Hello, I am going to start reloading for my .223 with a lee loader. I was curious if anyone has had problems with smashing the brass when seating a flat based bullet. I also reload my .444 marlin and sometimes the flat based bullets catch on the brass and it ruins the brass. I am just curious if a anyone has had problems reloading the .223 with a flat based bullet (apposed to boat tailed) catching on the brass when being seated. Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks,
Bkmastr

if you don't use a deburring tool to chamfer the case neck ID this will happen.

Find yourself a long pointy bullet say a .30 cal FMJ and tap it nose first into the case a little.
This will bell the case so you can start your bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
if you don't use a deburring tool to chamfer the case neck ID this will happen.

VD, Liked your old avatar better, roger

Roger....the old one was a very nice Mule deer...this one is a Rowland/Ward recordbook steenbok

This is one reason that it is suggested to deburred the inside of your neck on the brass.A flat based bullet even in different type presses have a harder time starting to seat,for they don,t have any straight direction as a guide and catch the sides of the brass at times.I usually spin the bullet with my fingers to get it in a more straight line before seating.The reason a boatail bullet doesn,t have this problem is that the base of the bT bullet is tapered and sets into the neck and more or less starts itself in a straight line. van

Yes,I have crushed a few cases with the LeeLoader and flat based bullets.Most recently 120gr Corelocts into Winchester Swede Mauser brass.Cases were chamfered.... and I load a lot on a LeeLoader.It is just tedious work and careful tapping with the mallet on a flat base bullet.VMax or Ballistic tips are better suited for this tool.I take great care of my cases and when I crushed two in a row I was mad at myself for ordering the flat base.They were accurate of course but I`ll not fudge on bullets anymore when using this tool.

Neat little tools...and I like flat base bullets when used on a press.But I`ll not order any more flat base bullets when used with the LeeLoader if at all possible.

Mick Berger

All it takes is to de-burr the brass. I have never harmed any case in any caliber seating bullets. I only use flat base too. What some don't understand is to SLOW DOWN and gently seat the bullet. I have friends that slam the handle down for every reloading step like the thing has to be done right now. One loads cast and half the boolit is outside the brass and they won't chamber but he won't listen. He gave me some of his boolits and I had no problems. Of course, cast needs a little flare but jacketed does not.

A good .223Rem setup.

And 6.5 Swede Mauser brass damage even though case was chamfered.

I had this problem with 22/250 loading 50 grain Rem Power-lokt bullets and I solve it by running the brass through a Lee Expander die before charging. I set this die to just flare the case mouth enough so that flat based slugs will clear without catching and crushing. One more step but saves a lot of cases from being ruined. BTW this single die can be use for the .224 (or maybe even the 17's?) up to the 50 cals.

hello, thanks for the help so far guys. i just set down and loaded up a few loads. I am loading 50gr v-max. First load: 29gr of H414. Second load: 24gr of H335. Third load: 26gr of H335. Fourth load: 19.5gr of IMR4198. And last load: 21.5gr of IMR4198. I hope to get out this weekend and do some shooting and see which powder holds a tighter group.

Lee Loaders are a waste of time and money.

This is my personal solution for said problem; it's a craftmade universal collet expander for cartridges between .22 and .35 cal. While I seat primers, I SLIGHTLY bell the brass mouth, and flat base bullet seating becomes flawless.

haha, I just love ignorant people like 243winxb. I've been loading with lee loader for quite a while now, and have yet to find a problem with them. Yeah they are time consuming, but isn't that the idea of a "hobby". For a $20 loader, i can reload all i will ever want to shoot. Don't get me wrong, i do shoot alot. And accuracy, well that is no problem with the lee loaders. I was told they do now load accurate ammo. Well i proved to myself that this is a fallocy. If i can shoot 5 rounds in a group less than one inch, than i am satisfied.

I've crushed cases (not with a Lee Loader) three ways in bullet seating:

1.) Using a larger diameter bullet than the sizing die left the case neck sized for. I've recently had this problem trying to seat .315" cast bullets in 7.62x54R cases that had been sized for .308" bullets, as Lee dies in that caliber come equipped for. That was with the case mouths well flared to accept the base of the bullet. I just got a .303 British expander from Lee to help with that.

2.) Using a boat tailed bullet with a powder charge that came up into the case neck. The tapering boat tail catches powder grains between the bullet and the neck, jamming them together so the case neck gets pushed down with the bullet.

3.) Overfilling the case (with a slow burning powder that's safe in compressed full charges) to the point that a powder grain got caught between a flat bullet base and the case mouth. Bad idea to fill 'em right up to the mouth.

Opinions vary on the tool.I personally like to test starting loads AT the range.I find NO disadvantages in the tool other than you may crush a few cases with flat base bullets.There ARE many advantages to using this tool.

1.I can load my own ammo...using any powder or bullet or bullet grain weight or any combination of any component with a few taps of my mallet.

2.I can test fire-formed neck sized brass at the range in real time,letting the rifle cool in between shots....I can easily load a round in 2 minutes or less.

3.If you REALLY wanna test a load you can eliminate case variables by firing the same case 5 times in a row or more if you wish.Then take another case to see how it performs.

I don`t get to shoot as often as I`d like to,so maximizing my time at the range is a must.Good loads(and rifles) shine through quickly with less component usage.

Beside the fact that loading and shooting at the range is fun.

Lee also sells a hand press that works with your standard loading dies and is handy for use at the range.