Seating issues with 75gr Hornady BTHP and my 650

[SDlocal]

Guys,

I have recently converted my press to .223 when loading I have powder die, powder check die, lee seating die, lee fcd. I am seating to 2.250 and having variations from 2.248 to 2.250. I am using mixed brass trimmed on my Giraurd trimmer. Some cases are not trimmed as the are a tad below my trim length of 1.752.

I made sure my shell plate was a tight as possible but it did not resolve the issue...can my mixed brass (pre-sized on a separate tool head) be causing this?

[Dan Sierpina]

Guys,

I have recently converted my press to .223 when loading I have powder die, powder check die, lee seating die, lee fcd. I am seating to 2.250 and having variations from 2.248 to 2.250. I am using mixed brass trimmed on my Giraurd trimmer. Some cases are not trimmed as the are a tad below my trim length of 1.752.

I made sure my shell plate was a tight as possible but it did not resolve the issue...can my mixed brass (pre-sized on a separate tool head) be causing this?

.002" of variation is nothing to be concerned with. The bullet is contacted on the ogive, not the tip. Even benchrest bullets will vary when measured to the tip.

[SDlocal]

Thanks, When I wrote that last night I was a little tired I am actually seeing 2.248 to 2.257...so it's a .007 variation...using mixed brass...still ok?

Edited February 18, 2008 by SDlocal

[Dan Sierpina]

Thanks, When I wrote that last night I was a little tired I am actually seeing 2.248 to 2.257...so it's a .007 variation...using mixed brass...still ok?

That's still fine. If you measure the bullets themselves you'll find that much variation.

[bigsaxdog]

Thanks, When I wrote that last night I was a little tired I am actually seeing 2.248 to 2.257...so it's a .007 variation...using mixed brass...still ok?

that's .009......(i'm a jerk...)one of the problems with any press is that the actual stop part of the press stroke is only controlled by the shellplate contacting something. this is why sizing rifle brass on these things doesn't work very well. even dillon doesn't recommend it. i've seen kabooms..... even if the 650 shellplate hits some kind of die in your set-up, the toolhead moves a little. i've been using my redding comp seater die in my 550, and it works ok, but i have hard contact in station 1 w/ a lee decapper die, and hard contact in station 4 w/a redding taper crimp die(this die i like, just barely touches the neck), and that seems to lock the thing up pretty good, but the toolhead moves till it locks up, you dig? the .009 is something wrong, but i still have maybe .004- variance w/ 69 match bullets, unless i uniform the ogive. i still like doing everything on a single stage for better control, loading on a 650 on down has problems. now a 1050 would be another story, it's designed for rifle reloading....you got an extra $2000 you could lend me? i promise to reload your shizzit.....

[SDlocal]

Thanks, When I wrote that last night I was a little tired I am actually seeing 2.248 to 2.257...so it's a .007 variation...using mixed brass...still ok?

that's .009......(i'm a jerk...)one of the problems with any press is that the actual stop part of the press stroke is only controlled by the shellplate contacting something. this is why sizing rifle brass on these things doesn't work very well. even dillon doesn't recommend it. i've seen kabooms..... even if the 650 shellplate hits some kind of die in your set-up, the toolhead moves a little. i've been using my redding comp seater die in my 550, and it works ok, but i have hard contact in station 1 w/ a lee decapper die, and hard contact in station 4 w/a redding taper crimp die(this die i like, just barely touches the neck), and that seems to lock the thing up pretty good, but the toolhead moves till it locks up, you dig? the .009 is something wrong, but i still have maybe .004- variance w/ 69 match bullets, unless i uniform the ogive. i still like doing everything on a single stage for better control, loading on a 650 on down has problems. now a 1050 would be another story, it's designed for rifle reloading....you got an extra $2000 you could lend me? i promise to reload your shizzit.....

I size my brass on a seperate tool head that only contains the sizing die...

[fastshooter03]

Another issue you may find is if you're filling up the case with powder(Varget, Benchmark, N135,etc) the bullet will be compressing the powder and depending on your case capacities it might cause base to Ogive variations. Another reason why I run two seater dies in the 650. The second one is set to only move the bullet .001" deeper. OALs come out better this way. If you've got WWWAAAAYYYYY too much time on your hands you can trim the Meplat on your hollowpoints. You'll loose a little BC but they will be more consistent down range and might give you a couple RCHs more room in the mag.

Nick