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338 Mag Miss Fire Amunition

Some How my Discussion about Hornady 338 Mag Bullets was Ended 
I was having an issue with Miss fires 
one or two rounds per box.
Out of 4 boxes there were 9 miss fires
I was emailing Hornady with no luck.
Winchester said to try new bullets
so I bought three different Competitors Bullets  2 boxes each 120 rounds
they all shot off flawlessly
I tried another Hornady box and another miss fire.
I had bought 10 boxes of Hornady bullets.
they are all from the same lot. 
I  relayed this information to Hornady. 
Once again they said its my gun and that I need a heavier spring in my Bran new 
Winchester 338 Mag Super Grade. 
Winchester said they are nuts. 

I am wondering if anyone else is having issues with miss Fires on Hornady 338 Mag Ammunition 

Comments

  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    Some How my Discussion about Hornady 338 Mag Bullets was Ended 

    Threads in ATE are automatically locked at 10 posts. 
    https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/1856967/why-threads-are-locked-at-10-posts#latest

  • NeoBlackdogNeoBlackdog Member Posts: 16,566 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2020
    Did you show Hornady the pics you posted here?  Sure looks to me like an ammo issue, dents in the primers look fine. 
    Edit...
    I guess I must need my eyes checked!  Those primer dents look to me like they should have done the job but everyone else is seeing something different.   
  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    Hi again , Yes I sent them Multiple pictures, 
    I have resolved my issue by Buying 30 Boxes of Bullets from 3 different Brands
    and all there bullets fire extreamly well in this gun.
    The company I bought the 600 rounds from allowed me to trade in the remaining 7 boxes of un opened ammo
    I am more than happy to Buy someone elses Bullets, Free Open Market Place. 
    It would be nice to know if someone else experienced an issue with Hornady in the 338 Mag though 

       
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,733 ✭✭✭✭
    I'm sorry to say this but all the primer indentations look light--even the ones that fired.  Personally, I think your Winchester 338 Mag Super Grade is a wee bit long on the headspace. And BTW, don't confuse "bullets" with "ammunition"--not the same.
  • truthfultruthful Member Posts: 1,975 ✭✭✭✭
    Assuming you are talking about Hornady cartridges, not bullets. The firing pin indents look rather shallow in your photos. Hornady primers may be a bit tougher than in other brands you have tried. Or maybe the primers were not seated fully into the primer pocket.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    Hornady might have used the the commercial equivalent, of CCI M-34 NATO spec? Military primers in loading the ammo you had problems with? These primers have a harder/thicker metal cup, to prevent slam firers. In semi-auto firearms. 

    I've had a bunch of problems in the past, with ammo loaded with this type of military primers. I call them "lawyer proof, cover your butt primers." As the primer manufacturers, can't control what type of firearm you use to fire their ammo in. They use these "hard" primers to keep the lawsuits down. 

    Don't seem that Hornady would be using these "hard" primers, for 338 Win Mag. That is meant to be fired in a BA rifle. But nothing surprises me any more. In how the firearms industry bend over backwards, to make their products lawyer proof.
  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for all the comments 
    However My Question was 
    I am wondering if anyone else is having issues with miss Fires on Hornady 338 Mag Ammunition 
    NOT 
    Can anyone help me with My problem. 
    I fixed that ,
     I bought someone elses Bullets and they work fine.

  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
     You've posed that question to too small a base group.
     Of the members here, there may not be many who own a 338. I'm in that group.
     Then you remove the diehards who shoot only Federal Premium and the group shrinks even more.

     You might get better results asking this on a forum with a board dedicated to the 338 Win Mag.
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    If you are just switching the bullet it will have no impact upon ignition.  If you are switching brands of ammo, that is a slightly different story.  Primer cup hardness varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. 
    The pictures you have supplied show a very weak primer indentation.  I would pull the bolt apart and see if the firing pin hole has debris in it, check the spring for binding or breakage, check the length of the firing pin and also have the chamber checked for headspace issues.  What you have is a dangerous situation where the opening of the bolt after the misfire might cause ignition and the gun firing while the bolt is unlocked.  That would ruin your day and your rifle.
    It is not uncommon to find the smallest hunk of junk in the bolt near the firing pin hole that prevents the firing pin from having full travel.  You do not have an ammo issue, you have a rifle issue.  If anyone used WD-40 on the rifle in the past you can expect varnish in the working parts.  WD-40 is the worst product people could ever use on a gun.
  • pip5255pip5255 Member Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭
    bpost said:
    If you are just switching the bullet it will have no impact upon ignition.  If you are switching brands of ammo, that is a slightly different story.  Primer cup hardness varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. 
    The pictures you have supplied show a very weak primer indentation.  I would pull the bolt apart and see if the firing pin hole has debris in it, check the spring for binding or breakage, check the length of the firing pin and also have the chamber checked for headspace issues.  What you have is a dangerous situation where the opening of the bolt after the misfire might cause ignition and the gun firing while the bolt is unlocked.  That would ruin your day and your rifle.
    It is not uncommon to find the smallest hunk of junk in the bolt near the firing pin hole that prevents the firing pin from having full travel.  You do not have an ammo issue, you have a rifle issue.  If anyone used WD-40 on the rifle in the past you can expect varnish in the working parts.  WD-40 is the worst product people could ever use on a gun.

    in all my years I have never had any problems with firearms using WD-40 
    anyway I no longer have a 338 but my observation appears to be the primers are abit recessed in the brass and the firing pin hit is just not quite right on that ammo, can you post a pic of the ammo that did function as intended by other manufacturers ?

    just because you could doesn't mean you should
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    After two rounds, the question cannot be satisfactorily answered in ATE. I'm moving it to the shooting reloading forum for a fresh set of eyes. There are no set limits on posts in that forum.  
  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    Hi again, 
    The fire pin depths are just fine. It may not look like it in the pictures,
     Sorry my phone does not upload better pictures. 
    The new ammo has the exact same depth, There is nothing wrong with the Fire pin, or its depth.
    There are no shallow hits on the primers, 
     Thanks again for all your imput and helping me with this forum. 
    Like I said, I just changed ammo and have had great success 
    I was Just curious to see if any one else had this problems with Hornady ammo. 
    Oh and yes on the miss fired ammunition, the Primers were slightly shallow from the ones that did fire. 

