Problems with seating bullets in case

[Airspeed]

I just started reloading 260 Rem. I'm using a Lee Collet die to resize the neck and deprime, trim the long cases with a Forster trimmer then I use a Forster seating die for the bullet.

My problem is that when I get to the last stage of seating the bullet, I put a charged case in the press, set the bullet on top and pull the lever of my Lee press. When I bring the lever back up on the press' final stroke, the bullet stays in the die and doesn't stick in the neck of the case.

So, I decided to twist my collet die an extra half turn in the press when setting it up so that the neck is sized tighter. This works! However, at this point the necks diameter is too small to fit into the pilot of my Forster case trimmer.

Anyone following me so far? Is there something that I'm doing wrong?

Still having fun! Just need to get over this speed bump.

 

[arnie19]

Get a smaller pilot ?

 

[Seandradamus]

I had some doing the same thing I chucked one of the bullets into my drill and covered it with toothpaste (mild abrasive) and spin it in the seater sleeve
Fixed it up for me .
Hope that helps

 

[Grumulkin]

The first thing I'd try would be turning the die in 1/4 rather than 1/2 turn. A smaller pilot as mentioned above with be another solution.

 

[Airspeed]

I think I may try the toothpaste trick. The sleeve seems to be the problem. Just holds them too tight.

I did try 1\4 turn extra first but it didn't help. Didn't think it would be proper to go to a smaller pilot but I can easily do that, just didn't think I'd have to.

 

[Airspeed]

Toothpaste trick didn't seem to help. Although I only spun the bullet inside the sleeve for about 30 seconds.

I went back to tightening the lee collet die to the shell holder plus another 1 1\2 turns. I have to now use a 22 pilot (which seems way to small). Everything works now but I'm afraid that there is way too much pressure on the neck.

If I'm reloading 260, I should be using a 26 pilot not a 22 - at least I think. Still new to all of this.

 

[R. Chapman]

Holy shit! A 22 caliber pilot?! You should back off to where you're using maybe a 25 cal pilot. Just my opinion.

 

[Airspeed]

Yeah it wasn't sitting right with me.

The bullet was even getting slightly shaved off when it was being jammed into such a small neck.

I fixed it though.

Just had to loosen my seating die one full turn and everything is good. I'm going to throw all of my resized brass away now. Necks are way too tight. Time to start fresh and keep the necks .002" tighter than the bullet rather than the .03" that I had earlier.