Re: RCBS competition seater is gouging my bullets!
Yoda, had this exact problem with a Forster micrometer seater. It was making a small popping sound when I lowered the round out of the die and leaving a ring around the bullet ogive. The seater was grabbing the bullet under the pressure of seating a slightly compressed load, due to some tiny machining burrs. I couldnt even see them by eye, but it was even pulling the bullet back out a few thousanths and giving really inconsistent seating depths. Maddening!
I took some 0000 steel wool, twisted some into a "bullet shape" around an old bore brush, and using a hand drill just polished the inside of the seater. Problem solved. Works perfect now. Think polishing here, you are not resurfacing the thing.