Short mag on a long action rifle

Sticky · Jun 4, 2021

Anyone try this? I had a rifle built on a long action (Rem700 clone) but it's chambered in 300wsm. I have been having issues as it was built, with reliable feeding from the mag (a BDL configuration), mostly on the last round, as the short action cartridge can slide back all the way and tilt the follower to the point where the bolt rides over the case as it moves forward instead of catching and pushing it along.

So, fix #1 is to swap the follower out for a short action magnum follower and see if this will help the last round feed.

It's only a 3 round mag and I am taking out west this fall for elk/muleys and it has to be reliable, especially allowing me 100% feeding on all 3 rounds in the mag.

I just got the new follower today in the mail and so far, it seems to do the trick.. we'll see as I send a few more hundred rounds downrange... :lol2:

(oh and a special thanks to the members that had a little brass to spare a while back, it has helped my cause, thanks!!)

Plan C is to see about swapping the box out for a Wyatts center feed box, as I have seen this done elsewhere with good results on a similar situation... we'll see.

303_enfield · Jun 4, 2021

Armed Forces did it for years. Long actions shooting 7.62MM. Your going to need a magazine with a built in spacer of some sort.

Good luck!

Sticky · Jun 4, 2021

303_enfield said:
Armed Forces did it for years. Long actions shooting 7.62MM. Your going to need a magazine with a built in spacer of some sort.

Good luck!

That's what I figured, since it's an integral box magazine, I will make up a spacer and affix it to the rear of the box with this short action follower and I think that will do the trick.

John from MD · Jun 4, 2021

Sticky said:
Anyone try this? I had a rifle built on a long action (Rem700 clone) but it's chambered in 300wsm. I have been having issues as it was built, with reliable feeding from the mag (a BDL configuration), mostly on the last round, as the short action cartridge can slide back all the way and tilt the follower to the point where the bolt rides over the case as it moves forward instead of catching and pushing it along.

So, fix #1 is to swap the follower out for a short action magnum follower and see if this will help the last round feed.

It's only a 3 round mag and I am taking out west this fall for elk/muleys and it has to be reliable, especially allowing me 100% feeding on all 3 rounds in the mag.

I just got the new follower today in the mail and so far, it seems to do the trick.. we'll see as I send a few more hundred rounds downrange...

(oh and a special thanks to the members that had a little brass to spare a while back, it has helped my cause, thanks!!)

Plan C is to see about swapping the box out for a Wyatts center feed box, as I have seen this done elsewhere with good results on a similar situation... we'll see.

I used to make hunting sporters out of milsurps. What I did when a cartridge was shorter than the original was to make a block at the magazine to take up space and keep the round from moving forward. In most cases, I also had to replace or re contour the follower as well.

outrider58 · Jun 4, 2021

Missed you sticky. I don't have an answer to your question. I hope you are well.

Sticky · Jun 4, 2021

John from MD said:
I used to make hunting sporters out of milsurps. What I did when a cartridge was shorter than the original was to make a block at the magazine to take up space and keep the round from moving forward. In most cases, I also had to replace or re contour the follower as well.

John, that's what I am going to do, except I am going to put the spacer in the rear of the magwell. The short action magnum follower should work well for my needs, as this is what the short action would use, but the difference is really at the rear and I only have issues when the round can slide all the way back to the very rear of the magwell, so if I limit that, I think I'll be fine.

I have some 3/8" UHMW that I can mill a spacer out of for testing and we'll see how it does. I think that will be close to enough to prevent the round from sliding too far back and tilting the follower.

Sticky · Jun 4, 2021

outrider58 said:
Missed you sticky. I don't have an answer to your question. I hope you are well.

Thanks Bro, been busy as all getout, just haven't had much time to surf the forums lately, sorry. All is well, though ammo is scarce... :lol2:

Just signed up for a long range course and I have to find a way to load up 60 more rounds of long range ammo... :sad20:

(in the next few weeks)

outrider58 · Jun 4, 2021

Sticky said:
Thanks Bro, been busy as all getout, just haven't had much time to surf the forums lately, sorry. All is well, though ammo is scarce...