  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12

    Someone wanted to see fired round indents 
    The Single Shell is from an UN Fired or miss fired Cartridge 
    the three shells are from all Properly Fired round 
    The single is also deeper set Primer, Counter Sunk,  Not a lot But still enough 
    all of the Miss fire ones all Have Depressed Primers. 
     I Thank you all for your input. 
    I am happy with my new ammo, it works great in my gun.
    I will just stay away from the Hornady   
  • pip5255pip5255 Member Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭
    thanks for posting the other pics, now you can easily see that the bad ammo was a result of the primers being recessed too much. this is clearly a manufacturer defect and you should call them on it.
    just because you could doesn't mean you should
  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    Hi again, Thanks for your comments
    Hornady does not want to have anything to do with refunding, or me sending them back any ammo. 
    even my 7 unused boxes,
     I just traded them in to the gun shop that sold me my new ammunition
    The only thing Hornady could say was. It was my Gun. and that's the end of the discussion.
    Winchester said to change ammo companies, 
    I did and my new ammo works like a dream  
    Thanks again for all your comments
      
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    pip5255 said:

    in all my years I have never had any problems with firearms using WD-40 
    anyway I no longer have a 338 but my observation appears to be the primers are abit recessed in the brass and the firing pin hit is just not quite right on that ammo, can you post a pic of the ammo that did function as intended by other manufacturers ?

    Then you have been very lucky!  WD40 is a water displacing product.  It is not a good lubricant for firearms.  As it sits and ages it turns to an almost solid goo.  Many a gun smith has kept his family fed by WD40 gumming up triggers and bolts.

  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi again, Thanks for your comments
    Hornady does not want to have anything to do with refunding, or me sending them back any ammo. 
    even my 7 unused boxes,
     I just traded them in to the gun shop that sold me my new ammunition
    The only thing Hornady could say was. It was my Gun. and that's the end of the discussion.
    Winchester said to change ammo companies, 
    I did and my new ammo works like a dream  
    Thanks again for all your comments
      

    We all wish you well.  Finding several ammo makers products not working in your gun is as rare as hens teeth.  I still recommend you pull the bolt apart and do as I earlier suggested.
  • 76k2076k20 Member Posts: 643 ✭✭✭
    bpost said:
    Hi again, Thanks for your comments
    Hornady does not want to have anything to do with refunding, or me sending them back any ammo. 
    even my 7 unused boxes,
     I just traded them in to the gun shop that sold me my new ammunition
    The only thing Hornady could say was. It was my Gun. and that's the end of the discussion.
    Winchester said to change ammo companies, 
    I did and my new ammo works like a dream  
    Thanks again for all your comments
      

    We all wish you well.  Finding several ammo makers products not working in your gun is as rare as hens teeth.  I still recommend you pull the bolt apart and do as I earlier suggested.
    bpost,

    The only ammo that does not function in his gun is made by Hornady.  He has contacted Hornady and they refuse to resolve the issue with their defective ammo.  Here is the first topic on this problem:



  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    Hi again, The bolt is nice and clean 
    I have removed it twice
    Cleaned it well with Hopps No 9 Gun Bore Cleaner 
    Blew it out with compressed air 
    then oiled it well with Hopps No 9 gun Oil.
    The Gun shoots Fantastic with Barnes, Federal and Nosler Ammunition. 
    all of there primers are flush with the bottom of the shell casing
    Only the Slight few of the Hornady are recessed further into the Bottom of the Shell Casing.
    These are the ones creating the miss fires, But even with the recess, they are still receiving a great fire pin strike  
    The Original question was
    Has any One ever ran into this before with Hornady 338 mag Rounds
    or am I the only lucky one so far.   
  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    I forgot to say 
    For the Sticklers out there 
    Yes upon removal of the Bolt
    I removed the fire pin and cleaned the pin and spring 
    as well as I cleaned the inside of the Bolt
    I also Cycled the fire pin manually while the bolt was out of the gun by hand and every time the pin came forward without a problem Just as it should 
    fire pin protrusion is .052 inches on my calipers But I may be off a bit. 
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    I sent back some 308 Hornaday match brass that was fired once, had neck splits and even tore the necks off when resizing.  I sent it back two months ago and have heard exactly zero from them...
  • pip5255pip5255 Member Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭
    take the ammo back to where you bought it and have a discussion with them about a refund.
    just because you could doesn't mean you should
  • member9472member9472 Member Posts: 12
    pip5255 said:
    take the ammo back to where you bought it and have a discussion with them about a refund.

    As previously Stated.
    I just traded them in to the gun shop that sold me my new ammunition
    I Purchased 10 Boxes of each Barnes, Federal and Nosler Ammunition.
    so 600 new rounds of ammunition that Hornady did not receive. 
    I shoot a lot of long range and I am More than happy with my new Ammunition.  
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