LEE seating dies

[Ol` Joe]

Mooooose102
Call Lee and ask if they offer a seating cup designed for Semi Wadcutters. There is a big difference in the shapes between truncated (most HPs and LSWC) and round nosed bullets. Lyman and RCBS offer seaters for both styles, and Lyman had both in a couple sets of dies I bought some tears ago.
I think you`ll find the proper seating cup will greatly improve how consistant your COL is.

 

[moooose102]

How close is close enough for you. I was just wondering because I don't shoot long range rifle competition. I do shoot pistol competition and shoot some fun rifle matches. I load four calibers on a classic turret with Lee dies and my OAL has never been off more than .003 in any caliber from where I want it.

if i could get anywhere near that, i would be estatic, heck, if i could get anywhere near double that, i would be estatic ! my oals with the lswc's is running in the neighborhood of +-.040". it is rediculous.

Call Lee and ask if they offer a seating cup designed for Semi Wadcutters. There is a big difference in the shapes between truncated (most HPs and LSWC) and round nosed bullets. Lyman and RCBS offer seaters for both styles, and Lyman had both in a couple sets of dies I bought some tears ago.

that is the best idea i have seen so far. i will e-mail them right now (i hate the telephone!).

 

[jcwit]

if i could get anywhere near that, i would be estatic, heck, if i could get anywhere near double that, i would be estatic ! my oals with the lswc's is running in the neighborhood of +-.040". it is rediculous.

Man, something's not set up right there. Just checked 30 rounds of 7.62 x 39 I've reloaded with my own cast bullets and they only varied .003 except for 1 round which was .005. I could check some 30/06 and .45 acp's and 9mm also if you wish. These were all reloaded using Lee Dies and the older alu. "O" Challenger press.

 

[StretchNM]

I agree, with that much variation, something else is wrong. A couple of three thousandths is acceptable to me, and all I ever notice. And.....I attribute that to slight inconsistencies in the bullet tip.

JCWit: I'm thinking the older aluminum press must be a Deluxe Breechlock. The Classics are all cast steel.

 

[jcwit]

Opps, my mistake. It the old Challenger Press, thanks for catching that!

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, plus or minus .003 is perfectly acceptable with some pistol bullets, while it gets better with others, but .040 is way to much.

It isn't the die doing it.

 

[moooose102]

well, for $8.00, they will make me a custom seater plug. they want one of my bullets to make it. i am going to do that, but i am also going to send them the die it goes into, to see if there is something going on with it. i dont have problems like this with my 45, which is using lee cast bullets. so it seems like it has to be in the die, or the way these bullets sit in the die. in any case, $8.00 is a cheap enough "cure", if it works.

 

[jcwit]

I might add I think the variation with my OAL is caused by how hard the cast lead bullet slides into the case, forcing the seater portion of the die to imprint into the tip of the bullet. I don't use a very hard lead alloy, so it wouldn't take much to dent the bullet a couple of thousands.

 

[gregj]

I subscribed to this thread, as I'm having a similar issue. I am a new reloader, just got a Lee Classic Turret press, dies, etc. Loaded some 9mm over the weekend (115g FMJ), and noticed some significant deviations in the OAL. I was trying for 1.135, several were around 1.114 (will post exact numbers tonight if there's any interest). They all chambered and fired with no issue, but the difference in OAL was unsettling. I will take a look again at my dies to make sure everything is adjusted correctly.