Lee seating die and Hornady XTP issues

[Lennyjoe]

Having a bit of an issue with the seating die closing the hollow point when seating 200 grain XTPs for my 10MM loads. First I thought maybe it was compressing the powder load (13.4 grains of AA9) so I did a dummy load set at same OAL (1.260) and it did the same thing.

Here’s the AA9 load:


And here’s the dummy load:


I’m not crimping during seating because I use a LEE FCD on the next station.

Thoughts?

 

[Bfh_auto]

The die doesn't match the profile of your bullet. Either you need a different seating stem. It you need to hone that one too the correct profile.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Loaded some Blue Dot and it didn’t close the hollow point. Must be compressing the AA9 powder quite a bit.

bottom row is AA9 and middle/top is Blue Dot

 

[murf]

good ol' lee precision die sets. i can't run oversized bullets (.431") in my lee 44 magnum seating die because the die barrel is too narrow which collapses the case bell which shaves lead off the bullet. it actually seats the bullet when it hits that narrowed down barrel.

anyway, i suggest you get out your calipers and measure a sized and expanded case (no primer). measure the bell diameter and the case wall diameter a bit down from the bell. run the case up into your seater die (make sure the die is set for normal seating). now remeasure the case and see if the bell and/or the case wall diameter is reduced. next, seat a bullet and take the same measurements again. also, see if your seating die is also crimping the bullet.

luck,

murf

 

[murf]

so I did a dummy load set at same OAL (1.260) and it did the same thing.

compressed powder isn't the issue, imo. did you reset your seating die between the aa#9 and bluedot loads? again, the lee precision die set has very tight tolerances.

luck,

murf

 

[buck460XVR]

The slight deformation will not affect accuracy or expansion. My concern would be if AA9 likes to be compressed that much. Hornady gives 13.2 as max and I have read where folks have seating problems with compression @ 12.8 with the 200 gr XTPs.

 

[Lennyjoe]

compressed powder isn't the issue, imo. did you reset your seating die between the aa#9 and bluedot loads? again, the lee precision die set has very tight tolerances.

I did and resolved the issue. Let’s call it a complacent issue...lol. 10MM case is a bit longer than .40 and additional adjustment is necessary to stay out of the crimp provision in the Lee die since they share the same dies.

Been reloading for 20+ years and made a rookie mistake.

 

[Bfh_auto]

compressed powder isn't the issue, imo. did you reset your seating die between the aa#9 and bluedot loads? again, the lee precision die set has very tight tolerances.

luck,

murf

I wonder if the die was set too deep and was accidentally crimping on seating the bullet?
I don't have Lee precision set. So I don't know if it can crimp with the seating die.

 

[murf]

glad you got it worked out.

murf

 

[murf]

I wonder if the die was set too deep and was accidentally crimping on seating the bullet?
I don't have Lee precision set. So I don't know if it can crimp with the seating die.

i think that is what was left unsaid.

murf

 

[Bfh_auto]

I did and resolved the issue. Let’s call it a complacent issue...lol. 10MM case is a bit longer than .40 and additional adjustment is necessary to stay out of the crimp provision in the Lee die since they share the same dies.

Been reloading for 20+ years and made a rookie mistake.

Do they make a shim for the 40/10mm. I inherited one from my grandfather for 357/38, 44spl/44. It makes it easier for me because I can use the same dies without resetting.

 

[Bfh_auto]

i think that is what was left unsaid.

murf

He posted while I was slowly typing.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I've ran into this with XTPs and some of my dies. I always had better luck using a flat seating profile with XTPs in my pistol rounds With some of the rounder JHP bullets the skirt of the flat profile seating stem actually hits the Ogive before the flat face touches the top of the hollow point.
With XTPs the flat profile will flatten the tip just a little, hardly noticeable, but at least it doesn't close it up.
Some brass is thicker than other brass and some is harder from being fired to many times. This plays into why some of your hollow points are closing up and some aren't, if your using mixed brass.

 

[murf]

not smashing the hollow point is another great reason to seat and crimp in two separate steps.

murf

 

[Lennyjoe]

not smashing the hollow point is another great reason to seat and crimp in two separate steps.

murf

Exactly why I prefer a Lee FCD in station 5 of my Lee Loadmaster.