.308 Seating Die - What Am I Doing Wrong?

[Chontkleer]

I've gotten to the point where I'm trying to actually seat a bullet in a casing. 175 grain smk. From what I've read, people are happy with a COAL of 2.80-2.90. I'm using the Redding Competition Seating Die. Problem is, I can't get it to an OAL of any less than 2.975. That seems to be the limit of what the micrometer can do the way I have it installed. Is this something that's happened to anyone else here? Requires a bushing of some kind, maybe just a bad die?

I bring the shell holder up as far as it will go with the press, then screw the die in until it kisses the shell holder, then back it off about an eighth of a turn. Then insert the shell with the bullet on top, raise the press back up, and it just won't seat deeper than 2.975 even after screwing the micrometer knob all the way down to its limit.

[TKM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D4sPjW_dsQ

Are you fully compressing the spring loaded portion when setting the die in position?

[J-cat]

Yeah, that seater has a spring loaded sleeve that guides the case toward the seater plug.

[Chontkleer]

That was exactly the problem. From all the warnings about the sizing die, I was doing the same thing for the seating die -- keeping it from actually coming into contact with the shell holder. Cheers.