Redding Seating Die issues?

What Mikecr said.
Looks like your neck diameter is too small (see neck bulge inward at bullet base in your pic)/ wrong bushing in sizer? Expander mandrels should solve your problem. I use 21st Century. Graphite powder for expander lube. 0.282 and 0.281. Be sure to get the correct type/ size.
 
I am pretty sure the problem is not the seating dies. Redding may have slipped the last year but the two sets of their dies I just bought work perfectly fine. For three sets of seating dies to be made wrong seems highly unlikely.

You either have them adjusted WAY wrong or you are doing something wrong with sizing the brass. Measure the inside and outside of the case neck, before you try to seat the bullet. Also, measure the bullets you are using and make sure they are .284.

If they really are "Competition Seating Dies" with the sliding sleeve here are the instructions. If they are a standard seating die with a micrometer top, then the adjustment instructions are different. They should have come with instructions on setup in each die box.


Tech Line & Tips (FAQs)

Working With Your Competition Seating Die

[h1][/h1]The Redding Competition Seating Die is a very specialized instrument. At first glance, you will note that its appearance and construction differs greatly from that of a standard Seating Die. Through examination and use, you will understand and appreciate the amount of engineering that was required to offer you the finest precision Bullet Seating Die on the market.
You've undoubtedly noticed that the Competition Seating Die is equipped with a Micrometer. This Micrometer is easily adjustable for bullet seating depth with each increment equaling .001" on the micrometer barrel, or .050" per revolution. This feature enables the handloader to make fast, accurate, and repeatable changes in bullet seating depth, with no guesswork required.
The Micrometer, though very convenient, is just one of the Die's many innovations. Handloaders concerned with crafting the most concentric ammunition possible should put the Competition Seating Die at the top of their wish list!
Here's why:
The Internal Sleeve is housed within the threaded Die Body and marked with the Die's Cartridge Designation. Using the same techniques as a Custom Riflesmith, a one-piece reamer is used to cut a "chamber' to dimensions that are in accordance with SAAMI and/or CIP Chamber Specifications. This enables the sleeve to hold and align the cartridge case concentrically as it enters the Die. The dimensions of this chamber match the aforementioned specifications very closely. In fact, brass that has been fired in an oversized or otherwise "out of spec" chamber may not fit into the Sleeve.
In much the same manner that the cartridge case is aligned as it enters the Die, the Internal Sleeve has been designed to align the bullet as well. This is accomplished by way of the Bullet Alignment Bore.
Rather than inundating you with all sorts of specifications and tolerances with regard to how well the bullet is held in alignment with centerline of the cartridge case, we would like to walk you through an experiment that will illustrate it.
1) First, disassemble the Die. Removing the Micrometer will allow the Die's internal parts to be removed from the threaded Die Body.
2) Hold the Internal Sleeve vertically in your hand, oriented so that the Bullet Alignment Bore is facing upwards.
3) Remove the Seating Stem from the Bullet Alignment Bore.
4) Place your thumb over the Chamber end of the Internal Sleeve so that the hole is completely covered, creating an airtight seal.
5) Partially insert the Seating Stem into the Bullet Alignment Bore (1/8" to 3/16") is sufficient.
6) Using your free hand, gently tap the top of the Seating Stem with your finger. Because the Bullet Alignment Bore and Seating Stem are so closely matched, the air within the Internal Sleeve does not escape; it is compressed. Watch as the Seating Stem "jumps" as the compression reacts upon the Seating Stem.
7) Now, repeat the experiment using a standard jacketed bullet in place of the Seating Stem, you will see the same results. You have just demonstrated that the Seating Stem and the bullet are so closely matched that they will float on a column of air!
As you reassemble the Die, notice that the seating stem moves independently of the Micrometer. This patented design feature assures that the Seating Stem can be held perfectly aligned with the cartridge case, with no error induced by other parts of the Die.
To hold the bullet concentrically, the Bullet Alignment Bore and the Seating Stem have been honed and ground to virtually the same diameter as a jacketed bullet. As a result, the seating stem walls are relatively thin and not as inherently robust as the Seating Plug in a standard Seating Die. Though the Stem is heat treated to make it as strong as possible, it will not endure the excess seating pressure of Compressed Charges. This excess seating pressure will crack the Seating Stem which will, in turn, damage the other internal parts of the Die. Please be mindful because replacement parts are costly and NOT covered under Warranty. Please remember that your Competition Seating Die is a precision instrument and should be used and treated as such. A handloader using this Die to compress powder is tantamount to a machinist using a Micrometer as a C-Clamp.
Because the Cartridge Case and the Bullet are held perfectly in alignment throughout the seating operation, you can be certain that there will be no runout induced by the Seating Die or the Seating Operation. So long as proper handloading techniques are used and brass is sorted for uniformity, the eccentricity of your loaded cartridges will be minimal. If you encounter any trouble, investigate the processes and components used to assemble the cartridges so that you can identify and mitigate any problems.
With proper care and consideration, you will undoubtedly have years of reliable service from your Competition Seating Die. Should you have any questions or require any additional information about our products, please don't hesitate to contact us, we'd be happy to help you.

