After some feedback from Ray, I decided to try GS customs (originally I ordered 130 gr) for an upcoming sheep hunt in a new rifle, but deferred to Gerard who suggested I try 110 gr in my 270.

I shot 4 quickies to get some custom dies made out of the spent cases. After I got home from the post office I went to use my OAL gauge and it felt a little tight to push it in place. I looked at it, cleaned it as I hadn't used it in a while, but still felt tight and I kept on getting bizarre measurements, no 2 were the same and different mfg gave different readings all over the place, which didn't make sense. I kept scratching my head with really obvious short measurements.

Of course only then I remembered the builder uses his own set of reamers! Uh, tight necked. I had to neck turn the OAL case for it to fit in that chamber and voila shit works......and I finally got my lands measurement.

And in retrospect, was what I thought to be a tight bolt lift due to a new rifle and/or a hot load/97* temp caused by neither but rather the tight neck/brass combo?

Well I was originally gonna use RWS brass for that rifle as I have a shitload, but with that tight neck does that now mean I will need to turn down that brass? Any brass? All brass? I know RWS is known to be thick walled and I also have some Norma handy (which I use for another rifle). Anyway I hate to keep screwing around and changing things and the OAL brass was the first case I had ever turned.

I am totally ignorant on the matter and would appreciate any thoughts....

Norma usually has thinner necks than most brands.
Did you mic an unfired case neck with bullet seated, and then a fired case?

Normally, .003" is the minimum neck clearance, even in a custom neck chamber. This is what I run in my customs. Norma brass cleans up and fits with a .001" skim cut.

Cheers.

These discussion points became meaningless since the Ruag concern absorbed RWS, Norma, Rottweil, Geco, Hirtenberger . All these companies were competitors and manufactured ammo and parts of it. Rationalization is unevitable and who knows where cases, bullet, primers and loaded ammo will originate from...?