HELP: Hornady seater is crimping/smashing the bullet ogive

[CB11WYO]

Hey guys. This is my first time using Hornady dies. They're Custom Grade 223 wssm, loading for a friend. The seater is smashing my bullet ogives (see pic) (Hornady 68gr BTHP). I seat as follows: seat 1/3 depth, rotate 1/3 turn, seat another 1/3 depth, rotate again and seat completely. I did notice that the effect is lessened if I seat completely in one pass without rotating... But it still smashed them slightly. Also noticed that the cartridge base to ogive measurements had what I considered to be a lot of variance... +-.005

Think it's a die issue? Bullet issue? Or loading technique?

Thanks!

 

[FearNoWind]

Looks like wrong seating stem to my eye.

https://www.hornady.com/assets/file...ding/Hornady Crimp-Seater Dies User Guide.pdf

 

[Boxcar77]

What do the necks measure before ad after loading? Looks like your necks are way undersized.

 

[mountainman56]

What do the necks measure before ad after loading? Looks like your necks are way undersized.

Yes or perhaps seriously compressed load perhaps? How much pressure does it take to seat the bullet?

 

[SidecarFlip]

First off, you have the wrong seater stem. Myself, I custom machine my own stems as every ogive is different, but you can buy the stems from the die maker.

Secondly, never rotate the seat die thimble when it's in conact with the pill, never. Set you seating depth within say 0.005 and then finish the seating (without pushing and rotating the seater stem or thinble. Pull the loaded cartridge, check the length (with the appropriate gage and not on the end of the pill, thats an erroneous reading), (the length must be checked on the ogive with a set of calipers and the appropriate gage (Hornady sells a set that will rin about any cartridge you will load).

Thirdly, it appears to me that your necks are too small. You using a bushing die or a standard reloading die? I'd be checking neck diameter and comparing that to bullet (pill) diameter. Rule of thumb is you wamt the neck diameter (sized) to be about 0.002 less than the bullet (pill) diameter.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Yes or perhaps seriously compressed load perhaps? How much pressure does it take to seat the bullet?

Interesting comment. I load compressed charges all the time, especially when jumping way over Sammi spec with no issues whatsoever.

 

[mountainman56]

Interesting comment. I load compressed charges all the time, especially when jumping way over Sammi spec with no issues whatsoever.

Just wondering if it was a possibility as even with the wrong seater stem it's taking quite a bit of pressure to distort the bullet that much. I have run 7mm bullets into 270 brass without leaving a mark so I assumed it would take more than neck tension.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm thinking that what he's doing is using the seater die knob to actually push in the pill while turning the knob and seater plug. Thats what it looks like to me....

Sort of backwoods machining....lol

 

[Boxcar77]

Ironically you may have just created a new bullet, Step aside rebated boat tails introducing the all new rebated Ogive bullet. lightbulb

 

[SidecarFlip]

Kinda looks like a male sex organ..........gun)gun)

 

[rcoody]

Hey guys. This is my first time using Hornady dies. They're Custom Grade 223 wssm, loading for a friend. The seater is smashing my bullet ogives (see pic) (Hornady 68gr BTHP). I seat as follows: seat 1/3 depth, rotate 1/3 turn, seat another 1/3 depth, rotate again and seat completely. I did notice that the effect is lessened if I seat completely in one pass without rotating... But it still smashed them slightly. Also noticed that the cartridge base to ogive measurements had what I considered to be a lot of variance... +-.005

Think it's a die issue? Bullet issue? Or loading technique?

Thanks!

all of the above

It looks like you are even shaving jacket material at the neck not to mention deforming the hell out of that bullet tip. How much force are you using seating these bullets. You must have noticed unusual force?

first has your sizing die even got the expander ball in it?

Is this seating die even the right caliber?

you need a reloading doctor!

 

[barefooter56]

Hey guys. This is my first time using Hornady dies. They're Custom Grade 223 wssm, loading for a friend. The seater is smashing my bullet ogives (see pic) (Hornady 68gr BTHP). I seat as follows: seat 1/3 depth, rotate 1/3 turn, seat another 1/3 depth, rotate again and seat completely. I did notice that the effect is lessened if I seat completely in one pass without rotating... But it still smashed them slightly. Also noticed that the cartridge base to ogive measurements had what I considered to be a lot of variance... +-.005

Think it's a die issue? Bullet issue? Or loading technique?

Thanks!

CB11WYO,
You do not have the seater stem adjusted down far enough and the bullet is being deformed by the die body. Also, is this new brass and did you run it through a neck or full length die first before trying to seat the bullet?

 

[CB11WYO]

Hey guys, thanks for the ideas. To clarify and answer a few questions then...

All brass was run through a sizing die first to uniform/expand the necks before loading. I even beveled/deburred the inside of the case mouths after running them over the expander.

Sidecar, the die is set and is not messed with while in use. I drop the ram/cartridge after seating 1/3 of the way and rotate the CARTRIDGE 1/3 turn... (this practice seems to reduce runout of my loaded rounds)

My measurements are always taken from cartridge base to OGIVE. NOT cartridge base to bullet tip.

Seating force is noticeably (not REMARKABLY) greater than normal during loading.

Next on my list of to-dos then is to measure the expander on the size die and check the brass as well. I'll definitely look at the seating stem as well. Have to look again to see if it's adjusted correctly???? Not sure what I could've been doing wrong there.

Thanks again!

 

[Jaxdialation]

Interesting comment. I load compressed charges all the time, especially when jumping way over Sammi spec with no issues whatsoever.

I have had different experiences.