Ok, all you reloading gurus, tell me if what I'm thinking is correct. I have an encore 7mm-08 which I recently loaded with 120 gr BT's and varget powder. At 100 yards it held a 1.3" group. More me then the gun, the gun did better then me.
I also have a compact ruger rifle in same caliber I bought for my daughter 2 years ago. I had resized( full Length) 80 pieces of brass. The most accurate load in Noselers books for varget and 120 gr bullet were 43 grs powder. That is what the pistol digested well. So I loaded up a box of 20 went to the range to test the load in the rifle and get some trigger time on the encore. Well to my surprise the rounds would not chamber in my daughters rifle. They would in the encore. My thinking is the tolerances on the rifle chamber are tighter then the encore. I did notice the rounds do not appear to be sized the last 1/8 of an inch above the case head. I reset the die in my Hornady Press and tried again, same issue. Could I have a bad die set? They are Hornady dies, or are the chambers just that much different?

2 choices in my mind--
Buy a small base die (or a body die) and work the brass a bit more
or
Keep the same brass with the same gun

Keep in mind most FL die set do not do much to the body of the case.

I have had the same problem with my MGM barrels the chamber is very tight on them--unless you use factoy loads or new brass to start you will have a problem.

However I have been able to use other once fired brass when I use a small base die

I am like Bug, keep the brass separate.

My 7mm08 Bullberry barrel WILL NOT digest any of my brass fired in my factory 7mm08 rifle barrel. In fact, it will not take any range or once fired brass.

Thanks guys, I guess Brass will stay with each gun. It makes you realise how much a difference there is in chamber dimensions.

Here is another thought. I have a set of RCBS dies and when sizing my 243 brass to fit the headspace of my 243 encore barrel in would not bring the case down far enough. The gun stil closed tight aginst the round with the die touching the shell holder. I tried a different shell holder that was .006" thinner but that didn't help. I dug out an old set of 243 Bair dies and they sized the case down to fit the chamber.

I guess my point is that sizing dies can varry also in dimension.

You have to realize cartridges shot in a particular gun expand to the guns chamber .The chamber may be smaller/larger or maybe a better word is tighter in one gun to the next.Thats why if you neck size, the loading manuals tell you to use that ammo only in the gun you are neck sizing the ammo for .

Well I went to the range today in prep for the HHI antelope hunt. I also shot both the rifle and the encore. Looks like the chamber on the encore is a few thousandths of an inch off. So looks lke the brass will remain with each gun.
On a good note, I had a really good day at the range with my handloads for the upcoming hunt. Both the 7mm-08 and the 6.5JDJ had a 3/4 inch group at 100 yards and a both held a 1 3/4" at 200 hundred. Both are set at 2.5" high at 100 and darn near dead on at 200. This was done prone as the range I have available to shoot at moves like crazy as all the benchs are connected and when one moves they all move. A few more trips and I will be ready for October.

Sounds great! I am glade you are getting things sorted out.

Thanks for the help.