Redding Bullet Seating Micrometer for VLD Bullets

[BenTerrible]

Currently running the Type S Competition Micrometer seating die for 308 Win, the small ring around the ogive of the bullet is beginning to drive me nuts. I am curious if anyone has swapped the seating micrometer for the VLD bullets, which apparently eliminates this ring?

I am aware of the VLD micrometer from Redding, however, it reads right on their website "Not for use with our competition seating dies..."

If you have swapped the seating micrometer in your competition die to a VLD micrometer, please share a part #!

 

[gstaylorg]

Take a look at this post at another site, you might find it helpful:

Bullet Marks

FWIW - the ring is not normal and can be fixed by several approaches including replacement, polishing with extra fine sandpaper or steel wool, etc., as mentioned in the above post. Much will depend on the specific reason for the ring. If it's due to a defect in the seater stem, replacement or repair are your best options. If it's due to excessive neck tension, you can fix that easily by backing off the neck tension to a couple thousandths.

FWIW - Redding makes seating stems for both tangent and secant ogive (VLD) bullets. They're about $20.00 each. It is not the entire seating micrometer, just the stem that goes inside. Unless you're using VLD bullets, there shouldn't be any need for a VLD seating stem. Using a VLD seating stem may actually solve the ring problem if you're seating non-VLD bullets, but be aware that's probably not why you have the problem in the first place.

If it's a defect in the stem, replacing it with a new [regular] stem will fix the problem just as well. People generally match the seater stem to the type bullets they're seating in order to minimize runout, not to fix impression rings in the bullet jacket.

I had an issue recently with a .223 seater that was also giving me rings. In my case, the stem had a defect, so I called Redding about it. They were very helpful and are going to replace the defective stem. They also gave me the specific catalog numbers for the different .223 stems they manufacture, which weren't so easy to find at the suppliers. I mainly wanted to pick up the .223 VLD stems for seating 90 gr VLDs. You might try giving them a call and see if they can help you as well. Good luck.

 

[milo 2.0]

Here, this is what you need. I think you're mistaking that add on micro seater for a regular die. If you have a comp seater, this will work.

Gunstop Reloading Supplies - Redding Reloading Dies

I'd steer clear of lapping or sanding the original stem, a guy can mess them up and have concentricity issues.

 

[Aimsmall55]

Basically you take a "d" series seater die... Put the vld stem and micrometer on it and its just as good as a competition seater die. At least in my 6.5 creedmor. It's spot on and have loaded over 1700 rounds with it and never had an issue.

 

[Aeon1]

Currently running the Type S Competition Micrometer seating die for 308 Win, the small ring around the ogive of the bullet is beginning to drive me nuts. I am curious if anyone has swapped the seating micrometer for the VLD bullets, which apparently eliminates this ring?

I am aware of the VLD micrometer from Redding, however, it reads right on their website "Not for use with our competition seating dies..."

If you have swapped the seating micrometer in your competition die to a VLD micrometer, please share a part #!

Yes I use them in many different dies. You do not swap the entire head on S type dies, you ony change out the internal seating stem. They come in long and standard in each caliber depending on the length of die you are using. Shorter cartridges like the 308 usually take the long stem and if that's the case the part number is #55750. Sinclair usually stocks all versions.

Std length REDDING COMPETITION STANDARD LENGTH VLD SEATER STEMS | Sinclair Intl
Long length Redding Competition Long VLD Seater Stems | Sinclair Intl

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I don't think that the ring is a major problem aerodynamic problem, only an aesthetic one.

A bona fide problem might be when you get no ring around the nose. If you take the stem/plug out and find that the nose of the bullet bottoms out on the top of the plug and no part of the plug's mouth contacts that bullet ogive, you might have a bullet being seated in a non-concentric manner.

I loaded up some Berger 250gr OTM Hybrids a couple of years back during their preproduction testing and I was fiddling with my Redding Competition seater and pulled things apart to lube/clean things a bit.

I placed the standard 338LM plug over the nose of the bullet and the plug wasn't even close to contacting the sides of the ogive, the bullet's profile was that steep!

I was even mashing down the meplat's edges slightly. Things shot well for me, but I wasn't able to test for concentricity for the Berger 250s, vs. some other loaded rounds I have, so I can't say if this was an issue, or not.

Rings prove that you're at least contacting the ogive and not contacting the bullet's nose/meplat and they might also prove that the gilding metal is a tad soft.

Finally, a full circumference ring might prove that your neck tension is too tight and seating force is making the indent/ring.

Chris

 

[DieselWSM]

Once upon a time I had the same problem. I called Redding and the techs belief was that the neck tension was too tight and causing the ring when seating a bullet. I changed bushing in the neck sizing die and there was no more problem.

 

[bruddah]

Good info.