Flat Base Bullets

[Marcus99]

It's been a long time since I reloaded any flat based bullets in a rifle. Now I remember why!! Those little tiny 40gr suckers are harder than hell to get on the case mouth. Even chamfered brass. No more!

[Bang]

A tip that may help. You are probably using the shell holder that is made for the case. You set the cartridge into the shell holder, then try to balance the projectile on the mouth rim and then crank the ram upward into the seating die and everything that can go wrong in there does.

Use a shell holder that does not grab the case rim. In other words, one that is too large to hold the case. Place the bullet on the case and push the case and bullet up into the seating die with your fingers until it is at the proper insertion point. The seating die will center and hold the bullet in the channel within the die.

Now bring the ram up until the shell holder is near or touching the case head. Remove your fingers and seat the bullet. The assembled cartridge might "stick" up in the die. It can be easily removed with your fingers or fingernails. Some will stick and some won't, so be set to recover the cartridge if it descends with the ram. Most will.

[imashooter2]

A floating chamber "competition" seating die will eliminate that problem, as will a Lee flaring or
Lyman M die.

[flygrimm]

RCBS makes a new competition seating die similar to the Forster with the floating case sleeve and micrometer depth adjustment. Interesting thing about these is there is a bullet loading window. Run the case part way into the die, drop in the bullet through the window and finish the seating stroke. Gavin at ultimatereloader.com did a video on the .243 version a few days ago.

http://ultimatereloader.com/2017/03/...43-winchester/

The the RCBS 2017 catalogue lists several cartridges including most of the popular.22's.

Stuart

[Marcus99]

I think i'm just going to go back to boat tails. Im not shooting matches

[dkf]

You can hold the bullets with a tweezers. Common on loaders who load .17 and .20 cal cartridges. NOE has expander plugs for the Lee flare die that will help hold the bullet until you seat it. They are stepped, you get .001" over bullet size on the large step of the expander.

[SteveWag]

TT\he RCBS competition die has been made for at least 25 years! Go to:

http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/relo...eloading1.html

and look at the fourth picture and below. Also check out:

http://www.gswagner.com/bigreloading...mpetition.html

Steve