Cast bullet seating

[mudriver]

I'm loading some .313" cast bullets in a 7.62x54r and I can't seem to get the bullets to seat centered into the case. You can see the left bullet is bulging left in the case and the right bullet is crooked. I'm using a cast bullet expander to make room in the case, but the bullets never seem to center.

Suggestions??

Thanks!

 

[Bula]

Bullet type? are they sized? I'm assuming the cast bullet expander is the belling die?

 

[bullseye308]

This can't be real. Those pics were taken tomorrow


Just kidding. It looks like the brass wasn't trimmed true maybe. What type of dies and which press are you using? Try a little more flaring, just enough to get the bullets to start to seat with no shaving of the brass.

 

[mudriver]

All lead 115g. I'm using a Lee belling die.

I'm using a Dillon 650 and lee dies.

 

[Bula]

did you cast these?

 

[mudriver]

Maybe I'm getting closer to the answer?

So a couple of things. These are very light loads so I don't think seating depth will be an issue.

I seated these bullets deeper and they seemed to center okay. Here is the pic the deeper seated loads on either side of a load where I opened the case up more with the bell die. I put a bullet on a case for reference. I'm guessing I just didn't seat these far enough into the case???

 

[Squeaky Duck]

Looks to me like the cases might not have been completely run through your sizing and expander dies with a touch of case lube from the deformities I see in your picture. I'd touch up the case mouth with a reaming tool to remove rough spots. What's your seating die set at for crimping the case mouth?

Also a case mouth brush with a touch of case lube should help if the bullet size is correct.

I use Lee dies on my bottleneck cartridges with no problems at all.

 

[243winxb]

The Lyman type "M" die is what i use for rifles. It opens the inside of the neck to the correct diameter and also flares the case mouth.

 

[Walkalong]

The Lyman type "M" die

Yep, good way to go with cast bullets in rifles.

 

[mudriver]

Thank you

I appreciate the good advice!

 

[243winxb]

Lyman "M" Die for Expanding Necks

Hope this link works. Rifle (M) Die 30 L (7.62x54 Russian) http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/dies/rifle-die-details.php?brand=3&cartridge=35&die=74 If not try the home page here. http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/home/ Also, your bullet seating stem should fit the nose of the cast bullet. This will help getting a straight start seating.

 

[loadedround]

I load cast bullets for a 35 Whelen and a 375 H&H and as the others have already said, use a Lyman M expanding die for both calibers. Loading lead bullets in rifle cases is similar to loading lead bullets in pistol cases and rifle two die loading dies are not designed to load lead bullets. Give the M Die a shot...no pun intended.

 

[GooseGestapo]

What size are the bullets sized too ??

Looks to me that the bullets are oversized, or the cases are excessively sized down. And, your seating die seating plug is not centering the bullet.

In such instances, I been able to seat the bullets in the decapped, primed, and flared cases and then lightly crimp. (no sizing...)

Occasionally works for a really tight throated rifle such as the Rem. M788's in .30/30.

My 9mm Para's used to look like that. I got a set of custom dies from Lee that fixed the problem ( and vastly improved accuracy due to improved concentricity).

I suggest that you try a larger dia. expander ball on your sizing die to open up the case neck inside diameter. Or get a .311-.313 Lyman M-die. It'll open up the case neck I.D. as well as flare the mouth.