.458 Bullet seating issues
- Thread starter PALMERJ
- Start date
- Status
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
A couple three.
1. You are not belling the case mouth enough to get the bullet started in the case easily.
2. Your dies seating stem does not match the bullet shape you are using.
3. You have the seating die set too low and it is trying to crimp the case mouth before the bullet is fully seated.
rc
1. You are not belling the case mouth enough to get the bullet started in the case easily.
2. Your dies seating stem does not match the bullet shape you are using.
3. You have the seating die set too low and it is trying to crimp the case mouth before the bullet is fully seated.
rc
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
That won't work.
The expander should be .457" or preferably less for .458" bullets to get enough neck tension to properly grip the bullet.
A heavy crimp cannot / will not make up for poor neck tension.
Improper neck tension would be a dangerous situation due to bullet set-back in an AR .458 Socom.
Anyway, it's not the size of the expander stem I'm talking about.
If you screw it in further it will bell the very mouth of the case so the bullet will not catch on the edge of the mouth.
Belled case mouth.
The one on the left is about right for lead bullets.
The one on the right is excessive.
Even lees would be used with jacketed bullets.
You want just enough to start the bullet in the case by hand.
It will also help to use a champfer tool to bevel/debur the inside of the case mouth.
rc
The expander should be .457" or preferably less for .458" bullets to get enough neck tension to properly grip the bullet.
A heavy crimp cannot / will not make up for poor neck tension.
Improper neck tension would be a dangerous situation due to bullet set-back in an AR .458 Socom.
Anyway, it's not the size of the expander stem I'm talking about.
If you screw it in further it will bell the very mouth of the case so the bullet will not catch on the edge of the mouth.
Belled case mouth.
The one on the left is about right for lead bullets.
The one on the right is excessive.
Even lees would be used with jacketed bullets.
You want just enough to start the bullet in the case by hand.
It will also help to use a champfer tool to bevel/debur the inside of the case mouth.
rc
Last edited:
I'll set the expander stem back up so it gives a look between the two but is it possible that having hard brass might be a problem? I'll take a picture of the loaded nds so you all can see how the bullets are deforming.That won't work.
The expander should be .457" or preferably less for .458" bullets to get enough neck tension to properly grip the bullet.
A heavy crimp cannot / will not make up for poor neck tension.
Improper neck tension would be a dangerous situation due to bullet set-back in an AR .458 Socom.
Anyway, it's not the size of the expander stem I'm talking about.
If you screw it in further it will bell the very mouth of the case so the bullet will not catch on the edge of the mouth.
Belled case mouth.
The one on the left is about right for lead bullets.
The one on the right is excessive.
Even lees would be used with jacketed bullets.
You want just enough to start the bullet in the case by hand.
It will also help to use a champfer tool to bevel/debur the inside of the case mouth.
rc
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
No.
It is almost certainly one or more of the three reasons I listed in post #2.
Chamfer / debur the case mouths, bell them slightly, and try it again.
If you still get deformed bullets, the seating stem doesn't match the bullet profile you are using, or you are crimping the cases during seating.
rc
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
