njc110381 Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I'm having some trouble reloading for my .243 and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I've got an RCBS die set and when I seat the bullet it pushes the neck and shoulder out of shape. I'm using boat tailed bullets and the cases are once fired Prvi. There's nothing wrong with the cases or the sizing die as I've seated a couple of rounds with my Lee Loader into cases already sized on the press and they're coming out fine. I'm also not heavy handed - if I can reload Hornet I should be able to do .243 without ******* it up! Any ideas? I've set the dies to touch the shell holder plus a quarter turn. That's how I've always done it and I've never had trouble before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Take the dies OUT 1/4-1/2 of a turn... I've seen this with RCBS dies and 243 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 As garyb said, back off the die a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindeye Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I'm having some trouble reloading for my .243 and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I've got an RCBS die set and when I seat the bullet it pushes the neck and shoulder out of shape. I'm using boat tailed bullets and the cases are once fired Prvi. There's nothing wrong with the cases or the sizing die as I've seated a couple of rounds with my Lee Loader into cases already sized on the press and they're coming out fine. I'm also not heavy handed - if I can reload Hornet I should be able to do .243 without ******* it up! Any ideas? I've set the dies to touch the shell holder plus a quarter turn. That's how I've always done it and I've never had trouble before? it does seam that the seating die is compressing the neck of the case when pressed together , i use RCBS set up , maybe a few problems try winding the seating die out a bit to reduce the amount the bullet is seated into the case and measure the oal of the round.or maybe it has the incorrect internals in the die itself , it can happen as i have seen it with a lee die set before . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy111 Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Just a couple of thoughts at the moment. Try running a empty, resized case into the seating die and see if any damage. I suppose the cases have been checked/cut to length after resizing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I backed the die off a bit as Gary suggested and it's sorted. Thanks for that! I'm a bit lost as to why this would happen though? Is it only Lee dies that need adjusting in to touch and then a little more to take out any play there might be in the press? That seems far more sensible to me but there we go. I'm hardly an expert and this set didn't come with instructions. The cases have been trimmed and prepared as they were supplied by a couple of guys off of here. I always trim and check second hand brass because I don't know where it's been or what life it's had. As it happens both lots are perfect but I have picked up brass that's had multiple firings as "once fired" in the past so always check just in case. Anyway, problem solved. Thanks chaps, I'm very grateful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I backed the die off a bit as Gary suggested and it's sorted. Thanks for that! I'm a bit lost as to why this would happen though? Is it only Lee dies that need adjusting in to touch and then a little more to take out any play there might be in the press? That seems far more sensible to me but there we go. I'm hardly an expert and this set didn't come with instructions. The cases have been trimmed and prepared as they were supplied by a couple of guys off of here. I always trim and check second hand brass because I don't know where it's been or what life it's had. As it happens both lots are perfect but I have picked up brass that's had multiple firings as "once fired" in the past so always check just in case. Anyway, problem solved. Thanks chaps, I'm very grateful. Personally i wont even mix my own brass up, never would i consider buying used brass unless i had them from a mate who didn't reload and only used one type of ammo, shooting once and putting it in a box for me. Best way to seat bullets is a benchrest type seater in an arbour press, never again would i bother another way. glad to hear you got it sorted anyway these things can drive you mad sometimes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 When I first started reloading StealthStalkers 243, he was also using the standard RCBS dies and we had the exact same problem with crushed necks and doughnut shoulders! Simply wound it out a tad and it's been fine ever since. I've never had that problem with Redding dies in my own 243 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Kent - I know what you're saying. I've just been very short of funds over the winter. Short enough to make me sell my nice kit and buy stuff I can get by with just to keep me going with my farmers etc. I've been very grateful for the free brass, it's helped a lot and I doubt I'd have managed without it. With free brass and powder/primers I had already for other calibres (not the best but usable) I've made nearly free ammunition! I only needed to buy bullets. There was a time that I would go out and buy a couple of hundred Lapua cases and treat them carefully, loading with premium bullets and shooting dozens or even hundreds of rounds to find the right load. My groups were touching at 100 yards with my 6.5x55. Now I have this cheap .243 I can just about get an inch at the same range, but strangely I've shot more Deer with that than I did with the 6.5! I shoot Deer in the heart, not in the eye and I've proven to myself that I don't need that good a group to have a good day. I'm quite a fan of Lee kit. It's not expensive and it works. Maybe not for really keen shots, but my touching 100 yard groups were made with a Lee neck sizer and seating die. If you're going for 300+ yard varmints or targets you need to be spot on. To plug a Deer all you need to be able to do is hit a saucer sized target at 200 yards and that's that sorted out to the ranges I shoot to. I'll go back to super keen when I can afford to but until then I'm having a great time just getting by! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 set them correct then loctite them jobs a gud un Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Njc, Glad that brass has worked, working on the next batch just now! (6 down 54 to go!) so, about a few months! Regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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