Aussiesooter,
You'll be fine. Its interesting to see that each and every factory loaded round of ammunition that I have dropped into my wilson case gage(like yours) will fall to rest at about the same point as the case in your picture...if you have any factory ammo around drop one in and check...
I get 100 at a time of the same head stamp at my local range for $10/100 and they do the initial tumbling so the cases are ready to inspect. The easiest way to tell if commercial brass is once fired is to Full Length size case and measure it. If it exceeds max length they are not 1X fired.
Glad to hear a few more rounds of chemo and you're done. As for the choice the Standard Loaded is the best option for the least amount of money. If you buy a standard you are going to upgrade the trigger to a NM model that will end up costing about $150 for a good smith to work the standard...
Burris Signature rings are your best bet to add MOA. Scoping M1A's is a challenge and I've never had one hold zero. I've used Sadlak, SAInc, and ARMS #18.
Signature Rings - rifle scopes, handgun scopes, hunting scopes by Burris Optics
I use a cardboard box also...set the opening at an angle to the ejection port from the front of the rifle to my firing elbow and ALL brass lands inside
I throw my charges into a 4.3cc Lee powder dipper then dump the dipper into the pan that stays on te scale until I dump te pan into the funnel on the to-be charged case. . Its the little yellow scoop that is included with Lee dies. It completely encloses the bottom of the either the large or...
I think you're ok. I get the same thing from my M1A's and it is very common in semi 308's. Has to do with what happens after the explosion nd the bolt cycles while the brass is still very hot and malleable. The case is still 'stuck' to the inside of the chamber wall when the bolt...