The Accurate Reloading Forums
BULLET SEATING

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https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/33110735

09 August 2001, 10:23
sll
BULLET SEATING
HAS ANY OF YOU ALL HAD ANY PROBLEMS GETTING YOUR BULLETS TO SEAT THE SAME DEPTH EVERY TIME?ON MY RCBS DIES,I CAN SET IT AT THE DEPTH THAT I WANT AND LOAD 5 SHELLS AND THEN MIKE THEM AND MAYBE 2 ARE THE SAME AND THE OTHER 3 RANGE FROM .002-.008 DIFFERENCE.I CHECK THE SEATER PLUG AND DIE TO MAKE SURE IT IS FREE OF ANY MATERIAL.COULD THIS BE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FACTORIES BULLET MOLDS,WHERE THE OGIVE COULD BE TAPERED A LITTLE DIFFERENT ON SOME THAN OTHERS PACKAGED IN THE SAME BOX?I DON'T KNOW,JUST INQUIRING IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THIS PROBLEM.
09 August 2001, 10:42
<Bill>
Assuming your dies are tight and you use a full stroke on your press everytime, the OAL's may be closer then you think.

Try using a comparator that measures the bullet from the ogive, rather then the tip.

Many bullets such a soft points may have lengths that vary ever so slightly, these tools allow for a more accurate read on OAL.

Chances are that your OAL's are closer then you think.

09 August 2001, 17:35
<Jeff in ND>
Assuming you are meausring off the ogive and not the bullet tip (the tips will very) it could be a neck tension problem, espically if you are using the S-type neck bushing die. I ran into the same thing a while back and finally determined I did not have sufficent neck tension and the powder charge (a slightly compressed load) was pushing the bullet out a tinny bit on some cases. I changed my neck bushing down .001 and the problem went away.

Good Shooting
Jeff in ND

10 August 2001, 01:39
<Gary Rihn>
I'm with Bill on this one (although Jeff's point is valid). Take a handful of bullets & mike them before you load, you'll see a slight difference in length on them.

Try measuring your loaded rounds with a comparator & see if they check out better.