I was seating some 300Wby loads yesterday and noticed something odd. My plan was to seat the 212ELDX bullets to 3.615 inches. I got the die set and started seating bullets checking every other one. All of a sudden they were at 3.630. It is a Hornady die with a floating seater could gunk have built up in the die or is it a problem bullet inconsistencey To me these bullets should be constent as they are advertised as a match grade hunting bullet.
Is there some thing wrong with my seating die.
- Thread starter WildBillG
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If you have a bullet comparator, check the bullets. I would think that .015 diff from bullet to bullet is a lot, but I've seen big jumps in the past. Generally from lot to lot and not in the same box. Don't be fooled by the term "match". They seem to stick that name on a lot of stuff now a days that don't deserve the title.
MagMan
Well-Known Member
If gunk built up it would shorter not longer.
are you measuring to the tip of the bullet or bearing surface? You'll never know how consistent your loads are unless you measure to the bearing surface.
are you measuring to the tip of the bullet or bearing surface? You'll never know how consistent your loads are unless you measure to the bearing surface.
Die came slightly loose? Seater adjustment came loose? Ogive variation between individual bullets, leading to varying OAL measurements?
MNbogboy
Well-Known Member
All of the above.
I measure bullet BTO & OAL, then after seating CBTO & check with COAL. The COAL usually correlates with the OAL of the bullet. The BTO of the bullet & the final CBTO of the cartridge are the more related to consistent distance to the lands.
.015 was not uncommon for some cup & core bullets. The ELDx's have usually been closer than that within the same lot as mentioned above. Although when sorting there always seems to be a few outliers.
I measure bullet BTO & OAL, then after seating CBTO & check with COAL. The COAL usually correlates with the OAL of the bullet. The BTO of the bullet & the final CBTO of the cartridge are the more related to consistent distance to the lands.
.015 was not uncommon for some cup & core bullets. The ELDx's have usually been closer than that within the same lot as mentioned above. Although when sorting there always seems to be a few outliers.
I don't believe these are compressed loads but they are very ful. The reasoning for believing gunk thought it could cause a varience in seating depth. Though that does seem a little far fetched now that I think about it. Can there really be that much variation in ogive shape from bullets all from the same box. I do measure to tip of bullet as I thought the variation mostly effected hollow points. Are there seating dies that seat on the bearing surface and not the tapered part of the bullet.
fiftybmg
Well-Known Member
Pick 10 bullets weigh each one. It will show any qc problem. As long as the bullet weight is consistent the small variation in aol is not significant.
Also check your primers are not looking flush.
Also check your primers are not looking flush.
Get a Hornady comparator, measure BTO. Measuring to tip of bullet means nothing.
Sinclair makes a bullet comparator, too. The holes in the big "hex nut thing" are cut with throating reamers, and they land right on the ogive. Measure from the base of the bullet to the other side of the big hex nut thingy to find all the bullets in your box that are the same length. Sierra has four machines that make bullets, so you will end-up with four piles from one box...
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Savage 12BVSS
Well-Known Member
A compressed load can mess with you on OAL but you should hear crunching sounds as you seat if it is bad. I think its measuring from bullet tip myself, the seater is pressing from the ogive of the bullet. I don't believe its gunk in the seating die, adjustment moving if not locked however will change things as well as the die not being tight to the press. I still think its the bullet tip measurement. Dave
claybreaker
Well-Known Member
You could have had "gunk" in the die and then worked itself out, that would have let then seater go further up into the die.
I agree you need to the measure at the or near the ogive.... that is area many seaters use to "push" the bullet.
Good luck,
misterc01
Well-Known Member
I use both the Hornady and Sinclair comparators as a cross check on each other. They each have a different measurements, but as long as they are consistent with themselves, then I feel things are good. Example: In my rifle, after determining the lands so set my seating depth, when seated at .010 off the lands, at the ogive, the Hornady measures 2.172, and the Sinclair measures 2.137. I check each loaded round with both gauges to ensure the consistency in the seated depth. So far works for me.
