Dead Set Seating Variance?

[jeffdt]

I am new to reloading and this has me puzzled. I'm reloading my .22 hornet to start with. I seated 43 Hornady 45gr psp's yesterday into some neck sized WW brass using a Lee "Dead Set" seating die. I had already determined 1.453 would be my starting OAL, measured from the ogive. This would provide me with a .015 jump in my Anshutz's chamber. Only 5 of the reloads measured to this depth, measured with a Stoney Point comparator and anvil base on my Lyman digital caliper. The rest ranged from a low of 1.427 to a high of 1.456. I am using a Lee Aniversary press and again a Lee "Dead Set" seating die.

What could be causing this variance of .029" or is this acceptable? Is it the bullets? Should I be looking to "match grade" bullets. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[swifter]

Well, it could be the bullets... I'd be more inclined to suspect your equipment.

I've had poor luck with Lee seaters. While Lee makes a lot of good products, many are designed much better than they are made. You say you're relatively new to this, so do the best you can while you're learning, and upgrade when you can afford to.

Good luck,

Tom

 

[RecoilRob]

If you look at where the seating stem is contacting the projo I'd bet it is in a different place than where your comparator is resting.

The seater could well be putting them all to the exact same depth....just the slight difference in the ogive profile is throwing off your measurements.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Try pushing a bullet into the seater and see if it "rocks". If it does the seater is seating off the tip not the ogive as it should.
The die should seat off a point on the ogive but with some long bullets the bullet tip will bottom out and the die will seat off the tip. The bullet won`t be seated to a equal depth at the ogive if this happens. I`ve seen it with the plastic tipped bullets and took a small drill bit in my dremal tool and dilled the seater a tad deeper. This allowed the bullet to enter the seater properly and they now seat to a very consistant depth.

 

[jeffdt]

Thanks guys. I'll check out my die to see if the tips are contacting the stem. I'm also going to look around for a used redding competition seater.

Jeff