Seating depth.

[45-70 Chevroner]

How much difference does 15 thousands make in pressure? I am loading for a 45 auto. I am using Hornady dies and having problems getting consistent OAL measurements. The problem is I am using the Lee 230 TL boolit and the lube is building up, up inside the seater die. These lubed boolits have been setting aroun for at least 6 months. I am finding that I dont really like the floating seater in this die. I have not had near as much problems using the Lee seater die in other calibers. I am going to go ahead and order the Lee 3 die set for the 45 auto. Actually I would never buy Hornady dies again. This Hornady die set for the 45 doesn't even have a crimp built into the seater die. I called Hornady to find out what I was doing wrong trying to seat and crimp on the same stroke. He said it doesn't have a crimp built into the die. I had to buy a Lee FCD just to iron out the bell in the case. No more Hornady dies for me. Your help is appricated.

[Winger Ed.]

For cast, unless you are up into the wild end of a powder charge, .015 here or there ain't that big a deal if they still chamber OK.
Unless you're loading up to go fire for the Bianchi Cup, I wouldn't worry about it.

Without doing a lot of sorting and trimming, a separate step to taper crimp .45ACP
has worked out much better for me than the old school dies that roll crimped it.

That has worked for me running through a batch of mixed cases, none of which I measured or trimmed.
Some once fired, and other that might have come over on the Mayflower.
They all did well.

Doing different length cases in the old days with a roll crimp---- not so much.

[fredj338]

Nothing really starts getting interesting until you get to seating 0.050" deeper. I have run tests with diff calibers & diff powders & deeper seating that less than that just doesnt move the pressure/vel needle much.
BTW, if you are seating lead bullets, seating & crimping separate steps usually gives better results.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I found out a long time ago that separate crimping usually worked best. Thanks though.

[onelight]

I t might be good to give the powder and charge along with the OAL you were trying for.
It can make a difference if it's a starting load or a max load.

[Bazoo]

.015 difference would concern me in 45 acp. If you're duplicating factory ball, be the difference between a standard load and a starting +P, you'll likely be able to notice a slight difference in recoil if you pay attention when shooting. I'd still shoot them, with a watchful eye, but I'd segregate them and not make any more until I figured out the problem.

I use an RCBS set. If I seat and crimp in the same operation I get lead shavings. I've tried more bell on the case, chamfering cases and finally moved to separate seat and crimp, which cured the problem. I load on a single stage press so I'm not particularly happy about it. But because I can load the two steps faster and don't have to worry bout lead rings and inspecting each one for it, then separating the worst ones, it's just as quick.

My runout isn't but maybe .002 shorter when seating and crimping together and better when separate. Now I'm using the lee TL452-230-2R tumble lubed with about 50/50 alox paste wax. If I notice a buildup I'll remove the die and spray it with remoil and fish a rag in there to clean it up. Maybe every 300-500 pending on my notions.

I dont have issues with seating and crimping in the same step when loading rounds that get a roll crimp, like 44 magnum so I always do that as combined.

[mdi]

Don't have any facts/data on pressure rise with .015" less room in the case, and won't guess or speculate.

It sounds like you may be tumble lubing and the lube building up in the seater die. Besides wiping the bullet nose, using less/thinner alox, and cleaning the seater stem, one idea is to keep lube off the bullet nose. I dip lube when using "tumble" lubes. I like reloading and am never in a hurry for any aspect of my reloading hobby including processing my cast bullets. So, I grab a bullet by the nose, usually with my big tweezers and dip it into some thinned or heated alox or 45-45-10. Dip up to the crimp groove or for semi-auto bullets just beyond the lube groove then set it on a piece of aluminum foil to dry. Yep, it does take a bit more time (but is no big deal for me) but I don't get brown bullet noses and no time cleaning lube build up in my seating dies...

[Froogal]

I have lubed many bullets with the tumble lube method. Yes, it does build up inside the seating die, which requires periodic dis-assembly and cleaning. Tumble lubing is fairly quick and easy, and it works quite well, but because of the build up issue, I am moving away from it.

[Bazoo]

I don't process large batches at a time. I do 50-200 batches even if I'm doing a run of 1000. Keeps me from getting bored, but also allows me to clean the seating die if needed.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I t might be good to give the powder and charge along with the OAL you were trying for.
It can make a difference if it's a starting load or a max load.

I am using a powder no longer made it is called Industrial pistol powder. The charges are listed on the side of the can and there is only one charge listed for each caliber and bullet listed. The list includes cast and j words. The charge I am using is 6.5 gr with a velocity of 850 fps. This powder has worked great for 38 sp. 357, 9mm, 45 acp and hopefully 45 acp. It shoots some what cleaner than Unique which I use a lot of. A friend and I bought a case of 12 cans for $3.00 a can (one pound cans) plus 12 dollars shipping, this was 30 years ago. My friend passed away 5 years later and his wife gave me what he had left, 5 cans. I still have 4 cans left. Oh, I forgot the OAL is 1.275". The powder is pretty close to the base of the boolit.

[Bazoo]

I use 1.250 OAL for the lee bullet and I back off the charge somewhat from normal RN data. Right now I'm using 5.0 WSF to duplicate factory ball. My bullets weigh 234 with ww+sn alloy.

[44magLeo]

I've loaded and shot a lot of tumble lubed boolits. I think if your getting a build up in your seating die your using too much lube. I have found if you use enough to lightly tint the boolits tan is about right. If you have so much the boolits look brown, not so good.
thinning with Johnsons floor wax at about 50/50 works well.
Leo

[onelight]

Sounds like you got a great deal on that powder , but I am totally unfamiliar with it .
Perhaps someone else has used it in 45acp

[45-70 Chevroner]

I've loaded and shot a lot of tumble lubed boolits. I think if your getting a build up in your seating die your using too much lube. I have found if you use enough to lightly tint the boolits tan is about right. If you have so much the boolits look brown, not so good.
thinning with Johnsons floor wax at about 50/50 works well.
Leo

I am sure you are right. I had about 250 of these and needed to load them up and shoot them. I have about 400 Tumble Lubed with Lee 'LL thinned with mineral spirits. They look like what you mentioned.