Boolit not aligning

[Mauser48]

Hey guys.I was loading the lee c309-113 bullet in 30-06 un gas checked and they would not seat straight. The ones that were gas checked seated fine. Any idea? Also, my seating die is leaving a ring around the bullet where it presses it in. Im guessing the seating stem just isn't good for a flat bullet. Do they make replacements that will work? Thanks

[Cowboy_Dan]

Just throwing out an idea, but ...

Maybe, the lack of a gas check allowed the boolit to start a bit crooked to. This was then compounded by an ill-fitting seating stem rolled it further aside. The gas checked ones started straighter and stayed straighter.

[Mauser48]

Anyone else?

[OS OK]

I have a RNFP .45 cast with a fairly wide meplat, just a hair too wide for the flat seater punch...I tried the RN seater punch just because I had nothing left to try. I was getting that slight ring mark too. When I used the other seater stem it stopped that and they seat nice and straight.

This is comparing apples to oranges but it's worth a try.

[Artful]

Are you using a stepped flairing die to give it a good start in the case?
Lyman M die
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/dies/RifleNeckExpDies.php
or NOE
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=88&products_id=1510&osCsid=crugi9hq3cb3d984bnsl5d3cj4
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/31R-EXP%20001.JPG
.310 x .306 Exp. Plug To use with Lee Universal Neck Expanding Die Turns it in to a true neck expander like a Lyman M-die. Use a expander that is .001" over your bullet size for best fit.

You can also use a little epoxy on your seating stem to make it a custom fit to your Nose profile to help with alignment.

here's a good link if you don't already have it.
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

You don't mention what brand of Dies ?
While I like Lee dies and that's mostly what I use, I've found that Lee Seater dies are sloppy ...and sloppy dies make sloppy ammo. Making or modifying the seat stem will help, but there is still some slop in them. Pistol ammo isn't nearly as fussy, but Rifle ammo is. I have been slowly but surely replacing all my Lee seat dies with bonanza/forster BR seat dies, they are much better, but they often need a bit of Mod'ing for use with Fat CBs, due to the Die's tight tolerance.

[44man]

Do you flare the neck? "M" dies can go too deep and ruin case tension. Rifle dies do NOT flare. You need to do it on your own. Had to make my own for the 30-30.

[Mauser48]

I'm using lee dies. To expand the case I just shoved some needle nose pliers in the neck and turned them around. I didn't want to buy a die for the 100 bullets I had. Once I start casting myself I will buy a die. So is the lee die with the noe inserts best?

[gwpercle]

Fill the cavity of the seating stem with J-B Weld epoxy or epoxy putty, when set , file , sand it dead flat. The flat stem will push on the f boolit point and leave no ring mark and also help the boolit seat straight. I use it on RN and FP alike . My 30-06 dies are old Redding with a flat stem .
Make sure the bullet is alaigned as straight as possible , the flat stem on the flat point helps it go in straight....if the boolit is started crooked , it's going to go in crooked and will get shaved .

If your Lee dies have a rubber ring in the seater stem ... that rascal doesn't help seating boolits.
I have some Lee 9 mm dies with that and it would seat crookedly and shave every time , I now use my CH4D seating die with flat stem, it was a RN untill I filled it , to seat all boolits in 9 mm , RN , TC and SWC . That rubber ringed seating stem is a poor design. Flat works best
Gary

[Artful]

I'm using lee dies. To expand the case I just shoved some needle nose pliers in the neck and turned them around. I didn't want to buy a die for the 100 bullets I had. Once I start casting myself I will buy a die. So is the lee die with the noe inserts best?

Advantage of NOE over the lyman is that the lyman is adjustable by screwing in and out the stepped flairing stem and sometimes it moves on it's own if you don't watch it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...
So is the lee die with the noe inserts best?
A fella can get into an argument stating what is the Best...so I won't do that. I will say I use the Lee universal flare die with the NOE inserts, and I am very happy with the results.

[OptimusPanda]

I used to have cast bullets seat crooked all the time if I wasn't absolutely careful seating them. A Lyman m die fixed it all. Although those noe inserts look tempting.

[243winxb]

The gas check was acting as an expander. Without an expander, more pressure is needed on the bullet nose to seat it. If lead is soft, near pure lead, seating may make the bullet diameter undersize.​ Do buy an expander or uuse a GC.

[WRideout]

As a temporary fix, just to seat a few boolits, I have used hot glue from a glue gun to fill the cavity of the nose punch. It seemed to work fine.

Wayne

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It sounds like you are casting good bullets, without the slight radius which the gas-checks have. So flaring the neck ought to solve the problem with those. If there isn't enough room in the seating die to do enough flare, chamfer the brass at the neck.

[Oily]

Love this forum! Didn't know NOE made the expanders for lee universal neck expander die. Thanks Artful, should solve my problem on my 22 hornet.