Bulging cases

[trg]

I'm new into reloading 38 Super.

I'm using a RCBS Rock chucker single stage press and RCBS Carbide dies.

Seating the bullets (124gr. Rem FMJ) into new Remington cases is no problem but when I'm seating bullets into ones fired cases the cases are bulging to one side.

The cases have been full sized and ekspanded but makes a much tighter fit to the bullet than the new cases.

Please advise.

[John Dunn]

Sounds like the bullets aren't seating straight so you get a little bulge on one side.

One option is to ignore this, provided the ammo is accurate enough and cycles well.

The alternative I, and a lot of other folks, use is to get a Redding Competition seating die that will seat the bullets straight. Good luck!

[Bret Heidkamp]

Make sure your seating stem fits the bullet. This happens when, for instance, you use the SWC end of the seater in a Dillon die on a RN bullet.

This will often cause a jam in a tight chambered gun - so I would fix ASAP.

[trg]

I've emailed RCBS about the problem and apparently they have an alternate seat stem for RN bullets, different from the RN seat stem supplied with the die set

They will send me another stem free of charge.

[HSMITH]

Also be sure to leave the lock ring loose, seat a bullet and with the ram still fully up tighten the lock ring. This will help center the die in the threads and over the shell plate/holder.

[trg]

Received 2 stems from RCBS today free of charge.

The one marked TMJ fits my bullets perfectly.

Great service, RCBS

[Flexmoney]

Something else to look for...

I usually don't flare the mouth of my cases much, but I noticed that I do need to add just a touch more expansion at the case mouth so that I can set a bullet on there a bit more cleanly.