#$%^&!!! Bullet Seater Die ripping lead tips off...

[Land_Owner]

While seating 55 grain Midsouth Varmint Nightmare Extreme 223 bullets, the RCBS Seating Die Plug was stripping a 1/2 side off of the exposed lead tip. 

I called RCBS.  Their CS Rep says the seater die is "ogive sensitive".  I GUESS SO. 

The sized cases are inside neck chamfered and after my best effort to the contrary, the bullets have got to be angled sideways as they travel the length of the die immediately prior to intercepting the leading edge of the seating die plug.  Canted like that, 1/2 the lead tip is ripped off on each and every round.  SOB!!!!!!

I do not see how to correct this.  Possibly send a bullet or two to RCBS for a custom seater pulg?

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hello Land_Owner:
 
  I had a similar problem with my 222Rem.  I bought a perfect alignment die for it and it solved the problem. It has a moveable coller in it that guides the bullet and keeps it straight so it can enter the case in true alignment.
  I don't remember who made it , maybe Lee, as I haven't used it in a very long time because I don't shoot any BR Matches anymore.
  HTH
  HM

[saddlebum]

"I do not see how to correct this.  Possibly send a bullet or two to RCBS for a custom seater pulg?"
 
It would surely be cheaper to get a Hornady seating die. It has a floating sleeve that holds the bullet upright while traveling to the seating plug. It's my favorite seating die for that reason. I thought it was pretty handy when loading 70gr bullets in the .243.
 
http://www.hornady.com/store/-.224-Seating-Die-4/

[Graybeard]

I went to Hornady dies quite some while back, several years ago. They are pretty much the only dies I buy now assuming they make what I'm loading for and I've even replaced some of the RCBS and Lyman dies I already had on hand with Hornady. I've never had a problem with the Hornady dies when seating. They are basically the same as the Match dies other companies sell at far less cost. I have several of their Micro-Just seating stems as well so I can have micrometer adjustment of seating depth. It's easy with it to change seating depth 0.001" at a time if ya want.

[Land_Owner]

$23.31

You bet that is cheaper...I am getting one of those.  I like the link.  Real nice cut away.  I can understand why you guys like them.

[cwlongshot]

I agree that floating seater is very nice. IIRC the seater in the LeE Collett dies is quite similar. ( but I have not used them in a while. So memory is fuzzy)

One of the two would/should correct the problem!

CW

[SHOOTALL]

Send a bullet to RCBS they will make the correct shaped seater .

[timothy]

Before you do anything back the seating plug out a ways. Your trying to seat the bullet at the widest point of the die. As the bullet rides up along the shoulder and neck it will straighten out. Mine was set way too deep also when I bought them and they were chopping up 60gr sps. Remove the plug and use a factory round to screw the plug in untill it touches to get an idea where it should be. Good luck

[simplicity]

I've had similar troubles with various different calibers, what I found is a easy sollution is to take the seating plug/plunger out of the die and (granted I'm a machinist ) put them in a lathe and hollow out the area where the tip touches aka make it so only the sides of the ongive of the bullet gets touched. It takes about 5 minutes to do and I've done it to many sets of dies for alot of folks. It has worked like a charm on every set I have done.  You could try using a handdrill but I don't reccomend it. Being done in a lathe keeps everything concentric.

[Land_Owner]

I really like that No Cost idea but am not sure my mind is wrapped around the concept timothy.  I can screw the seater die body in deeper and raise the seater plug - that'll help.  At some point though, the die body is going to try to taper crimp the case neck.  I don't want the case to be there, just a hair shy maybe.  Is that the idea?

The Hornady/Sierra/et al Books say OAL for this lead nosed round should be 2.250".   I don't know if any factory makes a MidSouth Varmint Nightmare Extreme loading for comparison.

[timothy]

Yes thats right. Not deep enough to crimp but well up into the die. Mine came way too deep, now the crooked bullet slides up along the side and srtaightens out at the shoulder and neck are and seats perfect. I just measured mine and the plug sits 1.18 above the top of the die. Good luck

[Land_Owner]

Yesterday, in frustration, faced with a week's delay, and expecting to order a new die I pulled the 223 die head off of the PB2 and reset for making 45 Colt.  So, the "results" of this little AR 15 reloading experiment are on hold.  I am intrigued about making this work and not spending additional cash, albeit only enough dollars (including shipping) to power my PU truck to the office and back a half dozen times.

[JoeG52]

 Timothy gave you good advice. An easy way to make the adjustment is to raise the seater stem as far as possible, put an empty case in the press and raise it all the way up, then screw the die down until it begins touching the case. Lock the die there then adjust the seater to the depth you want. That way the die is guiding the bullet to be in line with the seater before the seater touches the bullet.

 

[Land_Owner]

In all of this, it's the little things that bug us the most.  The Devil is in the Details so says the popular expression.  The solution seems so simple when heard and understood but impossible prior to that knowledge.  Thank you for all of these replies.

[SHOOTALL]

Try RCBS they may send it free I don't know.

[Land_Owner]

RCBS was called and is sending a new seater plug, but as timothy suggests, there may be nothing wrong with the one I currently own.

[SHOOTALL]

RCBS was called and is sending a new seater plug, but as timothy suggests, there may be nothing wrong with the one I currently own.

I had same trouble and they suggested I send a bullet and they would make a seater to fit.

[cwlongshot]

Before you do anything back the seating plug out a ways. Your trying to seat the bullet at the widest point of the die. As the bullet rides up along the shoulder and neck it will straighten out. Mine was set way too deep also when I bought them and they were chopping up 60gr sps. Remove the plug and use a factory round to screw the plug in untill it touches to get an idea where it should be. Good luck

Good call Tim!
 
 I wrongly assumed L.O.  had properly set up the dies... I know I know... NEVER asume.   Good call anyhow!!
 
CW

[Land_Owner]

I had same trouble and they suggested I send a bullet and they would make a seater to fit.

This was suggested by RCBS, but before I put them through this, I think I will give timothy's suggestion a try.

[Land_Owner]

I finished "enough" 45 Colt for a while (330 rounds) and reset for 223 Rem this evening.  Screwing the die body deeper allowed the bullet to rise into the shoulder/neck portion of the die before the seater plug engaged the top of the lead tipped bullet.  Worked like it was supposed to and none of the lead was shaved.  Great Call timothy.  thanks.  Money in the bank.  I owe you a beer.

[timothy]

Glad I could help pard.

[Flash]

The seating stem needs little strength for what it does but definately needs the correct shape.. I experienced some deformation with certain bullets when loading my 22-250 a few years back and used hot melt glue in the seating stem head to change it's shape to a specific bullet. It worked like a charm and it might in your case as well. It should keep the bullet completely verticle while seating. All I did was put a small amount of hot melt glue in the seating stem head and press a lubed bullet into the glue to have it bottom out in the stem. After it cooled, violoa. Good luck