Specializied VLD bullet seat stems are available
Click here for a reference chart


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I am pretty sure the problem is not the seating dies. Redding may have slipped the last year but the two sets of their dies I just bought work perfectly fine. For three sets of seating dies to be made wrong seems highly unlikely.

You either have them adjusted WAY wrong or you are doing something wrong with sizing the brass. Measure the inside and outside of the case neck, before you try to seat the bullet. Also, measure the bullets you are using and make sure they are .284.

If they really are "Competition Seating Dies" with the sliding sleeve here are the instructions. If they are a standard seating die with a micrometer top, then the adjustment instructions are different. They should have come with instructions on setup in each die box.

The die in that picture is not a competition seating die.

My first instinct is that the dis is too deep and is making contact with the shoulder. I would extend your micrometer out to its maximum length on the scale and work in from there.

The second issue is as MikeCr said, you are substantially under sizing the neck and creating excessive neck interference, but that's a separate and issue and not causing the shoulder crush.
 
The die in that picture is not a competition seating die.

My first instinct is that the dis is too deep and is making contact with the shoulder. I would extend your micrometer out to its maximum length on the scale and work in from there.

The second issue is as MikeCr said, you are substantially under sizing the neck and creating excessive neck interference, but that's a separate and issue and not causing the shoulder crush.
I agree, it looks like a standard seating die with a micrometer on it to me too. Thus the reason I said "If they really are Competition seating dies" etc. I posted all the info about true competition seating dies, so the OP can tell the difference.

My bet is the crimp function is what is causing the problem, along with too small a neck.
 
Okay guys, I've gotten three different calibers of redding competition bullet seating dies, and they all do the same thing. I've never had this happen before, but I can't seat the die down where you normally would, or else they squish my casings, or the bullet would get stuck so bad I had to pull it out with a pair of pliers. Called my military buddy in who's been reloading for a very long time, said he's never seen anything like it. He ended up putting my dies all the way up like this, and I had to work it down to where it seated the bullets to the right length. I've never had an issue with redding dies in the past, and I've used lots. I tried using different bullets, put imperial wax on the casing and in the die. No luck. Anybody else encountered this issue? Everyone I've talked to and shown has said redding has slipped in quality in the past year, so I don't know. I'm about to switch all my seating dies to Forster. Would sell the seating dies I have, but don't want anyone else to have this issue.View attachment 413742View attachment 413743View attachment 413744View attachment 413745
I think I can see a concave area at the shoulder neck junction which tells me that the neck ID is too small to accept the bullet, take a look at your neck resizing results compared to the bullet shank diameter
 
When I expand the last pic it looks like I see "08 Rem ..." on the die body. It also appears I see a belted case in the top pic. It may just be the pics but could it be a 7RM case in a 7mm-08 die?
 
When I expand the last pic it looks like I see "08 Rem ..." on the die body. It also appears I see a belted case in the top pic. It may just be the pics but could it be a 7RM case in a 7mm-08 die?
There is a picture of a 7mm rem mag die (i think) but most are the 7mm-08. I didnt put a 7mm rem mag in a 7mm 08
 
I think I can see a concave area at the shoulder neck junction which tells me that the neck ID is too small to accept the bullet, take a look at your neck resizing results compared to the bullet shank diameter
I looked at that on a few casings, they were a bit small but not smaller than the bullet themselves. They were slightly smaller than Saami specifications, I'd have to look back at my notes and see what they were
 
I will say, on the 7mm rem mag, I think I found the problem, when I inspected the casings closer, I noticed a mark on them where they were crushing. I put them all in a pile and picked ones out that looked new. They had some sort of bulging mark on them, they were pulled brass from American Reloading. Didn't have a problem with the good brass.
The others? High potential of me doing something wrong, but wasn't sure, especially since my friend came up and took a look. I appreciate all of your answers and will be looking more into them today.
Another possibility in my mind was maybe it was the shellholder? I forgot my shellholders for these casings when I left for the shop, but there was others that fit the casings there pretty snug so I just used those. If they weren't the correct ones, could this have caused an issue?
 

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