the hole.

Partly, whether one removes the ejection force or not is a function of his shooting style.

If he is one of the competitors who believes in trying to machine gun all the rounds down range in a single "patch" of wind, he is going to need either an ejector or a "drop port" action.

If however, he shoots the way I prefer, which is to read the wind for every shot, he really doesn't need an ejector at all.

(Machine gunning is very likely the dominant style these days. If you are lucky, it can win matches for you. If you are unlucky it can put you way down the list, off of the podium. Machine gunning is not as good in helping to win aggregates as it is in winning matches. One really bad group can demolish one's chances at winning the Agg....)

Most BR shooters use an ejector at this time. We use light spring pressure with brass properly sized to the chamber. The spring plunger is the least of my problems.
Butch

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:

quote:

but how often do all of those conditions exist simultaneously?

With a factory gun it's not very likely. A custom assembled gun, everytime.

Anything that forces the bullet out of alignment will affect accuracy. To what degree depends on how far off axis it is moved (how sloppy the fit between the cartridge and chamber). The effect could be negligible, or, it could be a lot. Try it and see.

I was working from the idea that this is a varmint gun and not a bench gun so (a) SAMMI chamber, probably not minimum and (b) not a tight-neck chamber. Given that, every round will be misaligned regardless. The plunger simply overcomes gravity and, all else equal, will help make for a consistent mislaignment like marking the high spot on run-out each round and loading the mark at the same clock position each time. Hope I explaned that clearly enough.

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:

I was working from the ideal that this is a varmint gun and not a bench gun so (a) SAMMI chamber, probably not minimum and (b) not a tight-neck chamber. Given that, ever round will be misaligned regardless. The plunger, all else equal, will help make for a consistent mislaignment like mrking the high spot on run-out each time and loding the mark at the same clock position each time. Hope I explaned that clearly enough.

You are more or less correct with what the pressure of the ejector will do moving the brass in a loose-chambered gun.

BUT, I doubt that will help accuracy any either...so long as the brass is not perfectly made for concentricity and wall thickness.

Sometimes the ejector will be pressing the thin side of the brass against the chamber wall, sometimes the thick side, etc. Still won't be any more concentric than just throwing it in there, I'd guess...especially as I have seen cheapo foreign factory brass vary .006" in neck thickness alone. Heaven knows how much it varied toward the base of the case....

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
Given that, every round will be misaligned regardless. The plunger simply overcomes gravity and, all else equal, will help make for a consistent mislaignment like marking the high spot on run-out each round and loading the mark at the same clock position each time. Hope I explaned that clearly enough.

You did.

If I weren't me, and I had a factory varmint gun and wanted to wring the most out of it on the cheap; other than addressing the usual problems, the bedding, the crown, the trigger etc. I would pull the bolt nose ejector, because my factory varmint gun would have one, but then all Remingtons do , and I would fireform everything without the ejector in place. Then, I would reinstall the ejector and neck size all my stuff. Forced to use a factory barrel, I would do everything I could to reduce ANY bullet alignment error, and then develop a good load and work to improve my shooting skills.

I got around the problem in my Remingtons and Savages with custom barrels by moly-coating my bullets and seating them long to jam in the throat a few thousandths. The moly prevented the usual pressure spike and the rounds seemed to center up in the chamber better. Never had the pleasure of owning a true bench gun or one so chambered so I never played the tight-neck game.