Savage Axis II .308 stuck brass

durkspunk2112 · Jun 7, 2015

I purchased a Savage Axis II in .308 for my son's 16th birthday. We've taken it out a few times to the range and put maybe 50-60 rounds through it, using a couple different brands of ammo. The issue is that we've had an issue with the bolt being hard to open after the round has been fired. Once I had to tap on the bolt handle to get the bolt open. The bolt handle would rotate upwards, to the open position, be it wouldn't budge! The empty brass didn't seemed to be deformed in any way, that I could see.

Granted, I'm not using expensive ammo. He was using mainly PPU and PMC, 147 & 150 gr. The one round that was completely stuck was a reloaded round. Is that my problem? Should I run a box of "premium" ammo through it? I have the same rifle in a .223 and never had an issue with it, and actually love it!

Any advice would be welcomed.

Juche90 · Jun 7, 2015

That happened to me a couple times with real cheap 7.62 x 51 ammo. I started using .308 that I would actually hunt with and haven't had issues since.

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

If the spent brass isn't showing high pressure signs (flattened and cratered primers), then I'd be leaning towards a tight chamber/throat, Savages can run tight - saw that with a long-action in 338LM, nearly had to beat the bolt back like a Mosin.

If you can, post some pictures of the spent brass from that specific rifle - someone else may see something you didn't.

kalister1 · Jun 7, 2015

durkspunk2112 said:
I purchased a Savage Axis II in .308 for my son's 16th birthday. We've taken it out a few times to the range and put maybe 50-60 rounds through it, using a couple different brands of ammo. The issue is that we've had an issue with the bolt being hard to open after the round has been fired. Once I had to tap on the bolt handle to get the bolt open. The bolt handle would rotate upwards, to the open position, be it wouldn't budge! The empty brass didn't seemed to be deformed in any way, that I could see.

Granted, I'm not using expensive ammo. He was using mainly PPU and PMC, 147 & 150 gr. The one round that was completely stuck was a reloaded round. Is that my problem? Should I run a box of "premium" ammo through it? I have the same rifle in a .223 and never had an issue with it, and actually love it!

Any advice would be welcomed.

DO NOT shoot those reloads again!

Have a gunsmith check the chamber.

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

kalister1 said:
DO NOT shoot those reloads again!

Have a gunsmith check the chamber.

Good catch! :thumbsup:

I glazed over the reload round part.

durkspunk2112 · Jun 7, 2015

The reloads were factory reloads from Freedom Munitions. I had never heard of them before I found them on the internet. Unfortunately, the stuck case probably ended up in the trash. We'll stop using them! I have 4 boxes for sale...CHEAP!

The first 10 rounds were from a box of cheap PPU's. They would get a little "sticky". The PMC's seemed to work better.

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

PPU and Sellier & Bellot typically run a little hot, so I'd avoid those until you get some rounds down the pipe.

What you encountered was likely an over-pressure/high-pressure round.

If the primer didn't get blown out of the casing - which on a Savage normally means it's going to pop the extractor out of the bolt as well, then the odds are good that the rifle came away relatively unscathed. Speaking from personal experience.

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

Notify Freedom that you had an over-pressure round, they may want those boxes back to pull them apart and check them over.

august1410 · Jun 7, 2015

For the record, this is not the first time I have heard of issues with Freedom Munitions ammo.

durkspunk2112 · Jun 7, 2015

Not great pics but, here's some brass "RL" is the Freedom Munitions.

The primer didn't blow out.

We'll hit the range this week and I'll pick up a box of Federal or Hornady and see how well they do!

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

Show the base, the primer is what I'm interested in.

durkspunk2112 · Jun 7, 2015

Freedom Munitions (factory reload) on the left, PPU on the right.

Russ D · Jun 7, 2015

If it's happening with multiple brand of ammo it's your gun not the ammo. It sounds like you have a tight chamber and need to have the headspace checked as well. I would not shoot the gun until you have it checked by a smith or the factory.

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

Russ D said:
If it's happening with multiple brand of ammo it's your gun not the ammo. It sounds like you have a tight chamber and need to have the headspace checked as well. I would not shoot the gun until you have it checked by a smith or the factory.

After seeing the spent brass, I'd agree with the tight chamber. Primer doesn't indicate a high/over pressure situation.

durkspunk2112 · Jun 7, 2015

Thanks for the help gang! I'll give Savage Customer Service a call tomorrow and see what we need to do next. The Rifle is only a few months old so they should be willing to help.

Thanks!

Uncle Duke · Jun 7, 2015

50 or 60 rounds? I'd contact Savage.

Mention the sticking PPU and PMC factory ammo. I wouldn't volunteer info on the Freedom reloads.

durkspunk2112 · Jun 8, 2015

Uncle Duke said:
50 or 60 rounds? I'd contact Savage.

Mention the sticking PPU and PMC factory ammo. I wouldn't volunteer info on the Freedom reloads.

Good tip!

Savage Axis II .308 stuck brass

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