Is it Me or is it Lee.

[waynem34]

Loaded some 10mm with two different bullet styles.The oal kept changing, I tryed to hit 1.260 every time but it was impossible to do.First two would be close and then the next one would be 1.240.Man what an I doing wrong?These are the only lee pistol dies I own.Was short on moneys and didn't get the ones that I wanted.I have 20 diff rcbs die sets and never had this problem.Think I'm going to replace these with a rcbs set.Any here have this problem with the seating die.I did'nt get the factory crimp die but doubt it would help.What sayith yall?

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I'm going to guess that you have flat point bullets and a bullet seating die with a round nose punch. Get a flat point punch for your seating die, and your problems will be solved. The crimp dies should not be making any difference. If you have RCBS .40 S&W dies, use the seating die (with a flat nose punch). You can even crimp with it. I do all my auto pistol cartridge crimping with Lee taper crimp dies in a separate step after seating the bullet.

[waynem34]

Yep first bullets were xtp and the second was swaged hp that a member here so graciously gave me.The seater plug is rounded.I wonder if the nice folks at lee will help me with this?

[Ben]

Flip the seating stem around 180 degrees ( so that the " flat " end of the seating stem will face the bullet nose ) , load 10 rounds , measure the OAL , report back.

Ben

[waynem34]

It will not fit in the die backwards.

[Ben]

I'm sorry, you're correct....It is the Lee Rifle seating die stem that can be flipped 180 degrees.

Does your pistol seating die stem look like this ?

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/mvx_zps7232bb75.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/mvx_zps7232bb75.jpg.html)

I had problems with a Lee .44 Mag seating die doing the same thing you describe. I took a rotary grinder and made the end of the seating stem perfectly flat. Problem resolved. As long as you're loading bullets with a flat meplat on the end, it will work just fine. If you decide you want another seating stem, call Lee and they will send another one for $2.00

Ben

[MOcaster]

This might be a stupid question, but are you sorting your brass? When I load Federal and Winchester brass together the length varies by about that much. Federal brass seats longer, by the way.

[waynem34]

Yes sir the stem looks just like that one and I am using new starline brass.I will try and contact lee and get different seater.

[Ben]

Yes sir the stem looks just like that one and I am using new starline brass.I will try and contact lee and get different seater.

I doubt that Lee has one with a " flat " on the end.
I had to modify mine. Took about 2 minutes.
My problems are resolved.

If you do mess yours up , you can order one identical to it for $2.00 from Lee Precision.

[waynem34]

I will change this one and get another rounded one from lee if I need it later.Thanks

[Taylor]

How about lube build up in the die? Happened to me at one time.

[waynem34]

First thing I did was clean them cause I thought the very same thing.
How about lube build up in the die? Happened to me at one time.

[troyboy]

This is not a tooling issue. Modify the stem as was suggested.

[dudel]

Yes sir the stem looks just like that one and I am using new starline brass.I will try and contact lee and get different seater.

You can temporarily modify the stem by taking a bit of tissue paper and some lube and stuffing the cavity. Use a boolit and the press to custom form the tissue in the stem to match the boolit profile. You can pick it out later with a metal pick.

[shooter93]

I've taken a number of seating stems and filled them with epoxy making it a flat stem. Works well for any bullet with a meplat even a small one.

[waynem34]

Very good idea.I think I have some jb somewhere or liquid soilder?
I've taken a number of seating stems and filled them with epoxy making it a flat stem. Works well for any bullet with a meplat even a small one.

[Walter Laich]

I've taken a number of seating stems and filled them with epoxy making it a flat stem. Works well for any bullet with a meplat even a small one.

+1 I just used some epoxy from ACE Hardware. The rim makes it easy to trim off the filler evenly.

Found this works even with RN but you have to be careful to start the bullets very straight into the cases

[waynem34]

I guess folks shoot more round then flat.Thanks for all the ideas and the advice.I was getting frustrated with it.Its always something simple it seems.New to reloading the 10mm auto.I have reloaded 9mm and 45acp with no problems.This being my only set of lee dies I had nothing to compare it to other than rcbs.Lee works well just need the right nose plug.Thanks

[MaryB]

I am not near my reloading bench and am to lazy at the exact moment to run up the steps. Id the stem steel? I am thinking a magnetic insert that could be popped out for round nose loads...

[mattd]

Wait a minute. You guys get consistent OALs? All my lee dies give me inconstant OALs. Round, flat, jacketed, rifle, pistol, inverted stem. Doesn't matter. Generally a couple thou.

i go back and forth blaming the dies or the lee single stage press. Have other presses I could try I guess but I like the lee prime on press system

[WILCO]

Wait a minute. You guys get consistent OALs? All my lee dies give me inconstant OALs. Round, flat, jacketed, rifle, pistol, inverted stem. Doesn't matter. Generally a couple thou.

Same here. I've learned to live with it. Actually set up my dies so that after crimping, there was a .005 - .010" variable on my O.A.L. [smilie=p:

[waynem34]

HahahahHuh? You know I could see the turn nob on the seater die move each time I would seat a bullet.Guess I will see how they shoot and go from there.I may grab a different set and have a back up set.
Same here. I've learned to live with it. Actually set up my dies so that after crimping, there was a .005 - .010" variable on my O.A.L. [smilie=p:

[wallenba]

Yep, get a flat punch. Probably the bullet cavities in your mold have slightly different ogives. Where the standard seater contacts the ogive can then be a little higher or lower than the other resulting in variable OAL. . This is the bane of target shooters who shoot commercial bullets, and why they sort them with a comparator.

0.020" is a lot though, and other factors also must be involved too.

[gtgeorge]

Lee makes some dies that are for consistent OAL. I think they are part of the Collette sets? I will go check in a bit although they may be rifle. I am sorry I suffer from ICRS most of the time.

[dudel]

Wait a minute. You guys get consistent OALs? All my lee dies give me inconstant OALs. Round, flat, jacketed, rifle, pistol, inverted stem. Doesn't matter. Generally a couple thou.

i go back and forth blaming the dies or the lee single stage press. Have other presses I could try I guess but I like the lee prime on press system

The biggest problem I had with inconsistent OAL, was when I was running a LCT. Didn't matter who made the dies. It was just plinkin ammo, so I wasn't going to go too OCD on it. My OAL got more consistent when I moved to the 550b. My Rockchucker gives me the best consistency though (even with Lee dies).

[John Boy]

I will change this one and get another rounded one from lee if I need it laterJB is epoxy ... use hot glue. Clean cavity of seating plug. Put hot glue in the cavity. Spit on the bullet. Lightly twist the bullet in the hot glue. Trim excess glue - Done and if you want the round nose plug back - just remove the hot glue