Wv shooter
Well-Known Member
I am sure that there is nothing wrong with your dies bullets are your culprit seater stems don't change they are One consistent part in reloading
Inconsistent seating depths with rcbs
- Thread starter Highvoltage
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Smell Da Burn
New Member
Vote for seating stem.
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Smell Da Burn
New Member
I'm voting the seating stem.
Highvoltage
Well-Known Member
This happens when I make loads with the same particular bullet. For example right now I'm working up loads with 140 gamechanger and rl 16 for my 270. If I measure all the rounds say 4 batches of 3 each the will measure different using a comparator. I'm trying to figure out why and I think like most have said that stem may be the issue. Like I said my creed die is a hornady and spot on with the 147 eldm die and the micro adjust installed. The rcbs has not been, even my Lee dies do the same thing
The Hornady dies use a VLD type seating stem or a ELD type seating stem should we say. The Hornady dies you're referring to are for your 6.5 Creed
Highvoltage
Well-Known Member
Yes but I'm having issues with rcbs for my 270 win
So if you contact RCBS I'd bet they have a VLD/ELD seating stem. My Redding dies we're doing something similar. I contacted them and they have VLD/ELD seating stems for each Caliber. .22, .25., .264, .270, etc.... call them as they have great customer service. I'm a bid fan of RCBS stuff. My VLD seating stems from Redding were $9. Easy-Peasy. Worth a try or you can drill it out as some mentioned. I'm not in a position to have a press and vice to drill out the standard stem.
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Mc Fraser
Well-Known Member
I had the same issue with same bulletin same caliber Lee die. Sent a bullet to Lee, I got a custom stem back and now it's perfect.
I have recently pulled a lot of bullets on long range accubonds and the Hornady ELD and other high BC bullets the COAL spread was too wide, some were too long using my old 300 win mag Lee dies. Have moved to the micrometer seating stems DIES with the VLD seating stems, the seating stems appeared to be part of the issue with mine. I now have the RCBS match 300 win mag, and the Redding premium sets 338 win mag which have the micrometers seating stems. Seating for a group of three is now about 0.3-0.5 thousandths with the RCBS and Redding set and some dead-on with the Redding set up, still working to try to get it more consistent just got the RCBS set this week. I have found seating the bullet and then adjusting the die to crimp works the best. With my lee set had to use a separate die to crimp and that seemed to be what was really messing with the consistency, (when I measured the bullet seat before and after crimp). Which is why I bought the RCBS match seating die after I found the Redding set was much more consistent. Maybe should have sent the bullets into Lee and got a custom seat.
Rflshootr
Well-Known Member
or you can use valve lapping compound if you have some.
Tech Tip: Lapping the Inside of Seating Stems(from AS)
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2020/04/tech-tip-lapping-the-inside-of-seating-stems/ Tech Tip: Lapping the Inside of Seating Stems Here’s a simple task you can do that will give your seater die a more perfect fit to your match bullets. You can lap the inside of the seater stem so that it...
Your Sierra 140 Gamechanger is a Tipped Bullet or VLD, :
https://www.sierrabullets.com/product/270-caliber-140-gr-tgk/
Change or alter your seating stem for VLD bullets.
Also, use your Hornady Comparator to measure your bullets, base to ogive . That will check for consistency. You might even measure bullet over all length just for the halibut. ( don't throw the ones that are off away, just group them according to the measurement) As some of these bullets become more popular, the companies understandably step up production. I find faster production equals some laxity in quality control.
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J E Custom
Well-Known Member
The problems I have found with an improper bullet seating stem are =
To small to get away from the tip, Many bullets have no core in this area for support and the jacket is compressed or deformed. By moving the seating point up the ojive,the jacket is supported by the core and stands up to seating pressures better. As mentioned, stay away from the bullet body ojive junction but stay above the center of the bullet ojive for better support during seating.
Another condition Encountered was different ojive to base lengths with the same bullets. A quick check of the bullets with a comparator will answer this question.
Neck tension can also cause differences in seated lengths because If tension is to much It can deform the bullet ojive, and if neck tension is inconsistent the seating depths will also be inconsistent.
The question was ask about different neck length effects. In my opinion and practice, I turn and trim all necks to uniform dimensions so the seating force will be the same. (Or as close as I can get).
The good thing about all of this is that If you are concerned about things like this, consistency
is important to your shooting needs and can be improved. But if you are happy with the level of accuracy you have, many of the small improvements are not a factor.
Reloading can be a hobby for a means to an end, It can also be a challenge to continuously improve the quality. In the most extreme form, It can become an obsession and only the ones willing to leave no stone unturned will reap the rewards of very small improvements.
You get improvements based on the efforts you put into it.
J E CUSTOM
To small to get away from the tip, Many bullets have no core in this area for support and the jacket is compressed or deformed. By moving the seating point up the ojive,the jacket is supported by the core and stands up to seating pressures better. As mentioned, stay away from the bullet body ojive junction but stay above the center of the bullet ojive for better support during seating.
Another condition Encountered was different ojive to base lengths with the same bullets. A quick check of the bullets with a comparator will answer this question.
Neck tension can also cause differences in seated lengths because If tension is to much It can deform the bullet ojive, and if neck tension is inconsistent the seating depths will also be inconsistent.
The question was ask about different neck length effects. In my opinion and practice, I turn and trim all necks to uniform dimensions so the seating force will be the same. (Or as close as I can get).
The good thing about all of this is that If you are concerned about things like this, consistency
is important to your shooting needs and can be improved. But if you are happy with the level of accuracy you have, many of the small improvements are not a factor.
Reloading can be a hobby for a means to an end, It can also be a challenge to continuously improve the quality. In the most extreme form, It can become an obsession and only the ones willing to leave no stone unturned will reap the rewards of very small improvements.
You get improvements based on the efforts you put into it.
J E CUSTOM
Unbelievably, RCBS does not offer a VLD type seating stem.
