seating depth varis during loading.

[rbeach]

this is my first post. I am new to making my own boolits and this is driving me crazy. I am loading for a 45 acp xd and am using a lee 452-228-1r mold. I have to seat the boolits at 1.193 to get them to drop into the barrel. my problem is that if I measure each c.o.a.l., they will very from 1.191 to 1.195. I am using a Hornady press and Rcbs dies with a lee 45acp taper die. is this normal or should I start over and pull the boolits and redue the boolits?

[**oneshot**]

Is your seating die cutting into the boolit??
Have you tried seating one of the longer ones??

[rbeach]

everything seems fine when seating. I am thinking that I need to take more care in setting the boolit on the flared case.

[jsizemore]

normal.

[runfiverun]

you'll have an oal variation in just bout everything storebought too.
it's when they keep getting shorter or longer you have an issue.
if the long ones chamber then you are good to go.

the raised letters on the head stamp will be off a little too.

[rbeach]

then I guess I will just let them fly and see how they shoot.

[lwknight]

Check the seating die to see if its getting lube gunked up in it.
Also you might get some dirt in the shell holder around the bottom edges that some more squared rim cases ride up on. The more rounded case might be missing the dirty shell holder corners.

Just a guess to check out.

[44man]

Case head thickness can vary that much too so each fits the shell holder different.

[mdi]

.004" isn't enough to worry about. I believe the -1R is the stubbier ogive and needs to be seated deeper. Shoot 'em...

[km101]

Check the seating die to see if its getting lube gunked up in it.
Also you might get some dirt in the shell holder around the bottom edges that some more squared rim cases ride up on. The more rounded case might be missing the dirty shell holder corners.

Just a guess to check out.

Yeah, what he said!! I have had this problem and it was due to lube buildup. Clean the seater and the shellholder and check OAL. But as long as they chamber correctly and are somewhere close (+/- .005) on OAL then you are good to go.

[rbeach]

well you were all right. had some gunk in the seater, some dust in the shell holder and some mixed brass. But went to the range and for the first time was able to put all shots in a nice little group. best shooting from that gun since I bought it. It's so much more fun when you can hit were you aim. Now if I could just aim better.

[Bluehawk]

Some times it all of the above Lube build up; dirt in shell holder etc Some times its variation in case length even if its the same lot and brand . If i'm getting a lot of variation I make sure all my cases are trimmed to the same length first then don't worry about it. If it starts getting real bad I check the other stuff .

[trixter]

This is just a friendly reminder of something you probably already know, The .45ACP chambers on the mouth of the case. So crimp and COAL are equally important. COAL especially for getting it into the chamber and then crimp for getting it to seat properly in the chamber.

[mpmarty]

Check cases for overall length. 45acp brass tends to get shorter as it is reloaded a few times. Short cases need to be discarded.

[wallenba]

Two cavity mold? Maybe they differ a bit. Do you tumble lube? If so, lube can build up in the seating die. Sometimes the build-up will stick to the nose of a boolit, and the next one will be back to normal.

[Echo]

Check cases for overall length. 45acp brass tends to get shorter as it is reloaded a few times. Short cases need to be discarded.

Anyone who has a supply of too-short .45ACP cases are very welcome to dispose of them in care of ME. There has never been a .45ACP case made that is as long as the chamber is deep. According to my sources, one should seat the boolit out to contact the rifling to cut end-play to zero, providing what passes for headspacing in this cartridge.
Don't believe it? Measure yourself...

[MikeS]

That boolit is my least favorite 45 round nose design. I have one, but because of how deeply they want to be seated I've given up on it for 45ACP, and now only use it on 45Colt, or 45AutoRim, and I use the upper lube groove as a crimp groove for the roll crimp that these cartridges use.