Oal Frustration 9mm.

[Carlos]

Actually, come to think of it, I have an extra non-Lee brand seater die in either 9x23 or .380 ACP that would work perfectly for 9mm - and I would be happy to lend it to you for the season. Drop me a PM. D.

[Mousekiller]

Mouse, quit guessing and wondering. Put a comparator on them and KNOW where the variation is coming in.

Truth be told, just shoot them. Load short enough where the longest one fits in the mag fine and go with it. Now you know why the price is what it is. The variation you are getting won't make one BIT of difference on the targets in practice or in a match. I know full well where you are coming from and I expect to see low variations as well, but if you segregate them and shoot groups you will see that the difference just isn't a problem. Shoot groups with them all at EXACTLY the same OAL, the put together 10 with the widest spread in OAL you can find and shoot them. It isn't going to make a difference at 25 yards or less.

LOL.. HSMITH Your right, it's has something to do with "a***l retentivness".. lol..

Carlos..thanks but no need, i'm going to order the competition seating die.. or maybe even the entire Redding pro set.. I really like the quality of those dies much better.

Well.. shooting in South Carolina on Saturday and I'll see how they perform.. doubt i'll have any issue's.

Mouse.

PS: Carlos, was good seeing you and the other guys also.

[JThompson]

Mouse, quit guessing and wondering. Put a comparator on them and KNOW where the variation is coming in.

Truth be told, just shoot them. Load short enough where the longest one fits in the mag fine and go with it. Now you know why the price is what it is. The variation you are getting won't make one BIT of difference on the targets in practice or in a match. I know full well where you are coming from and I expect to see low variations as well, but if you segregate them and shoot groups you will see that the difference just isn't a problem. Shoot groups with them all at EXACTLY the same OAL, the put together 10 with the widest spread in OAL you can find and shoot them. It isn't going to make a difference at 25 yards or less.

LOL.. HSMITH Your right, it's has something to do with "a***l retentivness".. lol..

Carlos..thanks but no need, i'm going to order the competition seating die.. or maybe even the entire Redding pro set.. I really like the quality of those dies much better.

Well.. shooting in South Carolina on Saturday and I'll see how they perform.. doubt i'll have any issue's.

Mouse.

PS: Carlos, was good seeing you and the other guys also.

Have you tried just loading with the bullet and no primer or powder? If you sizing die is leaving the case a little big your bullet could be getting pushed back out from the compression of the powder. Give it a try.

best

[Bronson7]

Here's a relatively easy way of checking your bullets for consistent (or lack of) ogives. Find 10-20 bullets that are of the same length (+/- .001) then take out your primer punch, set it on the bullets nose and measure the oal with calipers. Keep it all straight while you're measuring. It'll become apparent whether your problem is ogive related.

Bronson7

[BPiatt]

When I shot .38 super out of my Caspian hi-cap, OAL was extremely important. Too short and the rims would catch on the lower round, nosediving the feeding round. So....

Most all seating die stems touch the ogive of the bullet and seat it from that spot. Any variance in the bullet from that point forward would cause that same amount of variance in the OAL. To eliviate any variations in the bullets, I took the seating die stem and made it flat. Now when the bullet is seated, it always hit the seating die at the very top of the bullet and have consistent OAL.

Now seating the bullets from the ogive is the most accurate way to do it... we're talking action sports here, and absolute function is more important than gaining an additional 1/2" accuracy. (if any is gained by ogive seating)

Bruce

Edited May 11, 2007 by BPiatt

[Bronson7]

When I shot .38 super out of my Caspian hi-cap, OAL was extremely important. Too short and the rims would catch on the lower round, nosediving the feeding round. So....

Most all seating die stems touch the ogive of the bullet and seat it from that spot. Any variance in the bullet from that point forward would cause that same amount of variance in the OAL. To eliviate any variations in the bullets, I took the seating die stem and made it flat. Now when the bullet is seated, it always hit the seating die at the very top of the bullet and have consistent OAL.

Now seating the bullets from the ogive is the most accurate way to do it... we're talking action sports here, and absolute function is more important than gaining an additional 1/2" accuracy. (if any is gained by ogive seating)

Bruce

Absolutely. I seat swc's, hps, rnfps, and tcs using a flat stem and maintain an oal consistency of +/- .001". I haven't tried seating RNs this way, but I don't think I would have a problem as I use a Hornady die with an alignment sleeve. With standard dies, it may be problematic.

Bronson7

[Miranda]

Guys,

the problem is not the lack of ogive consistancy.

well ok it is... but it is not what directly concernes me in this.

The problem is not trusting the reloading equipment to be set correctly.

Or that it has not _changed_ from the desired setting.

I have had good results after checking the first few of my homecast lead bullets.

Once things get settled and consistant, I check less.

I start a little long and slowly press a bullet into a case

by turning the seating die in and repressing.

once I get where I'd like, I press 5 more bullets and check them as I go.

lets say 1.140 if I get three at 1.142, then I turn the die in a little more.

now I am set and can do spot checks.

If the ogive is not consistant I can not easily confirm the

press settings for consistancy.

however.... you have given me an Idea.

first I'll have to try it.

miranda