Ring on bullet

[Maelstrom]

I started loading a new load today for my .22-250. I started loading a 60 gr Vmax on 31.5 gr of Varget. I am using a Forster Coax press with a brand new Forster Ultra Micrometer Seating Die on virgin Lapua brass. Max load is 34 gr of Varget. My C.O.L. is measuring right at 2.350. When I started the first 4 rounds gave an audible click when I lowered the ram after seating the bullet. The next 6 did not have the audible click but all 10 bullets now have a ring on the just above the case mouth. I cleaned the die prior to starting. I tried running a qtip through the seating die to see if there is a burr or something with no snags. I have never had this issue before. Anyone have any idea what is causing this.

 

[spife7980]

Too much neck tension or maybe just needs the stem lapped to the bullet.
Take the stem out of the die and see how it fits the bullet by hand.

 

[918v]

Too much seating pressure

 

[45-90]

Seating pressure, bullet ro seating die, mismatch, and compressed powder charges cause this common problem.
It's why Hornady sells different seating stems for their eldm bullet line.

Just try a Hornady eldm 22 cal seating stem in a Hornady seating die.
Or lap the seating stem with a bullet loaded with silicon carbide lapping compound in a lathe or drill motor, then finish polish with Iosso bore polish to fit a larger portion of the bullet profile to the seating stem.

 

[918v]

Or just reduce seating pressure by prepping the cases correctly.

 

[918v]

So you’re telling him to lap the seating stem to that bullet. What is he supposed to do for a different bullet? Lap it again? And keep lapping until there is no more seater stem left to lap?

 

[Maelstrom]

Or just reduce seating pressure by prepping the cases correctly.

What exactly am I doing wrong when prepping my cases? Virgin brass that was chamfered and deburred, then weight sorted. I primed the cases with a RCBS Universal Priming Tool using Federal 210M primers prior to loading with powder then seating the bullet. I am not near max charge. Hornady starts at 29.5 for Varget with a max charge of 34.1 for a 60 gr bullet. My charge of 31.5 should be safe.

 

[918v]

What exactly am I doing wrong when prepping my cases? Virgin brass that was chamfered and deburred, then weight sorted. I primed the cases with a RCBS Universal Priming Tool using Federal 210M primers prior to loading with powder then seating the bullet. I am not near max charge. Hornady starts at 29.5 for Varget with a max charge of 34.1 for a 60 gr bullet. My charge of 31.5 should be safe.

Did you measure the neck diameter before seating the bullets? Did you expand the necks with an expander mandrel? Did you run them through a sizing die? Or did you only chamfer? Lapua necks usually are undersized straight out of the box and this combined with the annealing causes excessive seating pressure and bullet nose deformation.

 

[spife7980]

What’s your case neck diameter before and after seating the bullet?
That will show you how much interference fit you have between the case and bullet.
Too much means too much force to overcome and you get deformations.

 

[hafejd30]

Less tension will certainly help.

I’ve had this issue with as little as .0015-.002 neck tension. Was just the way the taper of the bullet matched up with the taper of the stem

I run Redding seaters which have vld stems available. Certain bullets prefer the standard stem others prefer the vld stem. If I notice the sticking I’ll swap the stems. That generally fixes the issue

 

[Old Man with Gun]

It can also be caused by pulling the handle too fast so bullet impacts seating stem. You want to push the bullet in, should feel smooth.

 

[918v]

Small neck tension does not automatically guarantee low seating pressure. You also have to pay attention to the neck surface and friction. I like to use imperial dry lube to lower friction. Another consideration is the diameter of the neck before it is expanded to set the neck tension. The smaller the diameter the greater the seating pressure even tho the neck tension is fixed at .002”.

 

[Jcarpenter223]

How does it shoot on paper or steel?

 

[Maelstrom]

Did you measure the neck diameter before seating the bullets? Did you expand the necks with an expander mandrel? Did you run them through a sizing die? Or did you only chamfer? Lapua necks usually are undersized straight out of the box and this combined with the annealing causes excessive seating pressure and bullet nose deformation.

