Hornady 30-06 seat die problems

[Agarbers]

I haven't reloaded a bottle-nose case in decades. I recently started trying to reload 30-06 and bought a used set of Hornady dies from a local gun shop. I have tried seating the jacketed flat-base bullets but since there isn't a slight bell the bullet wants to fall over. I assumed as long as I held it as it went into the die the bullet would become upright as the shell went into the bullet seater die. I was wrong. The bullet catches inside the die and deforms the case and the bullet. In looking at the die there is a gap between the die shell and the sizer bushing that can easily catch the nose of the bullet. I don't remember having this issue with Lyman or RCBS dies decades ago.
Anyone have some experience with this?
274623

[RonIa]

It looks like you have your seating steam set way to long back it clear out all the way then back out your die put your case in the press run your ram all the way up turn your die down till it touches the case then start turning the seating steam down till you get the proper seating depth for your bullet see how that works and check back
Ron

[MUSTANG]

1. I see lube on the floating seating stem. Recommend you clean the entire inside of the seating stem with a q tip and a solvent to clean the lube out. After hundreds of rounds loading lube bolts these tend to collect excess lube and even shaved lead if it occurs. You may have hardened lube inside from previous owner.

2. Make sure the floating stem drops from the top of the die. It is designed to float up and down. You should be able to lift it with a finger and when you remove your finger the seating stem should easily drop by gravity .

3. When loading; place your sized & primed 30-06 in the shell holder. Take your boolit and place it on the mouth, lifting the press handle while guiding the boolit into the floating seating stem. The floating seating stem should drop over the nose and sides of the boolit keeping it straight as you cycle the press.


Not knowing your experience reloading boolits; but here are other considerations.

1. Have you sized all the boolits? In this case .309 or ,310, or .312 depending on your particular rifle likes/dis-likes for boolit dimension?
2. Have you slightly belled the mouth of your 30-06 case mouth? This is important as not doing so will result in lead being shaved by the brass case mouth when seating. One can use one of the following for case mouth belling:


Lee Universal Case mouth expanding die - https://leeprecision.com/universal-case-expanding-die.html

or

NOE Rifle Expander Plug (of appropriate size) with a Lee Body - https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/expanders/expander-plug-rifle/



one must adjust the seating die to just take the bell off the mouth when sizing.

I suspect one or more of the above is where your problem/s lie.

[Agarbers]

Okay. I think I see what you are talking about and I think I see the problem. It appears the inside tooling is supposed to ride up and down to hold the bullet in place and then when the crimper hits the upper stop it seats the bullet and crimps the case. I think old oil is not allowing that to happen.

[Agarbers]

1. I see lube on the floating seating stem. Recommend you clean the entire inside of the seating stem with a q tip and a solvent to clean the lube out. After hundreds of rounds loading lube bolts these tend to collect excess lube and even shaved lead if it occurs. You may have hardened lube inside from previous owner.

2. Make sure the floating stem drops from the top of the die. It is designed to float up and down. You should be able to lift it with a finger and when you remove your finger the seating stem should easily drop by gravity .

3. When loading; place your sized & primed 30-06 in the shell holder. Take your boolit and place it on the mouth, lifting the press handle while guiding the boolit into the floating seating stem. The floating seating stem should drop over the nose and sides of the boolit keeping it straight as you cycle the press.


Not knowing your experience reloading boolits; but here are other considerations.

1. Have you sized all the boolits? In this case .309 or ,310, or .312 depending on your particular rifle likes/dis-likes for boolit dimension?
2. Have you slightly belled the mouth of your 30-06 case mouth? This is important as not doing so will result in lead being shaved by the brass case mouth when seating. One can use one of the following for case mouth belling:


Lee Universal Case mouth expanding die - https://leeprecision.com/universal-case-expanding-die.html

or

NOE Rifle Expander Plug (of appropriate size) with a Lee Body - https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/expanders/expander-plug-rifle/



one must adjust the seating die to just take the bell off the mouth when sizing.

I suspect one or more of the above is where your problem/s lie.

I think you nailed it on the head.

[Agarbers]

Next question: Is there supposed to be a "top punch" to match the bullet nose? I don't see one in the cut-away image.
274630

[Brass&Lead]

NOE Expanders make bullet seating nice.

http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php?topic=1795.0

[garandsrus]

Next question: Is there supposed to be a "top punch" to match the bullet nose? I don't see one in the cut-away image.
274630

No. The taper on the side of the sleeve seats the bullet.

[onelight]

Have you chamfered the inside of the case mouth ?

[Agarbers]

Have you chamfered the inside of the case mouth ?

Not yet. I have stopped until I make a trip into town and hit Sportsman's Warehouse.

[onelight]

Not yet. I have stopped until I make a trip into town and hit Sportsman's Warehouse.

I would chamfer before replacing the die flat base bullets can give you trouble without it .
You may find the die will work fine when the case is chamfered .

[MUSTANG]

I would chamfer before replacing the die flat base bullets can give you trouble without it .
You may find the die will work fine when the case is chamfered .


AND.... flaring the case mouth is essential to avoid shaving lead.