Redding dies

[SHEDKING]

. I started out with new lapua brass that I trimmed with a three way trimmer (geruad) and then used a mandrel (21 century)for neck tension. The problem I am having is my seating die is leaving a small ring on my bullet. Iam using 147 Eldm bullets. No problem, I called Redding they gave me the new seating stem number and I ordered that one. Nope I am still having the same exact issues as before. I don't even know if it affects anything but sure drives me nuts when you pay a lot of money for everything and want everything to look right. What are my options? This is the second time I have had issues with Redding. The first time my die was scuffing up brass on the sizing die. They did fix it.

 

[SHEDKING]

 

[257MM]

Did they recommend the vld stem?

 

[SHEDKING]

Did they recommend the vld stem?

Yes they did and that's what I got! Does the same thing just not as harsh as a ring

 

[Fullbore92]

How much tension are you running? Are you using a compressed load?

 

[Koda_]

Rare but not unheard of problem, sometimes generic seating stem doesnt match a particular bullets ogive enough and it digs in. Forster dies will custom grind their stems to your bullet samples, maybe you can call Redding and ask them for the same.
Or you could get some lapping compound and use a bullet to grind away the edge, since you have an extra stem now.

 

[SHEDKING]

How much tension are you running? Are you using a compressed load?

.001 neck tension. No not a compressed load.

 

[SHEDKING]

Rare but not unheard of problem, sometimes generic seating stem doesnt match a particular bullets ogive enough and it digs in. Forster dies will custom grind their stems to your bullet samples, maybe you can call Redding and ask them for the same.
Or you could get some lapping compound and use a bullet to grind away the edge, since you have an extra stem now.

Yeah I will definitely reach out to Redding! Just frustrating only have so much time off.
Tomorrow I will try the lapping compound I don't think it can hurt. Thanks

 

[chav0_12]

.001 neck tension. No not a compressed load.

At .001 I'm surprised you're getting any marks at all. I know when I'm that low it feels like they slide in without much effort at all.

 

[SHEDKING]

At .001 I'm surprised you're getting any marks at all. I know when I'm that low it feels like they slide in without much effort at all.

Yeah they slide right in super smooth basically effortlessly and on the way out it pops/clicks or gets hung up. It's weird never had any other die set do that. I have had light ring marks on other reloads but nothing like this.

 

[FEENIX]

. I started out with new lapua brass that I trimmed with a three way trimmer (geruad) and then used a mandrel (21 century)for neck tension. The problem I am having is my seating die is leaving a small ring on my bullet. Iam using 147 Eldm bullets. No problem, I called Redding they gave me the new seating stem number and I ordered that one. Nope I am still having the same exact issues as before. I don't even know if it affects anything but sure drives me nuts when you pay a lot of money for everything and want everything to look right. What are my options? This is the second time I have had issues with Redding. The first time my die was scuffing up brass on the sizing die. They did fix it.

You can change the bullet to one suitable for the VLD stem or use Hornady dies with an A-Tip seating stem.

ADDED:

Try this simple, quick, and easy hack.

 

[ShtrRdy]

That's pretty serious mark for not having to apply much pressure to seat the bullet.

 

[Dentite]

I had this same problem once with plated handgun bullets. Thin plating, sharp edge.

I customized the seating step to perfectly fit the bullet I load. Lube the bullet with sizing wax, etc.

Clean the inside of the seating stem with alcohol, mix up some JB weld and coat the inside of the seating stem.

Seat the seating stem over the bullet until it's fully seated but not hard enough to make a mark. Rig up something to keep the seating stem perfectly straight/square. I found that three large sockets (like 1/2" drive sockets) worked perfectly to surround the bullet/seating stem. Let it harden.

Pop out the bullet and remove any excess that extruded beyond the normal length of the seating stem.

If you really want to avoid direct contact with the polymer tip/allow for minor variation in tip contour, you can then use a drill bit the same diameter of the polymer tip and drill out some JB weld right in the center so the customized seating stem only contacts the jacket and not the polymer.

Or if you don't want to customize your stem for one bullet, you could try easing/sanding/smoothing the sharp internal edge of the seating stem that's causing the mark.

Hope that helps.

 

[ARlife4me]

Hornady has stems for a-tips and their eld-m bullets, but might only work in Hornady dies?