I did not measure the neck diameter. Usually with new Lapua brass I just chamfer then load. My sizing dies are Redding flsd that have have expander balls in them. I usually load for .22-250 with a 55 gr Vmax bullet. I wanted to try the 60 gr Vmax.

 

[Maelstrom]

How does it shoot on paper or steel?

Haven't shot it yet. Just loaded it today. I will try it out this weekend hopefully if it doesn't rain.

 

[Maelstrom]

Small neck tension does not automatically guarantee low seating pressure. You also have to pay attention to the neck surface and friction. I like to use imperial dry lube to lower friction. Another consideration is the diameter of the neck before it is expanded to set the neck tension. The smaller the diameter the greater the seating pressure even tho the neck tension is fixed at .002”.

I didn't even think about using imperial dry lube. I have so e sitting in a drawer by my bench.

 

[MK20]

Mine looked like that.

Shot fine.

 

[918v]

I did not measure the neck diameter. Usually with new Lapua brass I just chamfer then load. My sizing dies are Redding flsd that have have expander balls in them. I usually load for .22-250 with a 55 gr Vmax bullet. I wanted to try the 60 gr Vmax.

A Sinclair expander die with the right size expander mandrel and dry lube will cure the ring illness.

 

[tomme boy]

if you have any powder compression it will cause this too. You don't have to lap the bullet into the seater stem. You just need to break the edge of the stem so it does not have a sharp edge.

 

[charnicus]

My Forster 308 seater would do this on Scenars. Also a similar bullet shape. I had to really back off the neck tension like 1.5 thou. I’d always mandrel and chamfer new Lapua brass.

It was also necessary to clean up the stem.

The die was friendlier to Sierra 175s.

You might even try a different seating die. I am not sure that Forster sells different stems like Redding.

 

[45-90]

Or just reduce seating pressure by prepping the cases correctly.

I already addressed that in the opening sentence..."seating pressure." Obviously too much will ring the bullet, especially if you use a mismatched seating stem, and a really reduced diameter neck....all easily addressed.

 

[45-90]

So you’re telling him to lap the seating stem to that bullet. What is he supposed to do for a different bullet? Lap it again? And keep lapping until there is no more seater stem left to lap?

Absolutely ....Seating stems are cheap, and they will usually fit several close bullet profiles for normal seating endevors...I sometimes make my own from round stock, and lapp them in.


What do ya do with compressed loads? You need a seating stem that fits.
As mentioned Hornady sells them for eldm, but sometimes ya need to lapp them for a perfect fit.

Especially when you shoot 250 gr Atips and my favorite 230 gr Atips at 2700 fps in your 308 with a case full of powder....ya might learn something about seating bullets.
Your normal procedure may not work here...like 56.1 grs under that barnes bullet.
Yes they are hybrid cases...with heavy powder charges.

 

[918v]

His load isn’t compressed. It is far easier to prep the brass correctly than sourcing and lapping seater stems.

 

[BPGuru]

I have run into this same situation with a Forster seating die. It could be caused by numerous things but what I discovered after taking the die apart was the leading edge of the seating stem needed to be polished. Fixed the problem. I will admit it was only an appearance issue as the bullets grouped fine at a mile. Good luck and please post your solution.

 

[45-90]

I have run into this same situation with a Forster seating die. It could be caused by numerous things but what I discovered after taking the die apart was the leading edge of the seating stem needed to be polished. Fixed the problem. I will admit it was only an appearance issue as the bullets grouped fine at a mile. Good luck and please post your solution.

Yes the Forester micrometer seater was a problem for me too...took it apart, cut some off the end of the seater, as its very thin, and reworked the seating stem to fit the bullet profile, then lapp in to the bullet profile most used... works great after.
Others have had problems with that Firester seating stem.
Don't want to do that, try a Hornady seating die with an eldm seating stem... works better and more robust, but Forester is okay when reworked, I use it on the 6 Dasher.