Bro you rock. Been reloading 190 sub x and it ever so slightly gets that ring on it, not terribly but enough to make me want to try to make it perfect. I used a dremel with rubberized polishing tip around same profile as bullet tip and it worked great 👍🏼
Just seated my first Berger 185gr match target bullet in 300 Winchester Magnum. I have a set of Lee dies. And sure enough left a ring. Remembered your video. Sanded it four times. Tested it. Still had a light mark. Sand two more times. And not a mark anymore left. Took ten minutes. Thank you!
This method work's if you only have to remove a little bit of material to make the stem work. If you have a Lee seating stem you can send them a sample bullet and they'll make you a seating stem that fits your type of bullet perfectly. Cost is around $26, I did this for my .308 Hornady FMJBT bullets and no more rings.
Echo and the Bunnymen I know this. I even mention it in the beginning of the video. $20 plus shipping per small part adds up quick. I like cheap quick fixes.
I resell dies so I’ve had a chance to try Forrester, RCBS, Lee, and Hornady. All of them leave a ring on certain bullets. But you know what I found out when I went and looked at some of my factory ammo... it has rings too. I’ve polished the seating stem using a sacrificial bullet, a drill, and some toothpaste. That worked decent, but like I said even some factory ammo has this issue so why should I care.... but deep down it still does bug me lol.
I had this issue with Lee’s seating die from the pacemaker set. I got 5 rounds to the correct depth and thereafter the die started making rings and bullets started getting stuck in the die and not seating them to the correct depth. Read about other people having this issue with the same bullet, 150gr Barnes ttsx 308. I was also able to pull the bullets out by hand atter this. Could the seating die be causing this by pulling on the bullet, or have I screwed up on neck tension?
Bad idea. You just added a new type of inconsistancy. You will just succeed in ruining the seating stem. The whole point of a VLD bullet is ACCURACY and you try to explain how hand sanding the rim will be concentric; It will not be. You need a lathe. Doing this by hand will make The contact rim uneven and will have high and low pressure areas, the high areas will deform the bullet now. You may not see it with the eye, but its pretty much a fact. Just buy or machine one on a lathe that matches your bullet profile. I dont mean to be a jerk, This was bad advice for a precision sport.
Glad I read this made me think a little bit more. I have a Mini lathe but was having trouble getting the right angle for the bullet. After sitting here and thinking about it I figured I'd take the bullet and Chuck it in the lathe and then adjust the angle of the cutter to the side of the bullet. Then replace the bullet with the seater stem that should do it
I’ve done this many times and can show data that it doesn’t harm accuracy at all. Polishing with 400-600grit in a circular motion won’t ever remove enough material to cause runout. You’re seriously overthinking a very simple fix. But as with all things, you do what works for you.
Thank you. Extremely helpful. I actually chucked the seating stem on a drill.
Bro you rock. Been reloading 190 sub x and it ever so slightly gets that ring on it, not terribly but enough to make me want to try to make it perfect. I used a dremel with rubberized polishing tip around same profile as bullet tip and it worked great 👍🏼
Glad it worked for you bud!
I’m trying to use Hornady’s 300 blackout seating die with the 190 subx and getting a bad ring on the bullets. Can’t wait to try this out
Just seated my first Berger 185gr match target bullet in 300 Winchester Magnum. I have a set of Lee dies. And sure enough left a ring. Remembered your video. Sanded it four times. Tested it. Still had a light mark. Sand two more times. And not a mark anymore left. Took ten minutes. Thank you!
Gonna give this a try tonight. Thanks for the simple idea.
Awesome! Just loaded my first few 168 gr A-max bullets and had a ring. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this super simple fix. Worked perfect.
This method work's if you only have to remove a little bit of material to make the stem work. If you have a Lee seating stem you can send them a sample bullet and they'll make you a seating stem that fits your type of bullet perfectly. Cost is around $26, I did this for my .308 Hornady FMJBT bullets and no more rings.
Good idea I think I’ll try it, my problem is with .224 but same problem
My Hornady dies does it on my bullets, ill try your way. Thanks for the video
Agree you rock mate. Thanks just saw the same on my reloads, same setup shooting 140grn rdfs
A good tip . I do this myself but it is good info to get out .
Thank you so much for this video...
Great tech tip. Thanks..
Valve lapping compound works too
This is really useful, my lee die was doing this to my .30 Carbine, gonna have to fix it!
lunarpking glad you found it useful
Its been five years... but did this fix your issue with the Lee seating die?
Well now that is a useful tip!
Nice I have the same problem with 105 rdf
That’s a great tip thanks
ocean374 thanks! Glad you found it useful.
Sheeeerrrrrr genius !!!!!
thanks!
I've been disapointed when I've got this kind of issue with a Forster seating die. Now I use L.E. Wilson dies on a arbor press for all my calibers
Redding does sell a different bullet seating stem for their competition vld bullet seating dies that tackles this problem for roughly around $20.
Echo and the Bunnymen I know this. I even mention it in the beginning of the video. $20 plus shipping per small part adds up quick. I like cheap quick fixes.
I resell dies so I’ve had a chance to try Forrester, RCBS, Lee, and Hornady. All of them leave a ring on certain bullets. But you know what I found out when I went and looked at some of my factory ammo... it has rings too. I’ve polished the seating stem using a sacrificial bullet, a drill, and some toothpaste. That worked decent, but like I said even some factory ammo has this issue so why should I care.... but deep down it still does bug me lol.
I had this issue with Lee’s seating die from the pacemaker set. I got 5 rounds to the correct depth and thereafter the die started making rings and bullets started getting stuck in the die and not seating them to the correct depth. Read about other people having this issue with the same bullet, 150gr Barnes ttsx 308.
I was also able to pull the bullets out by hand atter this. Could the seating die be causing this by pulling on the bullet, or have I screwed up on neck tension?
I have had the same issue on my fmj rn bullets with the Lee dies. Does the ring affect accuracy or make it unsafe?
Start by wetting the abrasive paper with kerosene to float off the metal being removed
Be careful not to polish too much or you will induce additoional runout.
Loading 30-30 fox and man the ring is horrible going to try this
is it just me, or does this dude sound like christoph waltz?
I can see the runout being added with each twist.
you guys gotta knock off this ahhh ahhh ummm ummm
Bad idea.
You just added a new type of inconsistancy.
You will just succeed in ruining the seating stem.
The whole point of a VLD bullet is ACCURACY and you try to explain how hand sanding the rim will be concentric; It will not be. You need a lathe. Doing this by hand will make The contact rim uneven and will have high and low pressure areas, the high areas will deform the bullet now. You may not see it with the eye, but its pretty much a fact.
Just buy or machine one on a lathe that matches your bullet profile.
I dont mean to be a jerk, This was bad advice for a precision sport.
Glad I read this made me think a little bit more. I have a Mini lathe but was having trouble getting the right angle for the bullet. After sitting here and thinking about it I figured I'd take the bullet and Chuck it in the lathe and then adjust the angle of the cutter to the side of the bullet. Then replace the bullet with the seater stem that should do it
I’ve done this many times and can show data that it doesn’t harm accuracy at all. Polishing with 400-600grit in a circular motion won’t ever remove enough material to cause runout. You’re seriously overthinking a very simple fix. But as with all things, you do what works for you.