Problems with Redding comp seating die

[armyguy209]

Alrighty guys...I am setting up my dies on the 1050 and for some reason, my Redding competition seat die is cutting into the bullet when I have it set to the right depth. It cuts a thin circle all the way around the bullet near the top. I believe it is coming from where the die makes contact with the bullet to push it down. It should obviously not be doing this. Any ideas before I sent it back for another one?

[joelogic]

Happens all the time with match grade bullets. Dremmel and polish the seating plug if you desire.

[J-cat]

That's normal. You could lap the seater plug and that would stop most of it.

[G-forceJunkie]

How much neck tension are you running? I've never seen that with 175 SMK's with my Redding seater.

[kj]

Are you seating long range loads? When I was researching seating dies years ago, I read that people were getting those marks when seating long heavy bullets and compressing the powder. I went with the Forster bench rest die. For my 223 loads, when I am seating the 80 grainers, I get a pretty good crunching sound from the powder being compressed.

[armyguy209]

Nope no long range. I am just seating the 55gr V-max bullets over 24+ grains of H335. I fixed the problem for the most part. I tore the die down and sanded the part the touched the tip a little bit, and then polished it. It seems to have solved the problem. The only problem is that after about 10 rounds, the clip came off and messed up the die. I tore it back apart and fixed it so it is working for now. I think everything is pretty much dialed in now except for the powder bar, which even with the UniqueTek micrometer installed, I can't seem to get it to drop a consistent load.

[ocabj]

Are you seating long range loads? When I was researching seating dies years ago, I read that people were getting those marks when seating long heavy bullets and compressing the powder. I went with the Forster bench rest die. For my 223 loads, when I am seating the 80 grainers, I get a pretty good crunching sound from the powder being compressed.

Whoa. You are compressing powder with 80gr in .223?

1. What powder are you using?

2. What bullet and what's the cartridge overall length?

I load 24.0gr RL15 with 80gr Sierra Match King or 80gr Berger VLD in a Lapua case and I have plenty of room (you can hear the powder if you shake the cartridge).

[kj]

Whoa. You are compressing powder with 80gr in .223?

1. What powder are you using?

2. What bullet and what's the cartridge overall length?

I load 24.0gr RL15 with 80gr Sierra Match King or 80gr Berger VLD in a Lapua case and I have plenty of room (you can hear the powder if you shake the cartridge).

I was using 24.5 grains of Varget, LC brass (mixed years). I don't have my notes handy and can't recall the OAL, but I remember setting the 80 SMK to jump 0.02 in a 223 chamber. Also got a crunching when seating 69 SMK using the same load at mag length.

[ocabj]

I was using 24.5 grains of Varget, LC brass (mixed years). I don't have my notes handy and can't recall the OAL, but I remember setting the 80 SMK to jump 0.02 in a 223 chamber. Also got a crunching when seating 69 SMK using the same load at mag length.

69 and 77 will crunch 24.5 gr Varget at AR mag length.

But the 80gr should not crunch when seating for a .223 *Wylde* chamber or 5.56 NATO. There should be a lot of room in the case.

80gr should not be used in a SAAMI .223 Remington chamber since the 80gr SMK is pretty much seated with an overall length of 2.550" (obviously this varies if you seat to lands for your specific gun) and this will pretty much result in the secant of the bullet jamming well into the SAAMI chamber.

Check out this article: http://www.loaddata.com/articles/pdf...nt6lowres1.pdf