I've got a weird situation. I am having approximately 4 out of 100 556 reloads with a loose bullet. This seems to only have started occurring when I switched over to pulled military 55-grain bullets. I'm using a Dillon 550c with a Redding Competition 3-die set with micrometers on the seating and crimp dies. I've played around with the length from 2.215 to 2.4 to see if that would help, but it did not. The crimp die is set at .251. If I go any tighter on the crimp, I'll get an occasional deformed case. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Occasional Loose Bullet - 556 55-grain pulled military bullets
- Thread starter toddnic
- Start date
Any advice on what size?
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
What glshooter said I’d do 2-3 thou smaller than a good loaded round, not the loose ones. You may be getting more springback on some of your brass. Do you anneal? Annealing will cancel the springback problem.
Answer me this: I didn’t think the Redding competition seater had a “crimp function”. Are you sure it crimps?
Thanks for the input. I do not anneal 556 at this point. I have over 10,000 once-fired cases and a ready supply for more. My understanding is that I should not need to anneal until after several firings. Regarding the Redding competition crimp die, yes, it does have a micrometer. Here is the link on Midway: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018258755
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
The question is whether it has a crimp function. The micrometer is for seating depth.
Are you sure it's a brass problem and not just some under size bullets? Have you measured any of the loose bullets?
Frank
Frank
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
The Redding Competition bullet seating die DOES NOT have the crimp feature.
Lots of folks have different opinions on crimp. With sufficient neck tension, a crimp is not necessary.
I wondered that but I measured the bullets and they are fairly consistent. That doesn't seem to be the issue.
Here is the info from Redding: https://www.redding-reloading.com/online-catalog/181-micrometer-adjustable-crimping-dies
That is correct. That is why I have the crimp die.
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
If you are crimping, cases have to be the same length. Once fired cases will need to have the case mouths champered and deburred.
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
From my first response and still unanswered:
Have you checked the length of your cases and trimmed them?
Add: You check the length of cases for growth AFTER you size the body of the case. I would suggest getting one of the Worlds finest trimmers. Once set, it allows you to quickly trim hundreds of cases.
Have you checked the length of your cases and trimmed them?
Add: You check the length of cases for growth AFTER you size the body of the case. I would suggest getting one of the Worlds finest trimmers. Once set, it allows you to quickly trim hundreds of cases.
Last edited:
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
I'm not seeing anything about crimping on that page.
Sorry....here is the correct link: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012442450
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