Took the rifle to the range yesterday with some Berger 215 hybrids- they fit in the magazine with no problem but when the mag is in the well the bolt doesn’t clear the shell enough to grab and slide into the chamber. I hand fed them and they shot great. Today I wanted to play with it some more as I read the Berger’s are long but from what I could gather it seems to be an issue with mag length which is not my issue. So I then folded the buttstock out of the way which now allows the bolt to travel about a quarter inch further back and thus able to push the round.

Thinking about buying different ammo to see if it will cycle but my concern is whatever ammo I use it will likely be seated against the back of the mag and therefore the bolt won’t be able to push the shell. It seems as if the bolt group is too long or the stopper in the butt stock was placed at an incorrect distance causing it to stop short.

Disclaimer: not good at explaining in gun lingo but hopefully it will do

Thanks, couldn’t find any info online

Forgot to mention this was the first time shooting it and only shot the Berger 215s. Again, bolt doesn’t clear the back quarter inch or so of the mag unless the butt stock is folded out of the way which makes it pointless for shooting

Pic of issue

Can you buy a different stock design for it? I think I understand, you are shooting it like a pistol correct?

Definitely NOT shooting it like a pistol, having the butt stock that way is the only way to get the bolt to feed

Sounds like there’s something behind the bolt or it’s not quite clearing the opening into the buffer tube/stock.

I’d check and make sure there’s not something inside the buffer tube. If not I’d check with Ruger to be sure it has the right tube length on it.

So I bought some Hornady ELD X 200’s- shorter round, same problem. This was to the advice of a gunsmith I called who says the rounds should never seat at the back of the mag. I argued with him, he was very sure. Won’t use him in the future. Nothing in the buffer tube, after looking at it closer the “cocking piece” seems set too far back and that is what is stopping the bolt from coming all the way back. Not sure how to move that forward but it looks like there is a good quarter inch of space it has to move forward and would thus allow the bolt to travel further back before it hits the buffer tube. Will call ruger Monday and try to get it to a gunsmith to look at if that fails.

Your Smith didn't know the problem. If you've got good shooting ammo, that's also fitting in the mag, stop on that ammo.

Shorter bullets will only reduce the length at the front, your problem is at the back. You could bump empty brass to the back of the mag and still be in the same problem. Your bolt stop is too far forward, not letting you slide the bolt back far enough to get behind a piece of brass.

Nothing changes when you fold the stock except you allow the bolt shroud to exit instead of going into the buffer tube. The bolt should go all the way back to the bolt stop with the stock folded or not.

This is a bolt or feeding issue, and not an ammo issue at all. And your gunsmith either didn't know what you were talking about or is clueless. Ammo always rides to the back of the magazine.

Second, your base is on wrong. The bolt or tightening side of the base always goes to the opposite side of the action opening. During case ejection, the nut from the base can interfere with the case ejecting. I would highly recommend you rotate the base to the other side.

This is correct! Something is up with the bolt stop.

After discussions with ruger and sending them pics of this issue including where the cocking piece is hitting the buffer tube they determined they put the wrong buttstock/buffer tube on the gun from the factory. They are overnighting me the correct buttstock. Great customer service!

LOL!!