I'm getting cases stuck in my seating die!!!!!

[CjC73]

While seating bullets, the case is getting stuck in the alignment sleeve (Hornady custom dies) so bad that the sleeve is getting pulled out of the die and I have to hammer the bullet tip to free the case from the sleeve.

What is going on?

What am I doing wrong? Never had this happen before.

 

[Petey308]

Are you full length sizing the brass?

 

[CjC73]

yes, neck sized mostly since it's the first firing on these and it needs to be formed.

 

[Petey308]

yes, neck sized mostly since it's the first firing on these and it needs to be formed.

That's confusing. So you are full length sizing, or just neck sizing? If just neck sizing, that would be why the cases aren't fitting in that sleeve without sticking. The cases are blown out too much.

So either remove that sleeve, use a different seating die, or actually FL size the cases.

 

[CjC73]

cases are virgin and need to blown out to my chamber. So running thru the FL die now doesn't size the body yet, I ran them thru to set neck tension. And I loaded these once already but didn't seat the bullets long enough and had no issues.

unfortunately I don't have multiple seating dies for each cartridge. and how does removing the sleeve help? what's going to support the seating stem?

 

[Taylorbok]

I'm confused also. Have you fired these once or not?
pretty sure you have to run the sleeve. I'm not sure what you have going on. Is the case getting stuck in the "throat" of that sleeve? like you have the die to low?

 

[Petey308]

So you pulled the bullets? They've never been fired?

I've not used the particular seating die you have so I don't know how it's setup to work. Some seating dies with sleeves have the ability to still work with the sleeve removed. If yours doesn't, that option obviously wouldn't apply. Most seating stems have a c-clamp or lip that keeps them from falling through.

It sounds like the cases have swelled one way or another, and if you can't use that seating die without the sleeve, you might need to run those cases through a FL die to get the swelled area back to spec.

 

[Petey308]

I'm confused also. Have you fired these once or not?
pretty sure you have to run the sleeve. I'm not sure what you have going on. Is the case getting stuck in the "throat" of that sleeve? like you have the die to low?

It's possible that it is indeed screwed in a bit too far and applying a crimp before the bullet is fully seated. That'll stop the bullet from seating any further and tends to buckle the case around the shoulder. That may be where it's swelling and then getting hung up in the sleeve.

@CjC73, try backing out the seating die a turn or two and see if it helps.

 

[CjC73]

cases are new, virgin, never fired. they were loaded with this same seating die but the bullets were seated too low to get the jamming depth I needed to form. So I pulled the bullets, cases are still unfired. now going to seat them again and this is happening

I set up the die for no crimp, run up the empty case and screw the seating die down till you feel it hit, then I back it off a full turn.

 

[Petey308]

If the case wasn't sticking, but now it is, something changed. Not sure what or how, but obviously something did somehow.

It won't hurt anything to back the seating die off another turn or two and see if it helps.

 

[can1010]

what caliber are you doing 338 or larger? the few i have all let the bullet pass through the sleeve except the 338 maybe you are seating too long and the bullet is jamming not the case. there is plenty of neck clearance so unless there is a burr on the brass there is no reason for it to jam.

 

[CjC73]

Tried screwing die in the least amount and it seated 4 cases, fifth one got stuck.

Resized them. First one got stuck.

 

[Petey308]

Tried screwing die in the least amount and it seated 4 cases, fifth one got stuck.

Resized them. First one got stuck.

And are you able to tell where exactly they're hanging up at?

 

[Taylorbok]

What if you run the cases up in there with no bullet? The case should not be touching anything