Bullet Seater In Station 3?

[Pat Miles]

Starting to load 38 Super Comp (went over to the dark side). I load on a 650 and have read and been told about the problem of slinging powder out of the brass as the shell plate indexes. Is there any reason why the bullet seating die can't be mounted in station 3 instead of 4? One less indexing position to cause spillover. I have trimmed the coil spring under the indexing ball below the shellplate to lessen the snap. If the resizing/decapping die and the bullet seater have to be stationed across from each other to offset their action on the shellplate how about moving the powder die to station 3. I see that the failsafe rod can still be connected to the anchor arm and keeps the rod in the equation.

CYa,

Pat

[uscbigdawg]

There's no reason why it can't. One technique that I do is to "walk" the case around into Station 4. As the case indexes, place the bullet and grab it and the case at the same time. Crank. Repeat. By easing the one into place, the other benefit from that. It's not "slower" just more efficient. I do the same on my 1050's too.

Rich

[Carl]

Is there any reason why the bullet seating die can't be mounted in station 3 instead of 4?

That is precisely how I have my 650 set up. Seating in Station 3. For 9x19 and 38 Super. LOTS of rounds made that way. I think you'll find that a lot of people do the same too.

Carl

[dansy]

I drop powder in station 3 ......also work well.... that was to used dillon re-size in #1 Lee under re-size in #2 , seat in 4 and crimp (lite) in 5

Obviously no powder check I just glance into it, before putting the bullet.

[Larry White]

I've droped powder at #3 for years. Just angle the activator arm to the right and the fail safe works fine. No powder check, but I look at every case as I set the bullet before seating.------Larry

[ChuckS]

I have been using the powder drop in 3 since I stated shooting open and had pretty full cases. I use it for all loading. That, combined with the spring trimming and using my hand to soften the landing has pretty much eliminated spillage. I also use the Dillon sizer in 1 and the U die in 2 for .40 S&W. I have big hands so it is eaiser to set bullets in 3 also.

Later,

Chuck

Edited February 16, 2007 by ChuckS

[cr10x]

Since I use the 650 for relaoding bullseye loads as well, with lead SWC's, I have two seaters.

One at station 3 to start the seating and complete to about 3/4 depth. This seater is standard for SWC's that use the conical nose portion of the bullet as the contact point. This starts the bullet into the case as concentric as possible with the progressive setup. I even use the LEE "O" ring type die nuts to allow some flexing so the die / bullet / case can center as much as possible (without being too loose).

Then, aonther seater at station 4, with the seater modified (drilled out) so the contact is on the bullet shoulder. This station seats to the final depth and due to the modification of the seater stem, produces a very consistent overall length to the SWC bullet shoulder. Something that is more important with .45 accuracy loads.

You hear about a lot of OAL variations with progressive reloading machines, but sometimes some of this is the result of the difference in the bullet nose (bullet overall length).

For extremely accurate .45 lead loads, the length to the bullet shoulder is the most critical.

Cecil