Just signed up for a long range course and I have to find a way to load up 60 more rounds of long range ammo... (in the next few weeks)

Good to hear bro. I guess primers are gonna be the hard part. What powder are you using?

Sticky · Jun 4, 2021

outrider58 said:
Good to hear bro. I guess primers are gonna be the hard part. What powder are you using?

I have some RL-15 that I started with, some W760 and also a little H4350. I have access to some 4831 as well if I want to go that route. I actually did a min load to fireform and test load lengths with and it shoots a ragged hole at 100 with Berger 168VLDH. I am working that a little as it was with RL-15.

I have primers and powder, it's the boolits that are really scarce right now. I found a box of Berger 168 hybrid target that are pretty close to the hunters that I want to shoot, so I can play with them a little too. I have a bunch of Nosler 168CC's also that I can do some testing with, but they aren't a hunting round. I'm really counting on using the Berger 168's that I have, unless I can get hold of some 185's, we'll see.

outrider58 · Jun 4, 2021

Sticky said:
I have some RL-15 that I started with, some W760 and also a little H4350. I have access to some 4831 as well if I want to go that route. I actually did a min load to fireform and test load lengths with and it shoots a ragged hole at 100 with Berger 168VLDH. I am working that a little as it was with RL-15.

I have primers and powder, it's the boolits that are really scarce right now. I found a box of Berger 168 hybrid target that are pretty close to the hunters that I want to shoot, so I can play with them a little too. I have a bunch of Nosler 168CC's also that I can do some testing with, but they aren't a hunting round. I'm really counting on using the Berger 168's that I have, unless I can get hold of some 185's, we'll see.

Gotcha. It's been a while since I last bought bullets. Pretty well stocked up on what I like. Unfortunately, not the size and shape you are looking for. Good luck and good shooting. :thumbsup:

John from MD · Jun 4, 2021

Sticky said:
John, that's what I am going to do, except I am going to put the spacer in the rear of the magwell. The short action magnum follower should work well for my needs, as this is what the short action would use, but the difference is really at the rear and I only have issues when the round can slide all the way back to the very rear of the magwell, so if I limit that, I think I'll be fine.

I have some 3/8" UHMW that I can mill a spacer out of for testing and we'll see how it does. I think that will be close to enough to prevent the round from sliding too far back and tilting the follower.

I put it in the rear of the magwell. Sorry I wasn't more clear. I used to take Mauser followers for different cartridges and make them from those. It matched up better with the other steel when rebluing

and made the customers happy.

Sticky · Jun 4, 2021

outrider58 said:
Gotcha. It's been a while since I last bought bullets. Pretty well stocked up on what I like. Unfortunately, not the size and shape you are looking for. Good luck and good shooting.

I was too, til I scheduled a hunt that I needed a new gun for... I have a bunch of 30 cal boolits, but not really the ones I want to shoot an elk with from a pretty good distance if needed... Thus my dilemma this summer. :lol2:

Thanks man, it's one of my summer projects.. Love these projects!

Sticky · Jun 17, 2021

Okay, an update.. had a member reach out that had some of the projectiles I am looking for, thanks!! Have some load testing as well in preparation for a long range rifle class I am taking in a couple of weeks. Things are going well, added a mag spacer and a short action mag follower to take care of the bdl mag feed SA/LA issues, (I think) and all is working well now. Starting to get this puppy figured out!

Many thanks again to those who have reached out to help!

Sticky · Jun 17, 2021

Another pic..

Doco Overboard · Jun 17, 2021

Sticky said:
Anyone try this? I had a rifle built on a long action (Rem700 clone) but it's chambered in 300wsm. I have been having issues as it was built, with reliable feeding from the mag (a BDL configuration), mostly on the last round, as the short action cartridge can slide back all the way and tilt the follower to the point where the bolt rides over the case as it moves forward instead of catching and pushing it along.

