inline bullet seating die

[crooked barrel jed]

I am having trouble getting my H&R target classic 38-55 to shoot decent groups right now I'm getting 3" at 100m at the best. I'm loading a full case of 2f goex,walters wad,255gr cast bullet lubed for black. when I seat the bullets they seem to raise a little bulge in the case like the bullet isn't seating straight. I believe this is my problem. I would like to try an inline seater, but which one? a Redding competition, a Vickerman, a Meacham, somthing else?What are you guy's using? Or am I missing something else? (By the way I load other black powder cartridges for other rifles and this is the only one giving problems)

 

[trevj]

I'd want to take a close look at the dimensional differences between a properly sized case and a fired one, to see if I was working the brass more than was wise.

Can you resize just the neck? Crimp or no crimp? Flat metplat or round nose?

Is your brass consistent? Wall thickness around the neck?

Does the seater tilt them all to one side, or do they go in random directions? Is your press straight?

Is your chamber straight? That'd account for crooked brass too.

I dunno what you have looked at for troubleshooting, but that is some of the things that I'd be checking first. I'd be trying to set up my dies to barely size the brass.
No more than enough to get it to feed reliably, anyway.

Before I chucked money at a high buck seating die, I'd get square on what exactly I was dealing with for cause factors that created the swollen neck issue in the first place.

This all from doing my research on care and feeding of .22 Hornet brass, in preparation for the one I am building.

Have you tried just compressing a load and thumb seating the bullet on a unsized case?

Cheers
Trev

 

[gunlaker]

I've got a redding competition seater for my .45's and it definitely gives a little less runout.

SOme other things to think about, just in case you aren't aware. There are 2 case lengths for .38-55, if you are using short brass in the longer chamber then you could be seriously distorting the bullet.

I imagine you've slugged the bore? There is also considerable variance in .38-55 groove diameters, although I imagine yours is .375".

If you suspect misalignment I'd try what Trevj suggested with a thumb seated bullet. I've had decent luck that way if the Rifling consistently engraves the front driving band.


Chris.

 

[ben hunchak]

I really like the Vickermann seater although I'm not sure that is the problem.

 

[catnthehatt]

I don'yt think it's a crooked bullet seating myself, otherwise you'd only see bulging on one side of the case.
Slug the boare, and check your OAL first.....
Cat

 

[DEZ]

Mine used to do this only partially re-size your brass and this should go away \i use a bullet sized .379 and it would bulge the brass when seating with new brass or brass that I had full length sized just size it enough to grip the bullet you will have to have the de-capping pin sticking out the bottom of the die . give it a try

 

[crooked barrel jed]

it is all loaded in new unfired brass, full length sized and trimmed, the bullets only cause the ridge on one side of the case, I've played with various overall cartridge lengths, the press loads all my other cartridges fine. you have offered up some things to check though. thanks

 

[crooked barrel jed]

I think the fist thing I'll try is thumb seating the bullet in a partially sized once fired case. that sounds like it should remove a lot of variables in one shot.(no pun intended) thanks again