Help With Bullet Seating Micrometers for Redding Dies

[Bitumen]

I picked up one of these the other day in the VLD version. I will be using it on 6.5mm 120 gr Sierra MK bullets. Can I assume that the VLD is the correct one?

I want to get one for my .308 winchester too. How do I know if I need VLD or STD for that one? For my .308 I use 155 gr Nosler Custom Competition HPBT bullets.

Thanks.


http://redding-reloading.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126%3Amicrometer-seat-stems-for-standard-dies

 

[CyaN1de]

The VLD stem will work with all bullets. Where you run into issues is with VLD bullets hitting the end of the standard stem before the opening of the stem seats on the ogive of the bullet.

 

[Bitumen]

The VLD stem will work with all bullets. Where you run into issues is with VLD bullets hitting the end of the standard stem before the opening of the stem seats on the ogive of the bullet.

I'm confused. Could you explain that again? Sorry!

 

[mmattockx]

I'm confused. Could you explain that again? Sorry!

The typical VLD bullet has a very long, pointy nose (the correct term for the nose is the ogive). When used with a standard seating stem (meant for much less pointy bullets), the end of the VLD bullet will often bottom out inside the seating stem before the stem picks up farther down on the ogive as it is supposed to do when things are correct. The VLD seating stem has a much deeper hole in it, to make sure it catches the bullet part way down the ogive instead of hitting the point and damaging it.


Mark