Inconsistency issues with Redding Competition Seating Die

[elephantrider]

During a recent reloading session I noticed a couple issues with my Redding Competition Bullet Seater. I was getting a deep (at least much deeper than normal) ring on the bullet ogive from the seating plug. I also notince a pretty big variation in the seating depth as measured with my dial caliper and Sinclair bullet comparator. I was seeing a swing of +/- 2-3 thounsandths in seating depth. Again this is much more than I ever notice before with this seater.

I disassembled, cleaned, re-lubed, and re-assembled the seater. After the cleaning and resuming the reloading the ring in the ogive was back to the faint ring that I am used to seeing with this seater. The seating depth still seemed to vary by +/- 1 thousandth for most of the rounds and a little more for a few of them. Although much improved after the cleaning, this still seems like more seating depth variance than what I used to getting with this die. For those that are using the Redding Comp seater: How much variance do you normally get in bullet seating depth? Is this just a result of bullet variances, or is it the seater, or just my measuring instraments (caliper, comparator)?

I have no idea what this will translate to, if anything, on paper, but it just seems a little off from what I would expect form this seater die. I am using new neck sized .308 Win Lapua brass and unsorted Sierra 175 SMKs in a non-compressed load.

 

[EddieNFL]

You can polish the seater plug to eliminate the ring. How are you measuring? COAL or to ogive?

 

[Bluejazz]

It takes quite a bit of pressure to put a ring in the SMK'S ogive.
What is your neck tension?

 

[oldfatguy]

You can use a bullet and valve grinding compound to lap the seating plug. No ring at all after I lapped mine.

OFG

 

[milo 2.0]

During a recent reloading session I noticed a couple issues with my Redding Competition Bullet Seater. I was getting a deep (at least much deeper than normal) ring on the bullet ogive from the seating plug. I also notince a pretty big variation in the seating depth as measured with my dial caliper and Sinclair bullet comparator. I was seeing a swing of +/- 2-3 thounsandths in seating depth. Again this is much more than I ever notice before with this seater.

I disassembled, cleaned, re-lubed, and re-assembled the seater. After the cleaning and resuming the reloading the ring in the ogive was back to the faint ring that I am used to seeing with this seater. The seating depth still seemed to vary by +/- 1 thousandth for most of the rounds and a little more for a few of them. Although much improved after the cleaning, this still seems like more seating depth variance than what I used to getting with this die. For those that are using the Redding Comp seater: How much variance do you normally get in bullet seating depth? Is this just a result of bullet variances, or is it the seater, or just my measuring instraments (caliper, comparator)?

I have no idea what this will translate to, if anything, on paper, but it just seems a little off from what I would expect form this seater die. I am using new neck sized .308 Win Lapua brass and unsorted Sierra 175 SMKs in a non-compressed load.

Brand new lapua brass has pretty stiff neck tension on it's own. If before you were seating into fired brass, that would make the difference right there.
.002-.003" diff in seating depth is well within range, I'd bet your bullets have more variance than this.
I'd recommend against polishing the ring out of your seater plug, it would really be a hand held method and not exactly precise, and bullet runout may very well increase. Just buy the vld seater stem from Redding.

 

[Deadshot2]

To add, all bullets aren't the same, even those from the same manufacturer.

Are you sorting your bullets using a comparator or something like the Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand?

Ogive diameter can vary from production machine to machine and when these slightly different shapes get mixed in the same large bin you get varying bullet measurements in the same box.

A smaller diameter at the ogive (not a big variation but a variation non the less) can result in the "seating ring" showing up in different places on the bullet.

Also, jacket thicknesses can vary somewhat especially among any mass produced bullets. Thinner equals softer thus easier to indent. The SMK's are better than most but they do have their variations too.

 

[elephantrider]

Thanks for the responses thus far. To answer some questions:
- Yes, I am measuring the bullet seating depth to the ogive with a Sinclair comaparator. NOT measuring COAL to the bullet tip.
- The brass is new, unturned Lapua brass, but it has been sized with a Redding Type-S bushing Neck die. The neck die is set up per Redding's recomendation for unturned brass (bushing 0.002" under final loaded case neck diameter and using a floating carbide expander ball that is .307" diameter).
- The 175gr SMKs are unsorted.
- The ring on the bullets is very faint now and I am not too worried about it. You have to look closely for it. I may give the VLD plug a try and see it is any better, i.e. no ring at all.

My real concern is how much variance is to be expected in bullet seating depth with this seating die and measuring to the ogvie with a comparator? It sounds like a couple of you feel that +/- 0.001 is a normal and acceptable variance when not sorting bullets? I guess you can't expect much less variance than that when using unsorted bullets and using a caliper to measure off of a comparator?

 

[EddieNFL]

I'd recommend against polishing the ring out of your seater plug, it would really be a hand held method and not exactly precise, and bullet runout may very well increase. Just buy the vld seater stem from Redding.

Not if you have the proper equipment and know-how.

 

[Fuzzball]

"It sounds like a couple of you feel that +/- 0.001 is a normal and acceptable variance when not sorting bullets?"

You can inject that much difference by how tighly you grip the press lever and more than that by how inconsistanly you press during seating. No rifle will ever know the difference anyway.

Your sharp corner bullet rings can be made to disappear. Take your seater stem completely out, slip a plastic straw over the upper end to protect the threads and chuck it snug - but not real tight - in an electric drill motor. Take a square inch of medium grit sandpaper and roll it into a cone that you can stick in the seating plug. Spin the drill and press the sandpaper to the sharp corners of the cavity mouth until it's nicely rounded, a minute or less. For a better finish, follow the paper with a small wad of steel wool to burnish the metal; clean and put it back together.

 

[demolitionman]

I've been reloading with redding dies recently. A lot. I check concentricity of every batch. I am satisfied to have runout less than .003 just a hair above the case mouth, of course runout gets more the further towards the bullet tip you measure. I too had bullet marks near the ogive from my redding dies. My berger's mark the least, the AMAX's mark the most. Interestingly I've been measuring smk's AMAX's and Bergers. The AMAX's seem to be the most consistent in overall bullet length with the SMK close behind...Bergers show the most overall length difference but oddly they've been shooting best for me lol. I'm learning the ropes of all the loading so take my experience with a grain of salt. I have placed two orders for the VLD seater plug and both times it has been out of stock. F*c!

 

[Ohiohunter]

Just found this thread on a quick search b/c I am having issues with my redding comp seater. I've seperated bullets everything is reletively close in length. From one bullet to the next I can get several thousands difference. I'm using the hornady comparator.

I can back to back seat bullets and get a 0.007" difference??

Then I just move my micrometer 1/1000 and the seating depth changed 0.004.