What just happened - Seating die question

[NotSoFast]

I was loading 9mm and had poured my loads. I was in the process of seating and stopped to measure. Last time I used it, two days ago, it was set at 1.130". Tonight I measured 1.120" to 1.124." in my first four loads.

So I stopped and adjusted my seating die back out to 1.130" and ran four cartridges fine. Then, suddenly I read 1.135". So I adjusted it again and it wsa find for four more then it dropped down to 1.125" This time I just set that cartridge aside and continued seating and this time it stayed at 1.130" for the rest of my loads, about 20 more.

I have a Lee Classic Turret with the Lee Three piece Carbide Die Set. Is it me or is it the press you think? Or the die? I did experiment in the last 20 with how I seated, hard or soft, fast or slow and nothing seemed to matter in how the bullet seated.

Help me out guys.

 

[jr_roosa]

I get goop in my seating die from bullet lube when I load cast bullets.

Wouldn't hurt to pull out the seater and take a look at if you have some foreign bodies in there.

Failing that, I'd get everything set, mark anything that could possibly come loose with a fine point sharpie marker, and then see if anything is creeping when you're loading.

Also make sure the shell holder is the right size and tight.

Oh, I've also had some measure long because the primers were sitting slightly high. Make sure they're seated below flush.

If none of that helps, I think we have to blame the press or bullets with irregular shapes.

I hope you sort it out, or at least it goes away on its own.

Good luck.

-J.

 

[only1asterisk]

I'm betting your seating die's stem is only contacting the bullet on the ogive and not the meplat. If this is the case, using a different bullet or fitting the seating stem to the bullet in question will improve your consistancy.

David

 

[The Bushmaster]

Yup...only1asterisk...That's what I did to remedy that problem. I still get irregularities on ocassion, but I figure that's why they they made a calipre for...To check OAL...If I can keep them within +/-.002" I'm quite happy...

 

[NotSoFast]

only1asterisk . . . Do you have a recommendation for a brand of die or die set if that is the case? I'm not going to rush out and buy something but I would like an option if that is the problem.

Bushmaster . . . I was thinking .005" but I think I'll go with your tolerances.

 

[only1asterisk]

If it bothers you enough, you can send some sample bullets to lee and they will make you a new seating stem to fit that bullet. I forget how much they charge.

Since the seating stem is a $2 part in a $8 die, I'd fit it myself with a dab of epoxy on the inside of the seating stem.

David

 

[snuffy]

All those comments, we still don't know what bullets NSF is using!

I'm betting those bullets are seated to the same relative position, even if they don't measure the same. I never have measured the OAL of handgun shells, just load then so they fit the magazine. Semi auto handgun shells are hardly the most precise loading we do.

The only time I worried about OAL on any handgun ammo was when I was involved in metallic handgun silhouette. That was for 44 mag, and the only time I ever trimmed handgun brass! If you're shooting that 9mm in bulseye competition, then I'd be concerned.

 

[The Bushmaster]

By the Way...I drilled my seating stem so that the stem contacted the ogive and not the meplat...I figure that is what will contact the the barrel first and should be the same on all bullets. And I still stay within +/- .002". My die set? Lee...

 

[only1asterisk]

Consistant ammo starts with consistant bullets. All bullets are not created equal. If all bullets were perfect, it wouldn't matter how the seater contacted them so long as they were straight. But all bullets are not the same. Where feeding function is most important, I load to acheive a specific OAL. This isn't going to get the upmost accuracy but in a handgun you aren't likely to notice the very tiny loss.


david

 

[bullseye308]

How many times has that brass been shot and was it all trimmed to length before? By pouring my loads, were you refering to pouring the lead to make bullets or pouring the powder charge in a loading block? What brand/type/profile bullet are you working with will help as well.
Trimming the brass to one length may or may not help. It will if you are crimping though.

 

[.38 Special]

If I was the OP, I'd solve the problem by not measuring OAL. Unless he is shooting benchrest with a 9mm, of course.

 

[NotSoFast]

Answers to various comments.

Bullseye - The brass had been once fired. Being 9mm and going by what many reloaders have recommended, it had not been trimmed to length. Instead of poured, I probably should have used the word charged. Sorrw for the misleading comment. I had charged the case and was in the process of seating the bullet. The bullets I was using were Hornady 115gr FMJ RN Encapsulated, the powder was WSF, the cases were Winchester and I was preparing to use the factory crimp die on the loaded cartridges. But due to the seating depth question, I stopped when I had seated the bullets.

.38 special - If it was only .001 to .005 I might agree with you. But when I see .010 variation and I am a new reloader, I definitely wanted to know what was going on. The only way I have to measure at the moment is OAL. What other measurements do you recommend for someone with only a caliper? Hmmmm?

Snuffy - I had not thought of there being differences between manufacturers of the bullets. I definitely learned though. Thank God for bullet pullers.

only1asterisk - I didn't even think about differences in how different manufacturer's bullets might have seated. I wouldn't know a meplat from an ogive if my life depended on it right now. I will learn very quickly though, I guarantee that.

In general, I think I may have been loading Winchester FMJ bullets before. My notes don't indicate that however and I honestly am not sure.

I did notice last night that the same variance in seating came up in thhe middle of seating a series of 50 JHP bullets, all of the same manufacturer and lot. They were Montana Gold JHP 115gr bullets. It has led me to check every load and readjust where I find something out > .005" from nominal.

 

[FlyinBryan]

Anyone load 45acp for 1911s with no crimp?

oops, delete, wrong thread, lol, sorry.

 

[only1asterisk]

NotSoFast,

Meplat is French for plank. It is the technical name for the flat on the bullet nose, no matter how small. Ogive is the curved taper of bullet nose.
What I think is going on is that your seating plug is hitting the curved section and not making contact with the end of the bullet. If the bullets were perfectly uniform, this wouldn't matter. But since bulk handgun bullets have a good deal of variation from bullet to bullet, this happens.

There could be other causes. Your dies could have gunky buildup of lube, lead and brass shavings inside. Since the seating plug in free floating (I think) in your dies, this prevent them from seating consistantly within the die.
Also, make sure you have the die set up properly and that all your adjustments are nice and tight and the dies is locked down firmly.

David