I have a ruger M77 mk2. The rifle feeds factory ammo just fine, but when i feed one of my reloads it kinda binds as the shell is going into the chamber, after i have fired my first shot meaning that when i first load the gun it feeds the first shell great but after ejecting the first shell and picking up a new one it goes up the feeding ramp and then seems to kinda bind on an angle as it goes into the chamber. If i kinda force the bolt closed it works fine but i don't like forcing anything. my question is this normal, The OAL of my rounds are about the max that will fit in the magazine box.

Sounds like the same thing that happened in our camp this year. A Ruger 77UL 257 Roberts with some handloads using Barnes Bullets for the first time. The COL was too long for the chamber. They fit fine in the magazine and fed nice, just couldn't close the bolt without force. Since they were coated, we could see rifling on the bullet when the cartridge was removed. Seated them a little deeper, problem solved.

Hope this helps.

While the above poster mentioned the most likely cause of your problem (which, BTW, can be dangerous) There are other less obvious ways this problem can manifest itself including improperly sized cases, cases that are too long, etc etc.
Were I you, the first thing I would check is overall case/cartridge length vs. the SAAMI specs using a good dial caliper. If you don't have one you need to buy one and add it to your list of equipment...its a necessary tool for the reloader. Secondly, I'd learn the correct procedure for seating bullets to the proper depth for optimum accuracy. It can be done with a magic marker or you can buy a tool such as a Stoney Point Oveall Length Guage for around $30.
Good shooting and be careful!

[ 02-14-2003, 17:57: Message edited by: Kentucky Nimrod ]

cummins..........if I understand your post right , the cartridges are sticking halfway up the feed ramp . Sounds like something may need a bit of polishing ......do the cartridges bind off one or both sides of the magazine ? Do your handloads have a much greater overall length than the factory loads ?

Also , from your handle , you must have good taste in pickup trucks ............

Also, if yours is a compressed load check to make sure the shoulder is not getting crushed.

Setting the seating die too deeply can engage the case mouth and "pooch out" the shoulder as well.

one thing that i prolly should have mentioned in my post is, yes the OAL is longer on my reloads than a factory load, however i know that they are now where near max oal for my particular rifle, the magazine box length is the limiting factor in my case unknowningly the first reloads i made worked fine if you only put one shell in the mag however when i got to the range i realized they where too long when i got to the range an loaded several in the mag. I did measure for my max OAL for my rifle and my loads are well under max. what i am trying to say is that the shells I am loading go up the feeding ramp then bind as they go into the chamber, if the mag was empty and I only put one shell in the mag pushed the bolt closed it works great it is when i have more than one shell in the mag the problem begins only after the first shell has been fired ejected then the bolt picks up another up the feed ramp going into the chamber, it is almost like the bullet tip is dragging on the chamber wall

I suspect our problem is the edge of the cartridge catching on the edge of the chamber after the bullet enters. It is probably doing it on the second round due to a slight difference in angle from the right vs left side. I suspect you are not crimping or not crimping enough to present a smooth profile to the bullet/cartridge. If you don't like crimps or are using bullets with no crimp groove, then be sure you outside bevel the case mouth enough to eliminate a flat edge on the front of the case.