Many years ago I reloaded ammunition for my fathers 7mm-08 and don't recall having any problems with poor neck tension. I also reloaded a myriad of other cartridges, some for myself and many for others from 22 Hornet to 404 Jeffery and never came across problems with poor neck tension on any of these cartridge cases.

Over the last few years I began reloading the 7mm-08 cartridge again for myself and eventually for two of my sons, using the only set of RCBS dies I have ever had for this cartridge.

I bought 100 new Remington cases first up to get back into reloading for the 7mm-08 again and over the years have accumulated 1st fired cases of Remington, Winchester, Hornady and Federal brands.
With the new Remington brass I immediately had problems with loose bullets once seated in the case, the other brands of case were better if the bullet was seated in one pass but if wanting to seat deeper e.g. when setting up the seating depth for different bullets, once that first seating was broken, the bullet became loose enough to pull by hand.

I have a Hornady neck sizing die with a decapper and sizing plug measuring .282" and the sizing plug in my FL sizing die is also .282". I have ground down a spare sizing plug to .279". None of these seem to make any difference if a bullet is seated deeper after the initial seating, they all just become finger tight when the bullet is seated in the seating die.

I have considered maybe the bullet seating plug in the die is not aligning the bullet properly when seating (i.e. canting the bullet) although swapping over the same plug from my 7x57 seating die makes no difference.

At the moment I load for my 404J and a 6.5-06 and both these cartridges have excellent neck tension, the 6.5 so much so that it takes a good effort to remove bullets using my RCBS collet bullet puller.

I also considered if the ram on my Pacific C press had worn and got sloppy to the point where it was not straight line seating bullets even though other cartridges loaded on the same press are fine (as mentioned above). There is a bit of slop to the ram when it is extended near the fully up position.

This neck tension problem occurs with any bullets I try, Rem CLK in a couple of different weights, Horn SST, Sierra in 3 or 4 different weights.

Anyone had similar issues or any thoughts?

Eagle A couple comments. I have found a number of new brass in various calibres that had poorly sized necks. They are often out of round as well.Not sure if this is from sloppy manufacturing or rough treatment during shipping or some of both. I found that running the cases into the size die straightens out the necks. I do this before I chamfer the cases necks. You are chamfering the case necks ? If you don't it takes more force to seat the bullet and that may contribute to stretched necks not holding the bullet tight. The last comment I have concerns different brass manufacturers. I had a similar problem with some 6.5x55 brass and 8x57 brass. The dies for both of these calibres worked great for a couple brands of brass that were made in Europe. Then I picked up a bunch of brass made by Big Red. The necks on this brass were thinner an the die (s) would not size the case neck small enough to tightly hold the bullets even when I removed the expander button. So I miked a couple cases sized in a buddies dies and found that his dies re-sized the OD of the neck to a smaller diameter and those Big Red cases now held the bullets just fine. Try re-sizing a 308 case in your 7mm-08 die. That should give you a slightly thicker neck. Check and see if that resized 308 case holds the bullet tight.You may have to pick up another size die. I found that in the 6.5x55 and 8x57 the Lee brand of dies had a slightly smaller OD on the neck. Hope this helps.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
Many years ago I reloaded ammunition for my fathers 7mm-08 and don't recall having any problems with poor neck tension. I also reloaded a myriad of other cartridges, some for myself and many for others from 22 Hornet to 404 Jeffery and never came across problems with poor neck tension on any of these cartridge cases.

Over the last few years I began reloading the 7mm-08 cartridge again for myself and eventually for two of my sons, using the only set of RCBS dies I have ever had for this cartridge.

Are you using the same press that you did years ago? If not, then have you re-adjusted the dies according to procedure? You may not be getting the case up far enough into the die to resize the neck.

A crimp is not needed for your cartridge. Album

The sized neck should expand .002" after seating a bullet, for enough neck tension. More is ok. SAAMI drawing

What does your case inside diameter measure after you size a piece of brass.....it needs to be .282 or less

Calipers will be sufficient for this as long as you know that the inside jaws are correct.

Thanks to those who have replied so far.

In answer to some of the questions:

I too have found the bulk brass of today is of varying quality but I always F/L resize and trim new brass before use.

When originally loading for a Ruger MK1 7mm-08 years ago I started off with some 308W brass, didn't have to ream necks, and can't recall having any problems with neck tension. Same with the cases from a few packets of Remington factory ammo I eventually acquired. I could try some 308W brass again but because I'm loading for my two sons and they could end up sharing their ammo with mates (7mm-08 one of the most popular cartridges here in NZ now) I would prefer correctly headstamped cases.

Yes I am using the same press, the only one I have ever had, same die set and same shell holder. Have checked die set up and as as mentioned I have loaded for a lot of different cartridges in earlier years including quite a few European oddities and never had issues with die set up or neck tension.

At the moment I only load for 6.5-06 and 404J and both these cartridges have excellent neck tension even the many times fired 404J cases which I anneal often to prevent neck and shoulder splitting. I don't crimp the 404J cartridges and the bullets never move, it takes some effort if I pull 404J bullets with my RCBS collet puller (I've made up a few dummy 404s at times and change bullets occasionally to suit what someone wants).

I suppose this eliminates the Pacific press as the culprit, the slight wobble of the ram when fully up obviously of no consequence. I had though it may allow the bullets to tilt and enlarge the neck during the seating or re-seating process.

