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Bullet Seating Trouble

pac-nor338

Private
Minuteman
Mar 15, 2009
17
0
Brookings OR
Just got my RCBS 338 Lapua dies in yesterday. I went to seat a bullet and it left a ring towards the top of the bullet. I tryed adjusting it every witch way and it still leaves a ring. Anyone know What is wrong with the dies or am i just not doing something right
 
Re: Bullet Seating Trouble

I get this with both my Lee and Hornady dies. With mine it only leaves a slight mark...no indentation or distortion on the bullet at all (I can't feel it), although it is visible. Since I'm too cheap to buy a comparator, I keep my seating depth consistent by measuring from cartridge base to this mark instead measuring off the inconsistent bullet tips. Not perfect, and probably not as good as using a comparator, but it works well enough for me.

If your die is actually distorting the bullet beyond just cosmetically, I'd say get on the phone with RCBS. If its just a mark...I wouldn't worry.
 
Re: Bullet Seating Trouble

Now don't take my advice exclusively on this one, but that sounds like you need a new seating stem....Or less neck tension (assuming you're neck sizing).

Wait for someone else to chime in on this issue and give a second opinion before taking my advice.
 
Re: Bullet Seating Trouble

I had a seating die that left a ring on the bullet. I ended up coating a bullet tip with release agent and then put a dab of JB weld on the seater stem to make a perfect mold of the bullet tip.

Problem went away
 
Re: Bullet Seating Trouble

I had a seater stem in a set of Hornady dies that would leave a ring around the bullet so I mixed up some MarineTex and created a custom seater stem matched to the bullet I was using. No more marks left on the bullet after that.

Brandon