Hornady 143 eldx seating depth inconsistences

[Nosteponsnek]

I've been reloading for a few years now for my 6.5cm with Berger 140 and 144 bullets on my foster coaxal press with Redding competition die with a VLD seater and my seating depth has always been constant. i recently switched over to load some 143 eldx for hunting since I cant get any of the 140 élite hunters right now. I loaded up ten to do a pressure test and set them up to be 15 thousands off the lands for the test. I'll load them at 20 thousands off. I noticed with the first round it put a indent on the bullet from the seating stem and all the other ten I loaded had the same indent some seamed a little deeper but nothing extremely different. I checked seating depth and some were 5 thousands and a few were off 10 thousands further out. what would cause this it seams to be only with the eldx? and should i adjust my seating depth so they are all the same with the bullet comparator?

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Indent where on the bullet? Can you post some pics?

Are you talking about a small ring around the bullet where the stem makes contact?
Or are you meaning the tips are being dented by the end of the seating stem?

 

[Nosteponsnek]

Indent where on the bullet? Can you post some pics?

Are you talking about a small ring around the bullet where the stem makes contact?
Or are you meaning the tips are being dented by the end of the seating stem?

there's a small ring where the steam is making contact on the bullet
ill post some pics when i get home

 

[Baron23]

there's a small ring where the steam is making contact on the bullet
ill post some pics when i get home

Might be a stupid question but did you mic the Hndy vs Berger diameter and check against neck I.D. and desired tension?

 

[Nosteponsnek]

Might be a stupid question but did you mic the Hndy vs Berger diameter and check against neck I.D. and desired tension?

I did not mic the bullets but the neck tension on a loaded round is the same. All my neck tension is 2 thousands

 

[Baron23]

I did not mic the bullets but the neck tension on a loaded round is the same. All my neck tension is 2 thousands

So, please forgive me as I’m an idiot….but if you haven’t ascertained the diameter of that batch of eld-x, how do you know you still have .002 neck tension?

 

[Nosteponsnek]

So, please forgive me as I’m an idiot….but if you haven’t ascertained the diameter of that batch of eld-x, how do you know you still have .002 neck tension?

I measured a loaded round on the neck diameter and a unloaded sized round

 

[Nosteponsnek]

You can see it barley but it’s there and looks worse in person

 

[db2000]

Hornady makes specific stems for certain bullets, at least certainly for A-Tips I know and some ELD-M’s. Whether they can be used in your die I’m not sure. I’ve had the same rings seating 225 ELD-M and not using the correct stem in my Hornady Custom Grade die.
Also, I’m assuming you’re measuring with a comparator (BTO)and not tip of the bullet (COAL) since you mentioned a comparator.
Hope that helps

 

[rayvandervort]

Hornady makes specific stems for certain bullets, at least certainly for A-Tips I know and some ELD-M’s. Whether they can be used in your die I’m not sure. I’ve had the same rings seating 225 ELD-M and not using the correct stem in my Hornady Custom Grade die.
Also, I’m assuming you’re measuring with a comparator (BTO)and not tip of the bullet (COAL) since you mentioned a comparator.
Hope that helps

Although I am guessing here, looking at the cross section of the bullet gives what I believe is the reason or clue. This area of the mark is also where the bullet has little solid construction, so a pressure point can squeeze the bullet and leave damage, thus a special seater is designed to prevent this by dispersing the pressure point and or moving it's position.