.38 spl Wadcutter seating on Square Deal

[Phoenix1977]

Hello guys,

 

I’m setting up my Square deal for loading .38 special with a wadcutter. Can I use the standard seating die provided in the SD .38/357 die set? Or is there another seating die specific for a wadcutter projectile?

 

thanks in advance!

[Intel6]

Typically  seating stems are for round nosed or truncated cone bullets. Been awhile since I loaded on the SD but I assume that is what is on the machine.  If you are talking about seating full wadcutters (not semi wadcutters) Then you typically want a flat stem. Sometimes you can seat WC's with the RN/TC stems but sometimes it doesn't work especially if you are working with soft swaged WC's.  If they are cast WC's they will probably me more resistant to deformation but you have to try and see. 

 

Something I have done in the past to make a regular seating die work for full swaged WC's is to back the seating stem out and stick one of the WC's backwards into the seating die and then use it to seat some test WC's. The WC will get seated/compressed and now act as a solid faced seating plug to seat WC's since it will not compress anymore after the initial seating. You can still screw the seating stem up and down like a normal seating die.  The good thing is since it is not a permanent modification you can just pop it out and keep it with the conversion and reuse it when needed.

[Jim Watson]

I'd get an extra plug and face it off flat with a strong bevel on the edge so it didn't hit the case mouth when loading HBWCs flush.

That's what I did with regular dies for wadcutters in CH and 550.

[SteelCityShooter]

It's been quite a while since I owned a SDB but, I think i recall my .38sp/.357 setup included two bullet seating "dies", one for round nose bullets and a second flat faced one for wadcutters.

[Phoenix1977]

Thanks for your help, I bought the SD second hand, so I guess the WC stem was missing. Contacted with Dillon and they have send me a flat faced WC stem. 
Thanks Dillon, problem solved.

[pjames32]

Glad you have a seating stem coming. In the future you can modify a seating stem with epoxy or JB Weld. For wadcutters I usually just file or grind a seating stem flat. I use an SDB for nearly 30 years before my wife bought me a 650. Good little loader!