lee bullet seating die mod

50 BMG, Collet, and steel reloading dies plus the Factory Crimp Dies. Also, discussions concerning the Deluxe, Pacesetter, and RGB die sets.
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by chet »

Tom Myers wrote:Maybe the spring causes the cartridge to make contact to align the bullet and then compresses into the adjustment plug against a stop and then continues to seat the bullet to a predetermined depth.
Tom

exactly.

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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by horseman »

O.K., I get it now, kinda the same "principle" the Redding comp die uses, sorta. One question, (I hate to assume anything here) would this be caliber specific? This seater you modded is for 223 loading correct? I have no Lee rifle dies so just checking.
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by Macd »

May give this a try sometime. I think I understand the mod. My own experience is that problems in seating bullets straight and with consistant neck tension involve several variables. The floating seating plug compensates for some but not all. Anything that adds too much rigidity to the process during the initial seating of the bullet will prevent the natural physical alignment that happens when two parallel surfaces mate. Apply enough force and the weaker component (i.e. the case mouth) has to yield.

I opted to make custom seating plugs that have a few thousands circumferial tolerance within the adjusting cap to allow the bullet to align itself within the case neck before full seating force is progressively applied. I flare for all cast and for the few flat based jacketed I use.
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by chet »

macd
i normally make the seaters to custom match the bullet contour also, the issue is the seater still floats with no bullet contact till the seater contacts the adjustable part of the die, this mod corrects alignment the moment the bullet touches the spring loaded seater centers it before the seater contacts the adjustable seater
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by chet »

horseman wrote:O.K., I get it now, kinda the same "principle" the Redding comp die uses, sorta. One question, (I hate to assume anything here) would this be caliber specific? This seater you modded is for 223 loading correct? I have no Lee rifle dies so just checking.
horseman
the part of the 223 brass fits inside the seater, for any caliber, as long as the hole in the top adj part is the same dia, fits most calibers
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by Ranch Dog »

What would make this easy is finding a metal end cap, something like the follower in a levergun tubular magazine, but of the appropriate dimensions. I'm looking for such, plus the spring. I have 30 ~ 35 die sets, if I do it, I will do all of them.

I had some small metal spring caps for 5/16" springs but, of course, I cannot find them now.
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by larryw »

Ranch Dog wrote: I had some small metal spring caps for 5/16" springs but, of course, I cannot find them now.
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Re: lee bullet seating die mod

Post by mikld »

Dense one here too. Is the base of the modified case drilled so the bullet passes through, centering the bullet, then push against the "normal" seating portion? Is the mod more of a "centering devise"?
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