Hornady New Dimension Seating Die

[whatnickname]

I have a number of Hornady New Dimension rifle dies. My results have generally been pretty good with the exception of the 22 caliber seating dies. The jackets on many of the 22 bullets are thin and the seating stem has a tendency to deform the ogive of the bullet out towards the bullet tip...leaves a noticeable ring around the tip of the bullet. Okay so I was using Nosler bullets. Figured that Hornady was milling the seating stem to fit the profile of their bullets. I figured wrong! Same deformation. Called Hornady. They said: “That’s the way it is.” We can argue all day long that that small deformation will not effect accuracy. IMO it doesn’t help accuracy either. Sorry Hornady...NOT ACCEPTABLE. Purchased a Forrester Bench Rest Seating die. Very reminiscent of the old Lyman Precision Alignment dies they made years ago. Not cheap but no deformation of the bullets either. Worth every penny of the $55.00 I paid for the die. Hornady should know better and they can do better. Just a classic case of price point and market share IMO. Looks like they have lost sight of the fact that consumers will pay more for better quality products! Pretty disappointing.

 

[Walkalong]

.leaves a noticeable ring around the tip of the bullet.

Chuck up the seater stem in a drill etc and polish the inner part with 600 grit sandpaper. That gets rid of the ring.

And they are correct, a tiny ring there won't affect accuracy until you get way, way, out there, and then there are other variables so large it's not a big issue.

That said, I get it, it's unsightly and it worries you. Try the sandpaper and spinning seater stem trick. It's worked for many a reloader.

My new Wilson 6 Dasher seater made a tee tiny mark the first 50/75 bullets or so, but was so small it went away on its own.

Just a classic case of price point

I don't disagree, but it is easily fixed.

 

[edwardware]

Well, you did buy the cheapest seater on the market. Having to polish the sharp edge on the seating cup isn't a surprise

Comparing to the Forester isn't fair; Ford vs Maserati. You picked the price point.

 

[Allen One1]

Walkalong has it right just polish the edge where it contacts the bullet. But Hornady should have told you that, what you have posted doesn't sound right coming from a major manufacturer.

This is like buying brass if you pay less you can count on doing the final prep. Customization to your spec requirements.

 

[Walks]

You definitely got a poor response from Hornady.
I don't agree that Hornady makes the cheapest seating die on the market.
I think that title belongs to lee.

I've reshaped/polished more then one seating stem, from more then one different manufacturer.

I've used some candle wax to temporarily change a seating stem profile.

I miss the Days when Lyman made a dozen or more seating stems for .30cal alone. One to fit the profile of just about every Bullet Mold they made.

 

[Varminterror]

Chuck up the seater stem in a drill etc and polish the inner part with 600 grit sandpaper. That gets rid of the ring.

This is an easy DIY option. It works, and it is simple.

Hornady does sell ELD seating stems as well, which are generally less apt to mar the ogive. You have to mix and match a little - I believe they have 3 stems available now, standard, ELD, and A-Tip, all with different bearing angles. Just have to buy and try until you find the one which works for your bullet.

Or, you can simply fix the seaters and lap them to your bullets.