This is a discussion on lee 9mm bullet seating within the Reloading forums, part of the Firearm Forum category; Originally Posted by Iowegan
CtYankee & tglazie, If COL is set to spec, it should stay the same no matter the length of the brass. ...
CtYankee & tglazie, If COL is set to spec, it should stay the same no matter the length of the brass. However, when you seat and crimp in the same operation, a longer case will grab the crimp taper in the die sooner and result in an over crimp. This will usually prevent the bullet from fully seating and end up with a longer OAL.
Good clarification Iowegan. As a separate seat/crimp reloader I was not thinking of the simultaneous seat/crimp process.
Given this knowledge, OP, are you seating/crimping separately or at the same time?
In addition to Iowegan's excellent advice and explanation, I have noticed that certain brands of bullets will give me variations in OAL. When I load XTP's or Zero bullets, I get little variation within the batch. With some brands of plated lead bullets, however, I get large amounts of variation in the OAL. I'm assuming this is caused by the lack of consistency when sizing the bullets.
I also use Lee dies.
Many good suggestions here ... we all get to learn some new things about reloading. I load nearly all my handgun ammo on a Dillon RL550 and because there is a dedicated die for bullet seating and another for crimping, I never have OAL problems. I use high quality jacketed bullets in my 9mms and have never experienced any issues with them. Come to think of it ... it's been a few years since I loaded any 9mms because I got a smokin' deal when a local K-Mart got out of the guns and ammo business. I did buy a box of 500 124 gr 9mm plated LRNs but haven't loaded any of them yet. I'll keep an eye on OAL when I do and I'll try different brass too.
In addition to Iowegan's excellent advice and explanation, I have noticed that certain brands of bullets will give me variations in OAL. When I load XTP's or Zero bullets, I get little variation within the batch. With some brands of plated lead bullets, however, I get large amounts of variation in the OAL. I'm assuming this is caused by the lack of consistency when sizing the bullets.
I also use Lee dies.
Some of that could be due to the interaction between the seater die plug and the bullet shape. The flat-front bullets - like the XTP - with a flat seater stem will be very repeatable, since the plug hits the bullet at the end of the bullet.
For round-nosed bullets, you would use a round cavity plug, which may not hit at the end of the bullet. If you're using cheaper plated bullets, which may have some variation in their shape, then the seater plug will contact the bullet at different distances from the tip, resulting in different seating depths.
I am having the same issue with Lee dies and Rainier plated 147 grain HPs. I am going to try and seperate my brass a little better and see how much difference that makes. I am only getting around .015 variance but it is still anoying to see that much difference.
This reminds me of some issues I had a year ago. My Lee bullet seater die was "concave" and would not seat all bullet types consistently. I wanted a flat seating stem for my SWC or flat point bullets. So, I made one!
Some of that could be due to the interaction between the seater die plug and the bullet shape. The flat-front bullets - like the XTP - with a flat seater stem will be very repeatable, since the plug hits the bullet at the end of the bullet.
For round-nosed bullets, you would use a round cavity plug, which may not hit at the end of the bullet. If you're using cheaper plated bullets, which may have some variation in their shape, then the seater plug will contact the bullet at different distances from the tip, resulting in different seating depths.
Just a thought.
Jim
I see variation when I seat the 124gr Berry's HBFP bullets. Nothing drastic, maybe .005" spread, but its more than I see with any RN bullets. I keep saying I am going to send a few of the bullets off to Lee to have a custom plug made up but I never do.
took press apart to make sure all was good. did not find any thing wrong. emailed lee to see if they had any answers to my problem. waiting to hear back from them. I'm thinking of getting a hornaday 9mm bullet seating die only but I don't know if they have rubber orings in them like the lee dies have? there is some play in the lee dies with the rubber orings. when I press the bullet head into the case the seating plug does move up some. that is all I can see happening when reloading. very strange for that to happen. If anyone does have the hornaday seating only die let me know if is has the rubber orings or not. an if your having any problems with it. thanks in advance. tomd1943
TOMD1943, Lee is the only company I know of that uses rubber "O" rings. If you do buy a new bullet seating die, you can dedicate the Lee die for crimping and the new one for bullet seating. That way you will avoid continuous adjustment of the die body or seater stem.
Bullet seating is directly related to the bullet seating stem.
If you are seating flat point bulets, you need a flat faced seating stem, if you are seating round nose bulets, you need a "fitted" round nosed bullet seating stem. Seating flat-point bullets with a round-nose seating stem will lead to inconsistent results.
took press apart to make sure all was good. did not find any thing wrong. emailed lee to see if they had any answers to my problem. waiting to hear back from them. I'm thinking of getting a hornaday 9mm bullet seating die only but I don't know if they have rubber orings in them like the lee dies have? there is some play in the lee dies with the rubber orings. when I press the bullet head into the case the seating plug does move up some. that is all I can see happening when reloading. very strange for that to happen. If anyone does have the hornaday seating only die let me know if is has the rubber orings or not. an if your having any problems with it. thanks in advance. tomd1943
That should not be happening. I load a lot of 9mm on a Classic turret with Lee dies and mine don't do this. I don't just finger tighten my dies to the turret head. I use a wrench to set them tight. The rubber o-ring in seating stem section offers no upward movement unless your threads in either the body or the stem are bad. So you have something wrong.
I was having the same issue while loading 9mm with the Lee die. I went to the Hornady New Dimension Seater Die. It seems to be more consistent. I am crimping with the Lee die after.
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