Redding Bullet Seating Micrometer

[Dr. Vette]

I ordered the Redding bullet seating micrometer to use with my seating die for my 7mm Weatherby and received it a couple of days ago. Yesterday I was passing through Cabelas and found that they carried the 7mm 168gr Bergers for my 7mm Remington Magnum so I picked up a box of 100 to try. I know that Redding makes a special bullet seating micrometer for the VLD bullet. However, with the "regular" one I just purchased also work, or should I get the one for the VLD bullet?

I figured that someone on the site has probably tried this before and could answer the question.

 

[barnesuser28]

I think as long as the tip doesn't bottom out it will work if fine.

 

[Pdvdh]

I've used my Redding micrometer seating die for the same bullet in my 7mm Rem Mag and haven't had any issues. Should work just fine.

 

[Broz]

Here's the deal. It is dependant on neck tension. Even though the tip may not bottom out in the plug the contact area where the seating plug contacts the bullet could be a very narrow band. If so, and you are running a lot of neck tension it will make a grove in the bullet while seating them. Many have done this and blamed the bullets for poor performance on game when the actual truth is they damaged the bullet tips while loading them. So, seat one and then do a Ray Charles test for a grove in the bullet where it contacts the plug. If you feel a grove you need a plug with a wider contact area on the bullet.

Jeff

 

[barnesuser28]

Here's the deal. It is dependant on neck tension. Even though the tip may not bottom out in the plug the contact area where the seating plug contacts the bullet could be a very narrow band. If so, and you are running a lot of neck tension it will make a grove in the bullet while seating them. Many have done this and blamed the bullets for poor performance on game when the actual truth is they damaged the bullet tips while loading them. So, seat one and then do a Ray Charles test for a grove in the bullet where it contacts the plug. If you feel a grove you need a plug with a wider contact area on the bullet.

Jeff

I forgot to mention that ^^ i heard about it on an episode of EOL tv.

 

[Gene]

Here's the deal. It is dependant on neck tension. Even though the tip may not bottom out in the plug the contact area where the seating plug contacts the bullet could be a very narrow band. If so, and you are running a lot of neck tension it will make a grove in the bullet while seating them. Many have done this and blamed the bullets for poor performance on game when the actual truth is they damaged the bullet tips while loading them. So, seat one and then do a Ray Charles test for a grove in the bullet where it contacts the plug. If you feel a grove you need a plug with a wider contact area on the bullet.

Jeff

Jeff, that is true. I have had that happen. But, the "groove" is normally very shallow and more like a scratch around the bullet surface about .050" below the meplat. I have shot them, and found it will not affect accuracy.

The meplat should never touch bottom of the seater plug cup. If it does, call the die manufacturer and they will send you a deeper one. You can check this by putting a tad of Prussion blue on the tip when seating.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Thanks for the tip, Broz. I played with a VLD and the micrometer by hand and note where it could easily make a groove near the tip. I suspect I'll be using a different micrometer for these.

 

[Pdvdh]

When I've experienced that scar on the surface of the bullet from the leading edge of the seating plug, I've chucked the seating plug in my cordless variable speed drill and spun the mouth of the seater plug against a fine grade of 3M sand paper in order to remove the sharp edge off the inner leading edge of the mouth of the seater plug. That has always stopped the ring scarring on the surface of my bullets.

The standard Redding seating plugs I've used haven't damaged the tips of the Berger VLDs in .257, .284, or .308 caliber bullets. But I have remove the sharp leading edge from the seating plugs with fine sand paper, as necessary.

 

[Broz]

It can come with different degrees of intensity. The slight line that porwath is talking about, to some I seen of a friends 7mm 180's. They had a indentation in the bullet. Not a scratch, not sharp, but actually a dent pushed into the bullet 1/4 to 3/8" back from the tip where all the seating force was applied to a narrow area causing it to reform the bullet jacket. He was running a lot of neck tension too and the brass had not been annealed. So I feel this was an extreme case. But never the less I would expect these damaged bullets to expand rapidly and could fail. I should also mention this will occure more so when the tip does NOT bottom out in the seating plug. It is a problem that happens from mis-matched angles between the plug and the bullet shapes.

Porwath is correct about sanding. I think it is a good idea for all seating plugs. And then see which one gives the best results.

I found that I prefer the polished 300 win plug on 7mm,180 Bergers when seating them in the 7mm-300 chamberings.

Jeff

 

[Dr. Vette]

Good tip on the polishing and also using a different seating plug. That wouldn't be a difficult test at all.

 

[rick523]

Dr. Vette,
I orderd the VLD seater plug from sinclair, already had the one that comes with the seating die. I saw no difference with either load other than the VLD plug is almost half again as long so I had to back the mic. almost all the way out,( I do have a fairly long coal 3.519 with 160gr. vld's ) though. I never noticed any marking with the original plug. I think it's only about $12.00 but I would order something to go with it to help justify the shipping cost. Hope this helps.

Rick, Shot Straight, Shot Once!