7mm-08 Reloading Question

SWAMPFOX · Aug 21, 2017

I have a single shot NEF/H&R youth model in 7mm-08 my grandsons use for deer. I'm gonna be cooking up some hand loads for the upcoming season and got to wondering that since this rifle is a single shot, can I get by with just neck sizing the brass?

I know with a bolt action you can.

Thanks.

transfixer · Aug 21, 2017

I've never loaded for a break open single shot, but if the brass was fired in that same rifle I would think that you could ? Since it will be fire-formed to that chamber, I would think if you can insert the empty fired brass into the chamber before you load it, and it goes in and extracts without effort, you should be good to go .

rayjay · Aug 21, 2017

Imo you need to full length resize with .001 to .002 shoulder bump although the actual bump will be determined by what will allow the action to close normally. There is no camming action with a break open single shot so I doubt the action will close easily on unsized brass.

wareagle700 · Aug 22, 2017

rayjay said:
Imo you need to full length resize with .001 to .002 shoulder bump although the actual bump will be determined by what will allow the action to close normally. There is no camming action with a break open single shot so I doubt the action will close easily on unsized brass.

Yep, do this.

Also, try 45gr of Varget and a 120 Nosler ballistic tip (work up from 44gr). That combo has shot extremely well for lots of people, including me.

rosewood · Aug 22, 2017

Yes!
I neck size only on my Contenders and Encores and CVA Hunters, nary an issue. On an occasion if I get a piece of brass that is tight, I will then bump the shoulder back. I also make it a point to index my brass, basically if it is R-P brass, I make sure the R-P is always up when firing. Not sure it matters, but it is what I do.

If you want to be sure you are good, you can take the neck sized brass and drop in the chamber and see if it closes easily, if not, then you need to bump the shoulder back. Your chamber "is" your case gauge.

Rosewood

jmoser · Aug 22, 2017

Read up on Mike Bellm's site and learn about case stretching in break open actions.
You MIGHT get away with neck sizing but it is common for the case to stretch enough to press against the breech face without full length sizing.
Symptom is vertical stringing of the groups after neck sizing.
I use a strip of aluminum foil to see if the case head is pressing against the breech but at a minimum adjust your sizing die to bump the shoulder back.

rosewood · Aug 22, 2017

jmoser said:
Read up on Mike Bellm's site and learn about case stretching in break open actions.
You MIGHT get away with neck sizing but it is common for the case to stretch enough to press against the breech face without full length sizing.
Symptom is vertical stringing of the groups after neck sizing.
I use a strip of aluminum foil to see if the case head is pressing against the breech but at a minimum adjust your sizing die to bump the shoulder back.

Bellm sites is good reading, it is down right now. I do trim my brass as needed and resize when it gets tight.

Rosewood

standingtall · Aug 28, 2017

SWAMPFOX said:
I have a single shot NEF/H&R youth model in 7mm-08 my grandsons use for deer. I'm gonna be cooking up some hand loads for the upcoming season and got to wondering that since this rifle is a single shot, can I get by with just neck sizing the brass?

I know with a bolt action you can.

Thanks.

Full size first loads if the brass has never been used in that rifle. Those cases will then be fire-formed for that chamber after firing and you can neck size subsequent loads with that brass for that particular rifle.

jmoser · Aug 29, 2017

standingtall said:
Full size first loads if the brass has never been used in that rifle. Those cases will then be fire-formed for that chamber after firing and you can neck size subsequent loads with that brass for that particular rifle.

True for bolt guns where the bolt lugs lock the case head in place but break open actions can flex under pressure allowing the case to grow more in length.

Neck sizing without bumping the shoulder back allows the 'stretched' case to push against the breech face and stress the closed action.

7mm-08 Reloading Question

SWAMPFOX

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transfixer

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rayjay

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wareagle700

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rosewood

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jmoser

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rosewood

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standingtall

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jmoser

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