Lee dies...what am I doing wrong???

[johngibbs222]

BTW a new stem is only a few bucks direct from lee.

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

Its probably the seating stem/plug isnt deep enough to support this action. I had same issue with lee dies and bought a hornady set with eld seating stem and micrometer. All good.

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

.005 shoulder bump I assume its on a gas gun so your still magazine limited. I will say the 105gr Hornady bthp while not the highest B.C, where most forgiving, shorter than comparable 105's and still shot great easily to 1k. Cheaper too. And Barnes 105s.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

I've not encountered many issues with Lee dies that didn't have an operator error going on, amd I use them as my first choice, where available. Call them before you just ditch them for another brand.

 

[BW64]

Lee has a new bullet seating micrometer that screws into your existing die. For $16 might be worth a try! Saw it at Midsouth.

 

[Rosebud]

You can mix and match dies. My Grendel turret has a lee sizing die and a redding seating die. With a LFC die. I ran into a similar issue while using long bullets. Redding die fixed my problem. So the lee stem may fix yours.

 

[cajun]

Not a fan of Lee dies. Any 6mm seating die will work.

 

[Chranah]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to cut down the stem so I can keep the die body down like it's supposed to and then add a micrometer seating dial on the top!
As for the brass losing its lubrication properties after annealing, I think you're correct. I could feel the bullet dragging more as I seated them. I'll be sure to check neck tension after annealing.
Also, to clarify, yes, it is a gas gun, and I'm running the Hornady 103gr ELDX in the cartridge.
I also got my hands on a Ruger Gen II in 6mmARC that I'm starting a load up for. It gave MOA groups out of the box with factory ammo, so I'm excited to load for this bolt gun.

 

[Rosebud]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to cut down the stem so I can keep the die body down like it's supposed to and then add a micrometer seating dial on the top!
As for the brass losing its lubrication properties after annealing, I think you're correct. I could feel the bullet dragging more as I seated them. I'll be sure to check neck tension after annealing.
Also, to clarify, yes, it is a gas gun, and I'm running the Hornady 103gr ELDX in the cartridge.
I also got my hands on a Ruger Gen II in 6mmARC that I'm starting a load up for. It gave MOA groups out of the box with factory ammo, so I'm excited to load for this bolt gun.

Best of luck. Shoot on!

 

[cdherman]

So you annealed and never mandreled or resized in any way? I don't think that's a viable sequence. You will at a MINIMUM burn off all lube and/or carbon residue (lube too). And probably the heat/cool sequence reduced the diameter of the neck.

Body shop guy I know would shrink a body part that had been enlarged though stretching (beating it back into shape), by heating it up and letting it cool. That was steel. I personally have no proof/knowledge about how brass behaves, but I do anneal and I certainly at least run a mandrel with some graphite though the neck after annealing..

 

[Chranah]

run a mandrel with some graphite though the neck after annealing..

I don't do this, but I'm certainly willing to try it! Thanks!

 

[JakeC]

My Lee 25-06 seater is possibly the most useless thing I own. I would look for any alternative as fast as possible.

That said, I cooked some brass a little well done and got similar blown shoulders. Actually I hd some do it before annealing so I was misusing that die but annealing made it way worse.

But still. Hornady doesn't have a set? Their
Seater is a huge upgrade for short money.