New to this reloading stuff so I am probably worried about nothing but here goes.

Rifle
Remington Stainless laminated Mnt. Rifle 22" barrel

Load
Brand new 7mm-08 Win. Brass
CCI large rifle primers
Varget powder, 42-44 grain loads
Redding seating die

Every case I have shot "15 or so" has an increase in diameter located .250-.282 from the rear of the case.

At the rear of this expansion the case measures .467 and on the raised area itself the case measures .471, I know it's not much but it is an easy to see increase in diameter that has resulted from firing and I just want to be sure there is nothing wrong, Each case has more expansion on one side than the other, in fact one side seems straight while the other has most of the expansion, once the case expands it has a smooth even taper all the way to the bottleneck

The primers seem fine, they have backed out to flush with the case head but there is no leakage around them, oddly enough the lower charges of 42 grains varget seem to have flattened the primers a little more than the 44 grain loads??

I am thinking that the chamber is a little out of center?


Hate to lose this rifle as each time I shoot the first two shots are touching or within � inch at 100 yards I�m just worried about this expansion and it�s impact on reloading these cases�

By the way how high has anyone taken a 7mm-08 with varget? I cant tell any difference in the recoil or blast of 42-44 grains but the 44 grains seem to group better, 3 times I have put the first 2 shots in the same hole,,,then the groups open up to 1.5 inches or so.

No problem with the rifle. They all do that to some extent. Consider this; the chamber has to be large enough to accept all cartridges the gun is chambered for. All cartridges have to be small enough to enter that chamber. Gravity holds the cartridge at the bottom of the chamber. That means there is a small amount of space above the case. When the shell is fired, expansion will be greater at the top of the case than the bottom.
As a chambering reamer gets used and resharpened, it gets smaller. If you rifle was chambered with a new reamer, it will be larger that if the reamer was at the end of it's useful life.
What you are experiencing is perfectly normal, but if you are worried, take it to a competant gunsmith and have a chamber cast made. That will determine if your chamber is out of tolerence. If it is, send it back to the factory for repair. However, I'm willing to bet it's just fine.
Paul B.

Thanks,,,thats about what I was thinking I just wanted to be sure I wasnt weakening the brass or getting to hot,,,

I'm not sure about the primers backing out to flush with the head though? is this OK???

The only other fired brass I have handy is 30-30 factory loaded stuff I have shot in my mod 94,,,on it most of the primers have backed out a lottle past the head of the case but with no leakage???

I have never fired any factory ammo in this 7mm-08 for a control,,,just couldn't see buying any when I had my reloading stuff,

Do NOT want to send this puppy back,,,I love the nice figure eight and smaller first two shots.

Fast review of the firing cycle.
The primer starts seated below flush (or at least it should be).
The firing pin strikes the primer, pushing it and the case forward into hard contact with the shoulder (or rim or belt, depending on case design). Once all the forward clearance is eliminated, the firing pin detonates the primer.
Not the pressure starts to build, expanding the case mouth to release the bullet and seal the neck area of the chamber. At the same time the primer moves back aganst the breachface (protruding). As the pressure continues to build, the cartridge case elongates (streatches) back aganst the breachface also, reseating the primer to flush.

OK so the flush primers on the 7mm-08 are OK

and the slightly protruding ones from the 30-30 factory loads,,,,all Win 150 grain Power points or power points plus,,are OK as well as long as there is no leakage??

I want to load some 130 grain flat nose in the 30-30, plan to use varget, have load data from Hodgden for

34.5 grains of varget
150 grain bullet
2349 fps

and

33 grains varget
170 grain bullet.
2168

Want to start the 130's with 34 grains and see what I can get.....

I do have a couple of loading manuals, just unclear on this point of primers,

Thanks

Yes, the 7-08 is fine, and 30-30 factory loads are fairly normal (30-30 pressures are low enough that they don't always stretch the casehead back into the breachface.
I don't have data here at work, but you can checkout "stevespages.com". Steve posts here as Ricadelli (Steve, sorry if I spelled it wrong) and there's a link to his reloading pages in his signature line.

Thanks for the reply sometimes it is good to back-up what you think is correct with someone who knows you are ,,,or are not!


I have Steve's pages marked and have been looking at some of his load data.