Berger Bullets and Redding Competition Seating Dies

[Jeffvn]

My custom die thread reminded me of some information that I got while at SHOT that I think may be of interest to fellow Berger Bullet users, especially the 7mm 180 grain bullets.

I was struggling with my consentricity on seating the 7mm 180s once I moved to a longer-throated chamber. It made me crazy enough to call Redding to see if they had any input. While I was on the phone with their customer service department, I took the seating die apart and noticed that the seating stem did not sit well on the bullet when the bullet was inserted into the stem like it would inside the die. I could visibly wobble the bullet back and forth with my fingers when it was inserted into the seating stem as deep as it would go. I thought the bullet was bottoming out inside the stem - nope, the shape of the inside of the stem is different from the shape of the long-nosed Berger's and the stem didn't sit flat on the bullet very well.

I promptly pulled out one of my 7mm 175 SMKs to see if it sat any cleaner. The 175 SMKs sat smooth and pure on the bullet - virtually no wobble at all was possible, even though I was trying to do so - just like you would want them to sit at a point just above the ogive of the bullet.

Redding asked me to send a bullet or two so they could see what was happening. I sent them the 7mm 180 Berger, 180 JLK, 175 Sierra SMK; as well as teh 6.5mm Berger 130s,which did not fit the seating stem very well either)

I sent them the bullets and a check for 4 seating stems that fit the Berger nose on the 7mm 180 vlds, as well as the 6.5 130 vlds.

I talked to on of the Customer Reps at SHOT and he said they were looking to create a seating stem that matched the shape of the Berger's, and would have them back to me fairly quickly.

I thought you might like to know that at least one of the die companies will go out of its way to help you out when they see that it will work to their benefit. I suspect, but have not been told that they may offer the Berger seating stem separately if there is sufficient demand for it.

JeffVN

 

[jb1000br]

Jeff - Forster has done the same for me. One for Scenars, and one for Bergers. Wilson also did one for me.

And all of these were free of charge, as I am sure the one from Redding was.

Cheers,
JB

 

[benjamin199]

Jeff,
Thank you for this post. I was seeing excessive run-out with the the 6mm 95 gr VLD's. I took my die apart and saw the same thing you noticed. I contacted Redding they asked me to send them a couple 95 gr VLD's, in return they would send me a new stem to match them. I am really hopping this will help with the run-out of my ammo.
Ben

 

[Kabang]

Jeff, thanks from me as well. My 223 is wobbly with both 90 JLKs and 77 SMKs, so it's not as simple as a tangent/secant issue. Not meaning to demean Redding. There are so many kinds of bullets, it would be impossible to make a 1 size fits all.

Since posting this, I have spoken to Patrik and he said over the next couple of weeks they will be looking at making entirely new stems specifically for VLD type bullets. I think you could possibly grind down the stem until you got to the place where the VLD ojive contacts the stem, but I doubt it would stop the wobble completely as tip would still not be held tightly?

 

[Buzzsaw]

Great info Jeff. Let us know what Redding sends you cause I'm gonna need one too. I've stocked up on the Berger 180 VLD .284, for my soon to be born 7mmWSM and I would have never figured the problem out, I would have just thought the Bergers suck and moved on.
Buzzsaw

 

[SRB]

Some folks will take the seater and open it up on a lathe, but some bedding material in, apply release agent to the bullet to be used and make a mold on the seating plug. Clean up when dry and there you go. One would likely need a few seating plugs to accommodate the variety of bullets used.

 

[Kabang]

Some folks will take the seater and open it up on a lathe, but some bedding material in, apply release agent to the bullet to be used and make a mold on the seating plug. Clean up when dry and there you go. One would likely need a few seating plugs to accommodate the variety of bullets used.

I was thinking of that too, but then I wondered if I could get the alignment right.

 

[WhelenMan]

Just use a case with a bullet seated with excellent measured concentricity and let the bedding compound set up while set in the press. Just don't use too much bedding compound and glue your die and cartridge together though. You may want to let the compound partially set before attempting it but not so much that it would change the concentricity of the round. Just an idea, I've not tried it.

 

[SRB]

Use a good round, just a dab of bedding material and very light pressure setup in the press to create the mold.

 

[Jeffvn]

This sounds like a cottage industry for someone with a lathe - I do not own one - and a supple of nicely seated bullets of varrying weights and sizes from a variety of manufacturers.

In talking to Redding it was clear that they only make so many seating tubes - one for each bullet diameter. So a 7mm tube is used for everything from the 7BR to the 7 Ultra Mag and everything in between. I think a seating stem taylored to a specific bullet is the way to go - 7mm Berger 180s, or 7mm JLK 180, etc.

I am happy to supply a couple of the bullets that I have and use for the project:

7mm Berger 180, JLK 180, Sierra 175;

6.5mm Berger 140, Berger 130, Lapua 139, Lapua 123.

Who is going to step up to the plate for us?????

JeffVN

 

[SRB]

You don't need a lathe since you are relying on the bedding material for the right fit. Chucking up the seater plug in a cordless drill and using a carbide burr or other cutter one can open a seating plug up enough for the bedding material.

 

[Jeffvn]

If anyone is interested, my 6.5mm and 7mm Berger specific custom seating stems are inbound. I talked with Patrick at Redding and they manufactured a few extra Berger Specific seating stems in 6mm, 6.5mm, and 7mm. If you are interested call Redding and ask for Partick in Customer Service he can help you out.

JeffVN

 

[fireball10x]

I wonder if this would work take the seating stem out and chuck it in a drill press and use valve lapping compound on the bullet you may have to use a few bullets but when your done it will be a perfect fit.

 

[jthyttin]

I wonder if this would work take the seating stem out and chuck it in a drill press and use valve lapping compound on the bullet you may have to use a few bullets but when your done it will be a perfect fit.

But will it be co-axial,axis of the bullet coinciding with axis of the stem)? I know it will be close, but for some people "just close" doesn't cut it...