Deep seating HP issue

[Deleted]

I recently tried deep seating my MP 270 saa bullet in 45 colt. The solids performed great. I cast a bunch of penta hp bullets a few weeks ago and powder coated a few days later. I sized them a week ago. Tonight I loaded some. I noticed the hp being flattened some and out of 50, 5 of them more smashed and not seated quite as deeply. You can see that the meplat is flattened compared to an unseated bullet, but one meplat held up to the other, I cant distinguish much difference in one from the other. My lead is mostly range scrap and annealed through powder coating is likely on the soft side.
I flared my brass as usual. Seating a few in my standard depth set up die, I only noticed a slight variation on the meplat.
Should I flare more, the case mouth is fine, maybe I need a deeper flare? I dont recall having this problem before. Maybe I just never had enough variance to notice. What suggestions do you have? I did notice that the bullets seated over powder and primer were pressed a bit more than the couple I checked in brass without primer. The air pressure in the cases seems to increase the press tension. I like the bullet a lot, but may stick with solids.

[Fowler]

Is all the brass the same or mixed brass? Might be getting into the web of the brass on a particular brand requiring more downforce to seat and hence the nose deformation.

Just the quick Q off the top of my head.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2023 22:18:24 GMT -5 Fowler said:

Is all the brass the same or mixed brass? Might be getting into the web of the brass on a particular brand requiring more downforce to seat and hence the nose deformation.

Just the quick Q off the top of my head.

All Starline

[Fowler]

Hmm I have deep seat hundreds of 270-SAA rounds in the 45 colt and Starline brass so you got me.

[iwsbull]

I have also had that problem with softer alloys and a really tight sizing die.

[Deleted]

Dec 1, 2023 0:17:40 GMT -5 iwsbull said:

I have also had that problem with softer alloys and a really tight sizing die.

My size and flaring dies are standard RCBS. Seating die is Hornady.

Im going to pull a few this morning. See what they look like.

[dvnv]

I run into that when I am compressing powder, any chance of that?

[bula]

I've had a maintenance man friend, mill off flat the end of the seating plugs for me in a couple dies. To help seat without deforming HP's. Other option is to send bullet off to die maker for a custom touch. 

[Deleted]

6.7gr hp38, definitely not compressed. I shot them this morning. Accuracy very poor with the pentas. My deep seated solids shot one hole groups with 3 guns moments later. Guess Im melting these down, back to solids. I appreciate the replies.

[Deleted]

Ive shot a lot of pentas in other bullets without issue but this bullet is giving me issues. For my current set up,the solids are superior. Another set up might offer different results.

[Odin]

I think I remember guys over on the Cast Boolits forum making custom seater plugs with JB Weld or slow cure hot melt glue. I know my Hornady seater would always reshape the nose on 160gr Speer half jackets (35 cal.), but it was consistent... and they were accurate.

[iwsbull]

Interesting, I still had better than me accuracy. The biggest concern I had was it bumped up the size so that in a tight cylinder it wouldn’t fit or that it might need a bit more velocity since the hp lip was thicker.

[Odin]

Professor, are the 270SAA Pentas giving you fits because of the misshapen noses? Or are you getting horrible groups with cylinders full of perfect Penta bullets?

[Deleted]

Dec 1, 2023 10:02:08 GMT -5 Odin said:

Professor, are the 270SAA Pentas giving you fits because of the misshapen noses? Or are you getting horrible groups with cylinders full of perfect Penta bullets?

The seating was consistent other than a few which I separated. The consistent looking ones shot palm size groups at 25 yards. The same deep seat and powder charge but the solid made one hole groups in three guns at 25 yds. Something going on between the case flare, seating and roll crimp. The solids all seat to the same depth as perceived by my eyes. The pentas are variant even in the ones i consider more consistent. My bullets probably soft and i need a deeper flare. I just tried seating more of the pentas in the crimp groove and in empty primerless cases, they have minimal compression of meplat.

[boolitdesigner]

You need to check the diameter of the expander die shank. It is probably a little too tight. Have another one made with the shank longer than the seating depth and about 0.0015” under bullet diameter.