Help new reloader read preasure signs 7prc

[Ryan9536]

Limited experience reloading .308 for a year or so but found a accurate load way before finding preasure and just stayed with that

I have a tika action with a 7prc 24” proof barrel and want to work up a load
Stared with Hornady 175 eld x loaded .026 off the lands and h1000 powder
I worked my way up to 66.6 grains (67.1 is max in book) and had 2859fps but noticed a ring on the back of the case and clear extractor mark …
(Picture of case with the silver primer)

Also pictured is a Hornady precision hunter 175 ELDX (gold primer) witch was running at 1930fps …..
Can definitely see an extractor mark also but seems like less pressure sign?

So I guess I’m asking a few things
1) would you consider one or both of these over preasured?
2) if the ring on the hand load case indicates higher preasure, how could I be getting lower speeds but yet higher pressure than the factory ammo.

Hope this all makes sense… just looking for some advice and knowledge since I do not know anyone personally to bring this question to.
Thank you.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

The primer looks perfectly normal to me, but I can't account for the other markings, but to ask if Hornady brass in that cartridge, is a bit softer?

Chris

 

[Ryan9536]

Thanks for the reply Chris
And I was wondering the same thing as I have recently read a few things about “soft” Hornady brass but don’t have enough knowledge or experience to confidently say…
I will say I didn’t have any abnormally hard bolt lifts …
Thanks again

 

[Rocketmandb]

Can you post pics of the brass with lower charge weights? Hard to tell what might be pressure and what might just be Hornady being Hornady.

 

[Ryan9536]

Can you post pics of the brass with lower charge weights? Hard to tell what might be pressure and what might just be Hornady being Hornady.

65grain

65.5

66 grains

I guess the scoring around the bottom of brass is more prevalent on these lower charges than I noticed on the range but no ejector mark?
Thank you

 

[Rocketmandb]

Hard to say for sure, but it looks like that ring (especially on the last pic) is more of a gouge than something pressure would cause - possibly caused during extraction. Usually, I get a heavy bolt lift before anything else. Also, your primers look fine, and you have no gas marks around them.

EDIT: The first pic looks just as "bad" as the last one.

 

[Rio Precision Gunworks]

Obviously, take any safety related advice with a grain of salt. But I don't think that's from pressure.

 

[JerkyFreak]

Check your bolt face and the shell hoder in your press.

 

[Thump_rrr]

Did you do any type of primer pocket work such as uniforming?
That ring looks like a tool mark.

As far as pressure signs the things I look for, and this is in no way a scientific approach,
Heavy bolt lift. If I feel it I mark the case with an X on the base with a sharpie.
This way I will pay attention when seating the next primer if it is loose.

Flattened primers. The edge of your primers are still round.
Ejector marks. either a dimple or swipe. Again I don't see it in your brass.

 

[Ryan9536]

This is precision hunter ammo right out of the box I noticed it has the slight gouging on it and a lot of them do …… some are worse than others so a lot of this maybe be in the manufacturing processes? And I was nervous of pressure and just assumed that?

The gouging seems slightly worse once I fire but obviously I’m gunna have to pay way better attention to the whole process moving foward.

Here is my bolt face

Was thinking I could pull the extractor pin and try to clean it up a little as it seems to have a little bit of a high point in center

 

[Ryan9536]

Hard to say for sure, but it looks like that ring (especially on the last pic) is more of a gouge than something pressure would cause - possibly caused during extraction. Usually, I get a heavy bolt lift before anything else. Also, your primers look fine, and you have no gas marks around them.

EDIT: The first pic looks just as "bad" as the last one.

Yes I agree with all of this and will keep moving up with caution and look for heavy bolt lift while also checking the cases
I appreciate your help

 

[Ryan9536]

Did you do any type of primer pocket work such as uniforming?
That ring looks like a tool mark.

As far as pressure signs the things I look for, and this is in no way a scientific approach,
Heavy bolt lift. If I feel it I mark the case with an X on the base with a sharpie.
This way I will pay attention when seating the next primer if it is loose.

Flattened primers. The edge of your primers are still round.
Ejector marks. either a dimple or swipe. Again I don't see it in your brass.

Yes I did ream the pockets but held the shell with my hand and used a hand held reamer .

As far as hard bolt lift I never experienced that and I think I’m gunna continue moving up in charge weight till I feel this and will mark with a sharpi. I like that idea

Also agree primers seem fine

Glad you mentioned that you don’t see ejector marks or swipes and as stated I wasn’t sure if that’s what those marks were but I will pay attention to a round dimple mark .

Thank you very much for help

 

[Doom]

There appears to be something on the bolt (dark curved line) that corresponds to what looks like a gouge on the case head.