Thread: Seating die marking projectiles

My seating die leaves a ring mark around the projectiles when I seat them. It's been doing it since new, I've done about 100 rounds and taking the die apart and cleaning it hadn't helped. It's a hornady seating die, has anyone else had this issue? The marks are visible but can barely be felt.

Disassemble again and smooth out the inside corner on the steating stem where it contacts the projectile

Spin it in a drill and use fine sand paper and then 0000 steel wool on the offending mark making area

It'll just be a burr from the manufacturing process. Unfortunate but do what @akaroa1 said and you'll be right.

You do not mention calibre but dies usually are made for streamlined bullets and round nose and cast bullets often have ring marks on them.
I have altered a few seating dies over the years but if minimal now usually ignore it.
When sizing cast bullets it is crucial that the nose punch fits as a lot more pressure is applied.

This is a common problem with big bore BP cartridges
Some die sets come with two seating stems to use with flat nose or spitzer bullets

I have modified a number of them to suit a particular projectile
And made custom seating stems for spitzer bullets in calibers they are not usually used in.
I have exclusively single shot rifles which can use spitzers happily in calibers that are more often seen in lever action rifles = flat nose bullets for tube magazines

Also quite a problem with pure lead cast Powder Coated bullets that are easy to "ring" with the seating stem if it has a sharp corner or the wrong angle for your bullet nose

No they are 212 grain eld-x pills in a 300 prc, thought it might be the shape of the bullet but I'll give sanding a go like Akaroa said, cheers

Hornady sell a vld seating stem end you can switch out..

I tried the Hornady VLD stem but still marked the 208 ELDM I was using. Switched to Redding does with VLD stem and problem solved

Yip you need the eld seating steam iv got it in one set of dies and it works my other use to dies mark the projectile but I got some valve geinding paste and put a projectile in the drill and honed it, it worked ok but was abit of effort i wouldnt do it again

If you're only going to be using one projectile and the problem isn't caused by excessive neck tension from too small a neck diameter after sizing, the fix is to chuck up a bullet in a drill or lathe and use lapping compound to recut the stem to properly fit the projectile nose.

You need the eld stem as stated. Been there. Will help with a consistent seating depth as well.

With the big 30cal stems there’s quite a difference in their shape. To drill/lap/polish it out would take forever.

Originally Posted by SPEARONZ

You need the eld stem as stated. Been there. Will help with a consistent seating depth as well.

With the big 30cal stems there’s quite a difference in their shape. To drill/lap/polish it out would take forever.

Yea the one I hoaned was a redding and it was a far better shape to start with than the regular hornady one looking at my hornady one itd be a mission