Just to show what has happened. Back in June I hurriedly loaded 30 rounds of 7mm-08 ammo for my Marlin XS7 rifle for a trip into the Alps on Tahr. Loaded 150gr Remington Coreloks with W748 powder with a charge one grain under book maximum, both bullets and powder new to me for the 7mm-08. A few shots on the range confirmed pressure good and accurate load, bullets seated with full cannelure exposed to be just off the lands and still fit the magazine.
Got to thinking yesterday that I should re-seat the 150gr bullets to the front of the cannelure, normal OAL for the cartridge, as I know my Marlin has greater freebore than both my sons rifles and didn't want any issues in the future if ammo gets mixed up.
I had originally FL resized the Hornady and Federal once fired cases (sizing plug .282" in the FL die) and seated the bullets once the seating die was set up using a dummy round i.e. the bullets in my loaded rounds were seated in one pass. The neck tension is good, I cannot move the bullets with my fingers.

The yesterday after adjusting the seating die down I set about seating the bullets in the 10 cartridges in my belt pouch deeper by about 2mm, almost covering the cannelure. When I checked neck tension on the first couple, it was gone. I could easily just pull the bullets completely out of the case by hand. I pulled the rest of the bullets tipped the powder and ran them through the neck sizer which has a .279" sizing plug. Loaded them up and seated the bullets. Dammit I could move the bullets and again pull them out by hand

Gave up on those 10 rounds for the meantime but still have 20 rounds I loaded back in June using my F/L and bullet seating die set. I will not touch these bullets seated slightly long with full cannelure exposed. I cannot budge the bullets in the neck by hand so all good in terms of use in my rifle.

Just a real mystery to me as to what is happening, never encountered this in all my reloading life.

Are you lubing the inside of the case necks for the re-sizing process?? If so what are you using?

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:


Yes I am using the same press, the only one I have ever had, same die set and same shell holder. Have checked die set up and as as mentioned I have loaded for a lot of different cartridges in earlier years including quite a few European oddities and never had issues with die set up or neck tension.

OK that is a weird set of circumstances. If it were me, the next thing I would do is measure the inside of the neck after resizing AND the diameter of the bullets.

Ok, once brass has expanded, it"s grip on the bullet is lessened if the bullet is reseated deeper. Just as it is easy to pull a bullet once it is started.
I would remove the expander ball, size a case, measure it, then re-install the expander, size the case again and measure the neck, then measure the neck of a loaded round.
I run light neck tension on most rifle rounds, but, none move easily in the neck.
I think something is not right with your dies or method.
Please measure your cases and get back to us here.
Thanks.

Cheers.

quote:

Originally posted by 416RigbyHunter:

I would remove the expander ball, size a case, measure it,

Thanks again to all who have come up with ideas to try.
Mindful that I am using lesser quality digital calipers I took a measure of the Remington bullets I'm currently using so at least if not absolute all measurements are comparative.

I use Imperial wax lube and graphite inside neck lube for all sizing operations (just inside neck lube when neck sizing).

Remington bullets - 0.2825"
Loaded round sized in FL die with 0.279" expander plug - outside neck 0.3075"

cases sized in FL die with 0.279" expander ball
outside neck 0.305"
inside neck 0.277"

cases sized in FL die without expander ball
outside neck 0.303"
inside neck 0.275"

cases sized in Neck Size die with 0.282" expander ball
outside neck 0.3075"
inside neck 0.280"

cases sized in Neck size die without expander ball
outside neck 0.303"
inside neck 0.275"



I think I have solved the problem in most respects - cases sized in the FL die and loaded have good neck tension, PROVIDED the bullets are not re-seated at a later stage. I did seat a bullet a bit deeper while adjusting the die and it was fine, still had good neck tension.

The Hornady neck sizing die came with a set of Rem Mag dies, not with my 7mm-08 die set, and cases when sized in the neck die with its 0.282" expander ball have the same outside neck diameter as a loaded round so barely hold the bullet.

What has happened is that when changing the seating depth of loaded rounds and finding I have lost neck tension, I have resized the case necks using the Neck sizing die which sizes the neck down the same as the FL die but the larger expander ball opens the neck too much.

Now I did mix up my expander plug measurements in my second post, the 0.279" ball is in the FL die not the Neck sizing die as I said.

So the upshot is forget the neck sizing die, load using the FL die and smaller expander ball and don't attempt to seat projectiles deeper at a later stage. I turned down a spare expander ball to 0.279" when I first had problems with loose bullets but then when re-seating for different chambers and bringing the neck sizing die into the mix things obviously got blurred.

Glad you sorted it out mate.

That is called "experience" when it works out or "age" when it is a stuff up!

On a serious note - you may recall my post a few months ago of a guy who blew up his Sako with the wrong ammo!

Always pays to just go back to basics and be safe.

Have a good season.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
Glad you sorted it out mate.

That is called "experience" when it works out or "age" when it is a stuff up!

On a serious note - you may recall my post a few months ago of a guy who blew up his Sako with the wrong ammo!

Always pays to just go back to basics and be safe.

Have a good season.

Yes all good now, but helped no end by those who responded to my post as it got me focused on just what I was using to size cases and the variant I was inadvertently introducing to the process. That's the benefit of forums such as this where more heads are better than one when looking at problems, the odd shit fight or two erupts, but in the most some really helpful people on here.

Happy to see you figured it out.
I had a problem with a newly re-chambered rifle in that no matter how much sizing I did could not get a case to fit the chamber. Scratching my head, fired cases went in without a hiccup, sized cases would lock the bolt.
Had to ask on a forum what it could be, my brain had gone blank.
Turns out what I was thinking was the complete opposite of the cause, minimum chamber dimension with a long die, had to use shims to get the proper shoulder bump, then machined .010" off the top of the shell holder, problem fixed.

Cheers.