Neck tension nightmare

[60723]

I love a Dasher. Have had good success with a .271 neck using Lapua brass cleaned up 50%. Had a new rifle built with a .272 neck. Started with hydroformed brass from DJ. Fireforming with 30 grain Varget, the rifle shot outstanding and the brass looked fine. Then started a load work up and settled on 32.4g
Varget. Great accuracy BUT saw carbon on the shoulders of every case. Using SAC dies with .002 neck tension. 3rd firing was the same. I anneal every time. Tried virgin brass and same result. Sent dies to SAC and they said everything was correct. Sent rifle back and smith verified.272 neck. He tried more neck tension with hydroformed brass, virgin brass and some turned brass and got no carbon on the necks. MAYBE the mystery is solved. He is still working on it. NEVER had anything like this before.

 

[Tikka6CM]

Why torment yourself like this… when Alpha sells great Dasher brass ready to run straight out of the box after a little chamfering?

 

[JFrank]

Are you annealing virgin brass ?

 

[Tommie]

Paging Mr Guffey

 

[JEFFPPC]

Sounds like it wanted more neck tension.Not a big deal. I never understood, why hydro forming? I have had barrels that wanted either heavy or light neck tension and barrels that shot with either. I think its an area few guys test.Some barrels it turns the light on. Maybe the new no neck, use a mandrel craze of reloading makes it difficult?

 

[60723]

Are you annealing virgin brass ?

Only fired

 

[JFrank]

Only fired

I typically use quite a bit of bullet hold ( neck tension) on my BRA and Dasher and find it much easier to apply and more consistent without annealing at all.
I don’t think alone on this but IDK for sure

 

[Clancy]

Carbon on the shoulder? Ohhhhh noooooo. What will we do???

You lost me at “great accuracy.”

But, more tension and/or less shoulder bump will fix that.

 

[60723]

Shoulder bump minimal. Hope 3-4 neck tension is the solution. Tried not annealing but no help.