Bullet Smashed During Seating?

[Ezekiel2000]

The attached picture shows my problem, when seating the bullet I am getting some weird distortion on the head of the bullet. It lessens (but still didn't completely disappear) as I back off on the OAL. Problem is that the one with the worst divots are closest to the proper OAL. This is my first time trying 147 grain bullets, never had this issue with 115 grains.

Details:
Using a Dillon 550 with Dillon dies
Xtreme 147 grain round nose
Trying to seat to an OAL of 1.115"
Using 3.8 grains Unique
That's the recipe in the Lymans manual for TMJ

The least malformed is at 1.150...which is the OAL I was loading to for my 115 grain bullets so that should feed too...but even those has a bit of a ring around the tip of the bullet.

Anyone else seen this before and have any suggestions or helpful tips?

[stand125]

How full is the case of powder ? 147 gr bullet is longer and takes up more space in the case. Did you try to seat at desired AOL without powder?

[Ezekiel2000]

How full is the case of powder ? 147 gr bullet is longer and takes up more space in the case. Did you try to seat at desired AOL without powder?

It's a long bullet for sure and I definitely thought it might be smashing against the powder...but loading one with no primer or powder produced the same results.

[stand125]

I am wondering if you sizing die is undersizing and then the bullet is binding up in the case. The pictures look like the bullet is really expanding the case wall.

[huckberry668]

Too much brass tension on soft jacket or plating. But the deformed tips also could mean the wrong/bad seating stem.

Over sizing from the sizing die, typical of regular sizing dies. The our-glass shape is the sign of this issue. You can see the one on the left has the least amount of hour-glass and it has the least amount of deformation. This is particularly evident on plated bullets. Doesn't affect the jacketed bullets much that I know of.

It's also reducing the plated bullet diameter too. I did this recently and confirmed it. Measure OD of some bullets before loading them. Pull them out and re measure them again. You'll see about .0005" to .0015" bullet diameter reduction. Which means accuracy degradation unless the bullets are over-sized to start with.

You'd probably see some bullet base deformation as well. Nicks on the edge and or plating shift.

For this types of bullets you'd need to size the 9x19 brass into its proper taper so the mouth is at .374" OD and more bell to avoid bullet deformation.

[Pauliedad]

Try a tad more flare.
I like to flare as little as possible but I had this happen once when I changed bullets. Increased the flare and had less resistance seating the projectile.

[gunboat]

wrong seat screw -
crimping while bullet is not fully seated
my tuppence

[huckberry668]

He's using Dillon 550 with Dillon dies. Dillon 9x19 seating stem doesn't have a screw and the die doesn't crimp. Maybe the wrong seating stem end...

['ol shooter]

wrong seat screw -
crimping while bullet is not fully seated
my tuppence

That. It looks like you are using a seating stem for truncated cone bullets.

[stilly]

That. It looks like you are using a seating stem for truncated cone bullets.

I can see this...

[Ezekiel2000]

I never even knew that the seating stem was reversible ...I'll definitely flip it around and see how it does then.
If that doesn't do it I'll try adding a bit more flare and checking case mouth and sizing because I definitely agree, they seem to be getting an hour glass shape.

I've got a lot to look into tonight when I get home. I truley appreciate each of the suggestions here, thank you all!

[Ezekiel2000]

Just ran across this thread where someone is having the same issue as me. Still going to check the same things and if I can get it looking like my bullet on the far left or better then that's good enough for me. I'll update on what I find.

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/251058-9mm-147-gr-Berrys-on-a-Dillon-650-question

[___M|9||___]

Should've got a Hornsby ha ha jk could be wrong seating stem or just call Dillon and I'm sure they will help you out! GL!

[Ezekiel2000]

So first thing I did was check that I was using the correct seating stem. I wasn't. Flipped that around. Then I put more bell into it. Ran some through stations 2 (with no powder) through 4 to get everything as it should be. Bullets were looking good! Decided to do full run and again got the smushed bullets with a nipple on the end! At first I thought it was the powder but no...the problem appears to be that after sizing in station 1 it's putting a bit too much pressure on the bullet to seat. The bullet profile is too long to contact all sides of the seating stem, hence the nipple on top.

OD of case mouth after running through station 1 is at exactly .374"
I put an ugly amount of bell on it at station 2 but still after all of this, the following is how my rounds are coming out.

['ol shooter]

The correct stem should be contacting the bullet right near the ogive, not the nose. Puffy nipples on bullets aren't right.