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gking1937
12-17-2005, 04:45 PM
Just bought a Marlin 336W (used but in good shape) and loaded some Lyman 311041 boolits, crimping them at the crimp groove. They would not go into the chamber - I couldn't force the bolt closed. Left 12 nice grooves on the boolit.

In order to chamber them, I had to reduce the cartridge length to 2.420 inches which means that I had to crimp them above the crimping groove - actually at the point on the nose where the size reduces from the diameter of the bands to the nose diameter.

First of all, is crimping the boolit at that point going to be OK?

And second, does this mean that this chamber is too short? Lyman lists the "standard" length for this cartridge at 2.550 inches - a long way from 2.420. As long as the 311041 has been around, I would have expected it to work fine crimped at the crimping groove.

Thanks for your advice.

George

Jumptrap
12-17-2005, 04:56 PM
Not a thing wrong with your rifle......they have no throat in them to amount to anything. Crimp the bullet wherever you can...won't hurt anything. This is as common as fleas on a hound. Seat'em wherever they'll chamber. I like to seat out to where the rifling just kisses the bullet...instead of those lines...try for just 12 specks...you're there.

26Charlie
12-17-2005, 06:31 PM
George - I agree with Jumptrap. That will let you use the bullets you've cast already.

Take a careful look at the mould - I bought a used 4-cavity 311291 recently, and it was casting fat noses. I noticed that there was some peening of the metal around the alignment pins. I drove them back, stoned the mould faces flat again, reset the pins, and the mould now casts noses which just kiss the rifling, as they should.

Char-Gar
12-18-2005, 05:33 PM
You failed to mention the sizing diameter of your bullets. I "Thought" I had a couple of Marlin 336s with short throats and even had Mountain Molds make up a special mold for such short throats. The loaded rounds took some muscle to chamber the rounds on the last few inches of the bolt closure.

I was sizing my bullets .3117. When I sized some .3110, I found the problem went away and I could use any 30 cal bullet in the fleet without any problem. Obviously the throat was to tight for .3117 bullets, but worked just fine when they were sized .3110.