Bullet sticking to seater in RCBS die

10 October 2002, 11:30

I just got new RCBS dies for my .375 H&H. For some reason, when seating Hornady Interlock 270gr bullets, they tend to get stuck in the seater and pull back out of the case when I operate the press. When this happens I have to remove the seater from the die, pull out the stuck bullet with pliers, then reset the seater, etc. This is over an uncompressed load, btw.

I have inspected the seater for burrs and it appears to be in perfect condition.

WTF am I doing wrong?

10 October 2002, 12:39

<Don Martin29>

From what I read the dies must not be making the neck diameter small enough. So send them back direct to RCBS and they will replace them free.

It's possible that your neck wall thickness is too thin but that's not likely. Such thicknesses usually go from .012-.015".

Also the nose punch must be catching the lead tip on that bullet. Mention that in your letter and enclose a case and bullet. You don't need to contact them to return stuff. Just send it.

10 October 2002, 15:21

LE270

quote:
Originally posted by Whitehurst:
I just got new RCBS dies for my .375 H&H. For some reason, when seating Hornady Interlock 270gr bullets, they tend to get stuck in the seater and pull back out of the case when I operate the press. When this happens I have to remove the seater from the die, pull out the stuck bullet with pliers, then reset the seater, etc. This is over an uncompressed load, btw.?

You're not doing anything wrong. I've had the same problem. I solved it by taking some paper and making a small ball of it that I put into the seating plug. When you seat the first bullet using this paper-plugged seating plug, the paper ball is compressed so that it takes the shape of the bullet.

When you are finished, take a pointed object, such as a largish needle, and dig the now-compressed paper out of the seating plug.

You can go through the hassle of getting a different seating plug from RCBS (or whoever manufactured the particular die you are using), one that works properly with your specific bullet. I think RCBS used to do this free, but now they want money for it. My solution didn't cost anything, and didn't require the time and hassle of trying to deal with and pay RCBS.

10 October 2002, 18:59

Whitehurst

Thanks for the good info, guys. The seater isn't catching the lead tip, it's grabbing around the ogive.

Lloyd, I think I'll try your paper wad trick first, before sending the dies back.

Thanks again.

11 October 2002, 02:29

KevinNY

clean the seaterplug with a degreaser on the end of a wooden cotton swab(like a small surgical swab). They are usually pretty well coated with a sticky anti rust compound when the are shipped.

11 October 2002, 03:06

<Don Martin29>

I still feel that the bullet is not held tight enough. On top of this the cartridge is a heavy kicker for serious purpose.

The bullets should be very tight so as not to move from recoil. There is a crimping groove on that bullet. Use it.

11 October 2002, 06:55

LE270

quote:
Originally posted by Don Martin29:
The bullets should be very tight so as not to move from recoil. There is a crimping groove on that bullet. Use it.

Recently, I've been crimping all my loads using the Lee Factory Crimp Die (you need a different one for each different cartridge, i.e. a different one each for 30-06, 308, 300 Win Mag, etc.). I find that it does give a small but noticeable increase in accuracy. (See Saeed's tests of these crimp dies; his tests also point to the conclusion that crimping in this way increases accuracy.) One virtue of this crimping system is that it works for any bullet, with or without a crimping groove. Also, for bullets with crimping grooves, you can load them to a length where the groove does not meet the case mouth, and still crimp them.

Conclusions: (1) If you're going to crimp, use the Lee Factory Crimp Die instead of the crimping ridge built into standard seating dies, and (2) you should crimp in this way because doing so is highly likely to increase the accuracy of your loads.

11 October 2002, 08:35

Whitehurst

I was crimping at the time, at least trying to. I got so frustrated I lowered the die too much and crushed the shoulder of one case in an attempt to crimp the bullet more firmly. And was using the cannelure.

Sounds like I need a crimping die, and possibly a return to RCBS. Thanks for the info.

11 October 2002, 10:34

LE270

quote:
Originally posted by Whitehurst:
I was crimping at the time, at least trying to. I got so frustrated I lowered the die too much and crushed the shoulder of one case in an attempt to crimp the bullet more firmly. And was using the cannelure.

Sounds like I need a crimping die, and possibly a return to RCBS. Thanks for the info.

If you are going to crimp using the standard bullet seating die, make sure that you do it as a two-stage process. First, load all your loads, seating the bullet to whatever depth you want it seated. Then back off the bullet seating stem (so it will no longer touch the bullets) and lower the seating die so it will crimp the case mouth. Don't try to seat and crimp in the same operation, even though the die manufacturers say it can be done. And don't try to crimp too much or you will indeed get case buckling.

The standard seating dies crimp by pushing the case into a restriction in the seating die that pushes (rolls, actually) the case mouth down and onto the bullet.

The Lee Factory Crimp Dies work on a different principle; they have a kind of sleeve that fits around the case mouth and that is pushed up into a collar on the crimping die as the case it raised up into it. This sleeve has two cuts at a 90 degree angle, making the mouth of the sleeve have four prongs, so to speak. When the shell holder hits the bottom of the sleeve, the sleeve is pushed up into the collar so that the mouth of the sleeve closes on the last several hundredths of an inch of the case mouth. Thus, the case mouth is never pushed into this crimper, but is surrounded by the four leaves of the sleeve which crimp down over it. The case itself does not actuate the crimper, but the shell holder does because it is what pushes the sleeve up into the collar.

[ 10-11-2002, 07:03: Message edited by: LE270 ]

11 October 2002, 11:13

BCB

Whitehurst,

I agree with Don Martin29. Even without a crimp it is extremely difficult to pull a bullet from any case neck that is properly sized. Especially if one is trying to pull it loose by hand. I wouldn't know how the bullet seating stem could grab hold of the bullet? Measure the expander plug and even measure the bullet diameters. If both of these are within specs, then your die must not be sizing the neck down enough to allow proper expansion with the expander plug. Good-luck...BCB

11 October 2002, 12:10

<David>

Whitehurst,

Couple of questions I have.

Does the seating die work with bullets other than the 270gr Hornady's? If so, measure the diameter of the bullets.

Can you push the bullets into the prepared case with your fingers? If so, you'll need to either crimp or send the diea back to RCBS. My vote is to send the die into RCBS. They stand behind thier products. Sounds like either the expander ball is too large, opening up the case neck too much after being sized, or the neck area of the sizing die is too large.

One more thing, I think the Lee Factory crimp die is a good idea even if you get the RCBS dies working correctly. And they are cheap, only about $8 or $9 at Midway.