emmagator
Well-Known Member
My lee pro 1000 is seating the bullets crooked for my .223 rounds. Took out die, inspected, cleaned, but still doing it. Can't figure it out, some get seated worse than others. Using the lee pacesetter dies.
Lee pro 1000 seating crooked?
- Thread starter emmagator
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
I assume you have a concentricity gauge of some sort...
Check the brass (at the case neck) after you size it. See if the necks are straight at that point...
I doubt there's anything wrong with the press (assuming it seats other bullets straight)...
That leaves the dies and brass.
If your expander mandrel has gotten off axis (bent somehow) in the sizing die, it'll give you crooked case necks.
Lack of adequate lubrication on the brass during sizing often results in crooked case necks as well, as they are pulled off axis when the expander ball pulls back through.
You can limit and often eliminate the need for lube inside the case neck by making sure necks are clean inside, and then you can polish the expander ball by chucking the mandrel in a drill, and polishing it to a mirror finish with 400 then 600 grit sandpaper. This too will help to keep case necks straight when sizing.
Check concentricity of fired cases before sizing, then after sizing... you can rotate the expander mandrel in small increments, re-tighten, and size again until you find a point where the case necks come out straightest.
Bad brass, especially some surplus military type cases, are often so poorly made they can't be fixed without neck turning, which probably still wouldn't be worth the effort.
What kind of brass are you using?
Dan
Check the brass (at the case neck) after you size it. See if the necks are straight at that point...
I doubt there's anything wrong with the press (assuming it seats other bullets straight)...
That leaves the dies and brass.
If your expander mandrel has gotten off axis (bent somehow) in the sizing die, it'll give you crooked case necks.
Lack of adequate lubrication on the brass during sizing often results in crooked case necks as well, as they are pulled off axis when the expander ball pulls back through.
You can limit and often eliminate the need for lube inside the case neck by making sure necks are clean inside, and then you can polish the expander ball by chucking the mandrel in a drill, and polishing it to a mirror finish with 400 then 600 grit sandpaper. This too will help to keep case necks straight when sizing.
Check concentricity of fired cases before sizing, then after sizing... you can rotate the expander mandrel in small increments, re-tighten, and size again until you find a point where the case necks come out straightest.
Bad brass, especially some surplus military type cases, are often so poorly made they can't be fixed without neck turning, which probably still wouldn't be worth the effort.
What kind of brass are you using?
Dan
emmagator
Well-Known Member
Thus is with brand new unsized winchester brass. No gauge, its so bad I can see it wobble when rolling round over a flat surface!
With unfired brass, they may not be totally round... the case walls could have some wobble to them before firing.
If you don't have a concentricity gauge, roll the cartridges on a mirror, and watch the bullet tips to see how much the tip oscillates against its image in the mirror.... if you can detect any wobble in the mirror test, that's too much...
But with unfired brass, all bets are off as those cases may simply not be concentric enough in shape to give you a good idea of what's going on... in other words, those rounds could be plenty straight, and shoot well.
If you don't have a concentricity gauge, roll the cartridges on a mirror, and watch the bullet tips to see how much the tip oscillates against its image in the mirror.... if you can detect any wobble in the mirror test, that's too much...
But with unfired brass, all bets are off as those cases may simply not be concentric enough in shape to give you a good idea of what's going on... in other words, those rounds could be plenty straight, and shoot well.
emmagator
Well-Known Member
This is strictly plinking ammo for AR. Will it cause any barrel/chamber damage shooting these, since the are seated so crooked? I have about 50 rounds loaded crooked.
emmagator
Well-Known Member
Great I appreciate your replies, thanks
