I find that I am loading more and more very long bullet, plastic tips etc. On this type bullet the bullet tip bottoms out or rests on the top of the seating stem instead of the seating stem gripping the bullet ogive as I am accustomed. This can not be good for bullet runout on the loaded round of ammunation. When the bullet tip is resting on the top of the seating stem it makes a very wobbly fit, plus actual bullet length often varies .008 to .010 and this will be translated to the seating depth of the bullet. I have 3 or 4 different brands of standard dies, but I was wondering about some of the more expensive special deating dies and if the seating stem was any different on these. If anyone can understand what I am trying to say here, any advice??

some companies will sell you a VLD style seater plug for a few $$. If they don't make one, you can remove your seater plug, coat your bullet of choice in lapping compound and chuck it in the drill, then spin the pill in the seater plug and freshen the lapping compound as necessary.

I would think that the chances of you keeping the bullet streight into the seater plug are just about nil done freehand. This sounds as if it may work if the plug is chucked in a lathe and the cutting impliment is run into it from the tailstock.

The ideal situation would be for there to be a hole in the top of the seating plug so the tip of the long bullet would extend through the hole and then the bullet could be properly grip by the bottom and sides of the plug.

If you die manufacturer doesn't make a VLD style seating stem, I would take the existing stem to someone with a lathe and have them bore the bullet cavity deeper, or even all the way through the seating stem. Be careful if you have them go all the way through as that may weaken the seating stem (depending on the caliber). Most people with a hobby lathe could modify the seating stem without trouble, and any small machine shop should be able to do this for not too much money.