So, fix #1 is to swap the follower out for a short action magnum follower and see if this will help the last round feed.

It's only a 3 round mag and I am taking out west this fall for elk/muleys and it has to be reliable, especially allowing me 100% feeding on all 3 rounds in the mag.

I just got the new follower today in the mail and so far, it seems to do the trick.. we'll see as I send a few more hundred rounds downrange...

(oh and a special thanks to the members that had a little brass to spare a while back, it has helped my cause, thanks!!)

Plan C is to see about swapping the box out for a Wyatts center feed box, as I have seen this done elsewhere with good results on a similar situation... we'll see.

Just get a flat piece of steel or aluminum if the need be and fit it vertically to the mag box with the correct follower and spring in front of it.
Fill the extra space behind it with a piece of hardwood or expanding foam then saw the top of it off and the bottom if the need be so its looks good from the top and bottom when you dump the floor-plate.
Or glass it with fiberglass cloth and don't paint it so it looks like yellowed carbon fiber.

Sticky · Jun 17, 2021

Doco Overboard said:
Just get a flat piece of steel or aluminum if the need be and fit it vertically to the mag box with the correct follower and spring in front of it.
Fill the extra space behind it with a piece of hardwood or expanding foam then saw the top of it off and the bottom if the need be so its looks good from the top and bottom when you dump the floor-plate.
Or glass it with fiberglass cloth and don't paint it so it looks like yellowed carbon fiber.

That's what I did..
I just fabbed a piece of aluminum to act as a spacer.. enough to prevent any follower tilt, but short enough to allow me to load to max length and then some if I want to. It has been in there for the past 50 or so rounds with no issues so far. I'll try to get a better pic of it..

I did change the follower out to a short action mag follower, kept the original spring, as it seemed to fit and work fine and I have no feed issues now from the mag.

Doco Overboard · Jun 17, 2021

Sticky said:
I just fabbed a piece of aluminum to act as a spacer.. enough to prevent any follower tilt, but short enough to allow me to load to max length and then some if I want to. It has been in there for the past 50 or so rounds with no issues so far. I'll try to get a better pic of it..

I did change the follower out to a short action mag follower, kept the original spring, as it seemed to fit and work fine and I have no feed issues now from the mag.

Sounds like it it works!
I'm not sure I ever seen a follower spring very often the same length as a follower so plenty of room there, glad it functions the way it should.
.

Sticky · Jun 17, 2021

Doco Overboard said:
Sounds like it it works!
I'm not sure I ever seen a follower spring very often the same length as a follower so plenty of room there, glad it functions the way it should.
.

I got an extra SA follower spring just in case, but when I fitted the SA folower to the spring that was in the original build, it worked fine, so that's how it's running now, I never tried or compared the SA spring to the original. They may be the same. I know some use an SA follower spring on a LA follower and just 'pin/peen' the spring to the follower to prevent movement.

Sticky · Jun 17, 2021

Hard to get a pic, don't really care about looks, it's all about performance and if you didn't know, you'd never know... lol

Doco Overboard · Jun 17, 2021

Sticky said:
I got an extra SA follower spring just in case, but when I fitted the SA folower to the spring that was in the original build, it worked fine, so that's how it's running now, I never tried or compared the SA spring to the original. They may be the same. I know some use an SA follower spring on a LA follower and just 'pin/peen' the spring to the follower to prevent movement.

Springs sometimes are weird when you lay one out for the same rifle type, sometimes when you look at them the either the front or back will be higher or lower than the opposite end.
For some reason, the ones that are higher at the rear seem to work better for some reason or another. Or the thrust of the bolt doesn't push the nose of the cartridge down.
I think its because when the cartridge breaks over the little bit of extra support at the rear makes a smoother transition is all.
Somebody should start making them 12 or so leaves high and selling them so they can be cut as needed or so the best part can be separated from the ribbon.
I always slightly stone them so the float where they're captured both at the follower and the floor-plate but I get bored with a lot of guns too.
Next thing you know, Ill be rotating them for something else to do.

Short mag on a long action rifle

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