Ruger American help

[Bon3_Daddy]

Guys i bought a new american 7mm-08 a month or so ago. Today was the first time i was able to try and sight it in. Loaded a round and the bolt wouldnt close (latch in the down position).
It cycles fine without a round..
Any you fellas have any tips?
Ammo is 140 gr Nosler trophy grade

 

[Jcalder]

Reloads or factory ammo

 

[Bon3_Daddy]

Factory

 

[shrimphead]

the only time i had that problem the chamber was dirty doesn't take but a few grains of sand

 

[tnanh]

It could be the magazine. I have had this problem with a 77/22 in the past. Magazine has a little wear and sometime the bolt wont go down to the locked position. I know it is a new gun but they could have sent a bad magazine or even put the wrong mag in the box. I bought a Rem. model 7 308 years ago. Would not eject when it was brand new. Sent it to Remington and it had 243 ejectors in it.

 

[Jcalder]

I agree with the above poster. Clean the chamber. Check it for a bur. If you have a good light shine it in there and see if you can see anything. And it may be ammo out of spec, but I'm guess it's in the gun. Also, see if something isn't in the bolt face

 

[Tenntrapper]

I would check the ammo. A few years ago, I bought a bunch of the Nosler trophy grade in 308. All 5 boxes...the bolt wouldn't close. Rifle functioned fine with everything else. My conclusion...the brass was out of spec...and yes, factory loads.

 

[Gameking]

Guys i bought a new american 7mm-08 a month or so ago. Today was the first time i was able to try and sight it in. Loaded a round and the bolt wouldnt close (latch in the down position).
It cycles fine without a round..
Any you fellas have any tips?
Ammo is 140 gr Nosler trophy grade

I have one in 7mm-08 also. Have had it about 5 yrs. Right off the bat I noticed it was hard to lock the bolt on cartridges. Especially if you're used to just casually sliding the bolt home then trying to lock it. Was worse with Hornady ammo. From what I've read the nosler ammo is kind of on the max side of SAAMI standards also. Had gunsmith check with go/no go gauge and it was fine. What makes it so hard is getting the ejector to latch over the rim of the cartridge. I replaced the ejector on the bolt but still the same. If you can push the bolt forward and lock it down in one fluid motion it helps a lot. My wife (I bought it for her) and I have gotten good at it and it's pretty much an after thought at this point.

It's a fairly common problem on some Ruger Americans. I bought a Ruger American predator in 6.5Cr and it's not a problem.

I would try a change of ammo also.

If this doesn't help them of course you have a more serious problem in the chamber.

 

[Wiley]

If you have a friend with a case gauge, friend or local gun shop with same caliber you might get that ammo checked in other weapons.

 

[rifle02]

Make sure that the extractor is properly positioned. Also that it moves freely. Another thing but difficult to inspect is that the outboard surface of the extractor isn't hitting in the receiver and unable to snap over the rim. The ammo is more likely the culprit though.

 

[Bon3_Daddy]

Thanks guys. I called ruger and they sent shipping label.. I feel like it may be the ammo but with no other option to check im at a standstill..
Anyone in henry/carroll co have another brand of 7mm-08 ammo?

 

[Hunter 257W]

I put a 98 Mauser together from parts a few years back and I had this problem. It took a while to find the problem being that the stock wasn't properly inletted for the bolt handle. It hit in such a small area and so hard to see that I kept looking for some more complicated technical issue. When I removed the stock and suddenly the bolt closed perfectly I found it. I seriously doubt this would be your problem though since this is a factory rifle with matched parts designed to work together.

 

[Bon3_Daddy]

I put a 98 Mauser together from parts a few years back and I had this problem. It took a while to find the problem being that the stock wasn't properly inletted for the bolt handle. It hit in such a small area and so hard to see that I kept looking for some more complicated technical issue. When I removed the stock and suddenly the bolt closed perfectly I found it. I seriously doubt this would be your problem though since this is a factory rifle with matched parts designed to work together.

Actually, im going to loosen the magwell screw 1/4 turn and try it.
I read where sometimes they are a little long..
May not make a difference but i am going to try it before i send it off.

 

[Bon3_Daddy]

Update..that didnt make a difference.
Sending it to ruger today hopefully

 

[Hunter 257W]

OK, good luck and hope you get it back fast. This is the best time of year to do returns though since deer season is a long ways off.

 

[Lost Lake]

I'd almost bet it's the ammo. I hope you can find a different brand to try and load it with before you send it off. Hope it turns out well for you.

 

[Bon3_Daddy]

Thanks. I hope its not the ammo..im ashamed to say what i gave for 2 boxes of this stuff..
I cant seem to find another brand to try it with so looks like ruger will be getting it.
Estimated turnaround from ruger is 5 to 7 days

 

[DaveB]

You have a micrometer handy? If so, what is overall length of the round?

OTOH entirely possible Ruger production made an error although that seems unlikely.

With the crazy state of ammo affairs it would be nice to check some measurements. Go here to get the numbers you need

Nosler Load Data

Explore the world of Nosler, renowned for crafting the finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, and brass. Discover our extensive lineup, including Partition, AccuBond, E-Tip, Ballistic Tip, Custom Competition, and more. Experience superior quality and performance with Nosler products.

load-data.nosler.com

 

[Safari Hunt]

I'd almost bet it's the ammo. I hope you can find a different brand to try and load it with before you send it off. Hope it turns out well for you.

Shoot them even if difficult to load. Then find someone to reload with the proper resizing dies. Better to have the problem now than with a 14 point buck in your sights. BTW, if it is the ammo, see if someone will loan/trade a couple of rounds to compare.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Thanks. I hope its not the ammo..im ashamed to say what i gave for 2 boxes of this stuff..
I cant seem to find another brand to try it with so looks like ruger will be getting it.
Estimated turnaround from ruger is 5 to 7 days

Did you try different rounds out of the 2 boxes? I bought 5 boxes of same stuff for a 308...a few rounds were tight, but I could get bolt closed. Fwiw, the few I was able to fire were terribly inaccurate. I would suggest trying different ammo, before sending back to Ruger.