Just wondering what your thoughts are on sooty case necks - whether it's a big deal or whether it's no deal at all.

These are on f/l sized uncrimped cases - .308 in this particular instance and having held 150gn fmjs pushed downrange by BLC2.

No big deal, really, but possibly the indication of LOWER than normal pressures!!

It has to be lower pressure and thats a sooty powder. Maybe just a change of a hotter primer or a little more powder will improve the neck problem. But it's only cosmetic. You can wipe the necks with some product.

Agree with the other posters, but in addition, you might be setting back the shoulders too much in full sizing the cases.

Okay guys:

Primers - I always use Federal Match for improved consistency.

Setting shoulders back? Well, these cases were new to me but once used elsewhere so from now on will only be neck sized.

Cheers

I get sooty cases with my marlin .44 rem mag with winchester factory ammo. I have not tried my homeloads yet.

May be the factory stuff is a little underpowed, any way it has not caused any problems.

Generally, a little soot on the case neck is nothing to be concerned about. However, I have a rifle that during load development had soot about 1/3 the length of the case, way beyond the shoulder. A switch to a magnum primer with the same powder load remedied this. Soot of any kind means that there is not a perfect gas seal over the full length of the case. I've found it's pretty common to have some soot on the necks. I don't worry about it as long as the load shoots well.

Ryan

It is possible to get conflicting signs so don't take sooty cases as a gospel sign of lack of pressure. As speer say in their manual these things are best thought of as 'often but not allways'