Forster competition seating die issue

[338 dude]

Your seating stem is more than likely cracked. Had this happen with every single one of my Forster seating stems. I've quit using them because of this.

You beat me to it The cracks are very small and hard to see

 

[shinbone]

I had the bullet-sticking-in-the-seating-plug problem, too. Both with Redding and Foster seating dies. I solved the problem by polishing the seating plug to fit the specific bullet profile. I did this by chucking the seating plug into a drill motor. I wrapped 220 grit Wet or Dry paper around the nose of the bullet, and inserted it into the seating plug, and spun the motor for 30-60 seconds. I stepped through various grits to end at 600 or 1000 to get a polished, less "grabby" surface that precisely conformed to the profile of the bullet.

I found it is important to hold the bullet aligned with the axis of the seating plug. If the bullet is held out of alignment, or "rocked" while sanding, the plug will still grab the bullet despite all the sanding.

The couple of times I have done this, to both a Redding seating plug and a Forster seating plug, it has worked really well.

 

[pttp]

There is a trick used by bullet casters (for lead boolits) where you fill the stem with hot glue and press the bullet meplat into the soft glue and remove. When hard you are left
with a durable form in the stem that will cradle the bullet when seating.

 

[LoneTraveler]

pttp That works great with some lead pistol bullets. If you clean the seating stem. Wax coat the front of the bullet and use 2 part Epoxy to form an exact matching surface works well with some bullets in the seating stem.

 

[SealT5]

Had this happen a few times. They replaced them after making sure I knew it was all my fault and I'm the problem. I do not purchase Forster anymore and almost have all my Forster items sold.

Your seating stem is more than likely cracked. Had this happen with every single one of my Forster seating stems. I've quit using them because of this.

 

[sturner]

I changed to Redding and got the stems for VLD Bullets and it fixed my problem

 

[shinbone]

Had this happen a few times. They replaced them after making sure I knew it was all my fault and I'm the problem. I do not purchase Forster anymore and almost have all my Forster items sold.

Did Forster explain to you what you did wrong?

 

[SealT5]

Not that I remember. This was 2-3 years ago. It isn't rocket science. Switched to wilson seaters using the exact same brass, bullets, and sizing dies. .002"-.003" of neck tension. Lapua brass. Graphite dry lube in necks. Zero issues since.

Idk why it was happening. No biggy

Did Forster explain to you what you did wrong?

 

[Barrelnut]

With Forster, the cracked seating stem is a real issue. Forster even states that they should not be used with compressed loads. In the OP's case, it may well be that a harder mono type bullet and neck tension can also cause the seating stem to crack.
If the stem is cracked, you can see it with a magnifying glass.

 

[sturner]

Since you brought up Wilson what do you think about them
I was thinking about sending 3 pieces of brass to make dies

 

[Bob Wright]

So, just got off the phone with RCBS. they will make a custom stem for 27 bucks and USPS postage I reckon.
They want 3 of my Hammer Hunters to fit to its ogive. 3-4 weeks turnaround. I get to keep my original seater to use as is or modify in the interim.
Gent said it is a known problem.
I'm ok with that. Custom seater is an option then.

 

[NW Hunter]

Your seating stem is more than likely cracked. Had this happen with every single one of my Forster seating stems. I've quit using them because of this.

I can second what Gordo said.
Same thing happened on my Redding Competition Seating die. The cracked stem locked up my die and I had to send it in for repair.

 

[SealT5]

Me? There are many advantages to the Wilson seater dies. I'm not sure they offer a custom sizer die yet but I may be wrong. I started using their bushing dies and couldn't be happier.

I like wilson seaters because you can feel small differences in seating pressures. You can seat bullets long and take everything to the range for thorough testing and tuning. And arbor press eliminates issues with press linkage. You can buy a blank and have it chambered with your reamer. They cost less than standard micro seaters. And let's not forget the simplicity of them. There are less moving parts, which also helps eliminate stacked tolerances.

As for presses I recommend K&M. Love mine

Joe S

Since you brought up Wilson what do you think about them
I was thinking about sending 3 pieces of brass to make dies

 

[Gater]

So I'm getting a bunch of rough scratches on my bullets along with a hard ring and suddenly the die is gripping the bullet and literally pulling the bullet out of the case on the down stroke of my press. I have apart but can't find anything wrong. Any ideas? It's a .300 win mag Forster micrometer seating die in my lee press I've been using for a decade.View attachment 159649

I have a really good idea send it to Froster they will inspect polish and send it back free of charge I sent my Micro-adjustable seating die in for repairs excellent customer service