[BobS]

My .308 700 is a BDL and I found the cartridges loading all over the place within the magazine. They look like they are supposed to zig zag stack but I had some side by side and some all the way up (towards barrel end) and some at the rear of the receiver. A couple times I had to dump all cartridges out and start over again because I couldn't get rounds to feed. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!

 

[Targetshoot308]

First welcome to the site.
Is your gun new and has the action and stock been seperated?
I have to ask "Are you sure you grabbed the correct ammo" It has happened before.
If the loads are ending up side by side it sounds like the metal sleeve between the chamber and bottom plate is missing.
It should prevent the cartridges from moving too far forward or backwards and it will limit the width so they can't be double width.

You are correct that they should be staggered and you should only be able to get 4 in the magazine.

let us know what you discover
Good Luck

 

[BobS]

Well I guess it just my inexperience with the model 700. The barrel is stamped .308 WIN the box of Federal and Remington say .308 WIN as do the bottoms of the cartridges. The Magazine Follower and spring seem to be in the right places according to the exploded view in the owners manual.

At the range I was trying to push the rounds in bullet end first with just the tip of my thumb, lot's of teetering that way. Now while facing the ejector and placing the rounds primer end first and pushing them in with the tips of my first three fingers they load properly. I'll learn more this weekend at a local farm shoot! Thanks for the input Targetshoot308...

 

[El Chorizo]

I load my rounds one at a time, since they won't fit in the magazine because I load them a little long. But anyway, I think the best thing is to not tip either end in first. Just try and push them in straight down and see if they go in better... sorta "click" them in so to speak.

I'm still kinda surprised two round went in next to each other instead of staggered as normal.

Let us know what you find this weekend!