Issues loading 243

[bob4]

Maybe someone can tell me if I'm doing something wrong. I'm loading 243 95gn Bergers on a Dillon press. It is new Nosler brass all sized, trimmed the same and chamfered. CCi primers all seated correctly. I'm using Forster ultra micrometer dies. I know Dillon is more for handgun rounds but I do my .270Win and .300WM with same type of dies and bullets and at most I get a .002-.003 variance that's easily fixed most times it's almost dead on.
I've done this before with no issues. Second time I've used this die.This time around I could not for the life of me get my die to repeat itself. Id adjust it to get the ogive measurement I want then the next one seated is off by .010 -.012 to deep. So I back the die out a bit try the next one and it's way long by the same amount. For those that know how a Dillon shell plate sits, I tightened the shell plate bolt down holds the plate itself to remove any play. Snug enough I couldn't index (Grasping hereI know). Measured a bunch of the bullets by ogive all within .001 of each other, measure the exact bullets that gave me the issue. Measured the shoulders, all withing .002, double checked case length. Looked at the die itself and from what I can see everything looks OK. But I'm no expert there. Just seems like a .010 +/_ difference is alot. Not to mention annoying. Any thoughts ?

 

[kimberyote]

I clean my dies after every 20-30 loadings. Seaters, sizers. Just my 2 cents.
I clean my calipers too whenever things get crazy.

 

[243winxb]

If a die contacts the shell plate, it will act as a stop. Each station of the shell plate may have a different deck height.

If the touching die happens to be set on the station with the smallest deck heights, the others will produce different OAL from case head to ogive.

You seem to have set yours on the largest deck heights station. More then .125" But this should make the head to datum/shoulder have the same variation.

 

[gohring3006]

Make sure you are seating against the ogive and not the bullet tip..

 

[bob4]

Make sure you are seating against the ogive and not the bullet tip..

My dies are made to seat with Ogive. To the best of my knowledge.

 

[gohring3006]

My dies are made to seat with Ogive. To the best of my knowledge.

They all are made to seat with the ogive.
But sometimes the seater cup is shallow from either being out of spec or, I have a old set of RCBS that wasn't setup for the newer VLD type bullets and I had to get a newer seating cup.. It's easy to check, just take the die apart and use a bullet to check the seater cup to see if it's bottoming out on the bullet tip..

 

[bob4]

If a die contacts the shell plate, it will act as a stop. Each station of the shell plate may have a different deck height.

If the touching die happens to be set on the station with the smallest deck heights, the others will produce different OAL from case head to ogive.

You seem to have set yours on the largest deck heights station. More then .125" But this should make the head to datum/shoulder have the same variation.

Always appreciate your input 243. Trying to figure what you've said here.
Are you saying I shouldn't see the variation I'm seeing? In which case has to be the die ?

 

[bob4]

They all are made to seat with the ogive.
But sometimes the seater cup is shallow from either being out of spec or, I have a old set of RCBS that wasn't setup for the newer VLD type bullets and I had to get a newer seating cup.. It's easy to check, just take the die apart and use a bullet to check the seater cup to see if it's bottoming out on the bullet tip..

Thanks I'll look at that. I thought the forsters were set up for the VLD style bullets.

 

[gohring3006]

Thanks I'll look at that. I thought the forsters were set up for the VLD style bullets.

They are supposed to be, but this will eliminate one more question in your quest..

 

[243winxb]

Try a single stage press and i think the problem will disappear.

 

[bob4]

Here's what happened. I moved my die over to a single stage and it worked well. Seating was much easier/smoother. Then the light bulb went on.lightbulb So I moved it back over to the Dillon and it worked well. 5 cases in both presses. The only difference this time was I was using once fired brass that hasn't been cleaned yet although I did resize quick just to test a few rounds and the seating. I've never used neck lube, never seemed to need it. I clean with dry media and the powder residue left over in side the neck must make seating smoother/easier. This new brass I didn't clean, didn't see a reason too, just sized and went. Now I think I see a reason. I can't think of anything else different I did. I can't even think why smoother seating would make a difference like I described. Maybe someone could enlighten me?

 

[Mike 338]

Is you powder compressed? I've run into that problem with overly compressed loads.

 

[bob4]

Is you powder compressed? I've run into that problem with overly compressed loads.

No. 39-42 gns of IMR 4831