[twoclones]

I'm setting up my new Dillon RL 550B press to load .357 magnum and using book and video to show me the way. In the bullet seating die us a piece which can be reversed for different bullet shapes.

Just how critical is this?
I'm loading a Speer TMJ FN [bought the very last box of any brand 158 grain bullet Sportsmans Warehouse had] which is tapered with a flat nose. I'm assuming I should seat this bullet with the end of the insert which has a flat bottom. Correct or not?

[ReloaderFred]

Fit both ends to the nose of your bullet and see which one most closely fits the profile. If the flat side of the nose punch will allow the bullet's flat nose to seat against the flat portion of the punch without contacting the sides of the punch, then that's the one to use.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[dave from mesa]

+1
What Reloader said.

[twoclones]

If the flat side of the nose punch will allow the bullet's flat nose to seat against the flat portion of the punch without contacting the sides of the punch, then that's the one to use.

That's an easy to follow guideline :)

My die set also includes another punch which is just flat on both ends with a 1/8" hole through it. What would I use that one for?

[ReloaderFred]

That one will probably be used for seating wadcutter bullets, since they're flat on the nose.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[rcmodel]

+1

The hole through it is probably a bleed-hole for excess bullet lube to squeeze out instead of building up inside the die and decreasing seating depth gradually.

I have drilled my Lubrisizer bullet punches for the same reason.

rc

[twoclones]

Thanks everyone. I have finished loading my first box of .357 rounds. In the process I learned that if the bullet doesn't sit right in the brass, the brass probably didn't get belled because it's a .38 spl. Also learned that if you start wtih the wrong primer seating cup, you can change it without spilling primers out of the primer feed tube. :)

I'm off to the range for some test shooting...

[sniper5]

I've been shooting and reloading in one capacity or another for about 46 years (yes, I started shooting when I was 6). The thing that has kept it a life long love that I am now beginning to be able to share with my lovely wife is that just about every time I do anything related to shooting, I find at some point I still get to say: "Hmm, that's interesting. Didn't know that."

[ReloaderFred]

Yep, when you stop learning, you're dead. I learn something new all the time, and I've been reloading for 46 years, too, but I didn't start out as young as you did........

Fred

[twoclones]

I fired about 30 of my reloads and all went well. Also fires a few factory loads and they were noticably more powerful.