Ring around bullet when using hornady bullet seating die

[dellet]

What's the inside diameter of the neck after sizing?

What's the diameter of the sizing ball?

[gomeybear]

What's the inside diameter of the neck after sizing?

What's the diameter of the sizing ball?

.303 to .3025 for neck (inner diameter so not including neck thickness)

[dellet]

That's part of the problem.

Take one of your bad bullets and seat it in a fresh case. Pull it, measure the neck diameter. You want around .305 minimum. Seat a fresh bullet and check.

Your expander should probably measure 305-306. The case will spring back some, but you have a lot of neck tension.

[gomeybear]

Just fiddled with the expander ball and placed it lower than the hornady manual calls for, which opened up the mouth a bit; the seating die still created the ring on bullet when seating without powder charge (more of a mark than an indentation though so it helped). Where should I be measuring inner diameter neck thickness? midway on case neck or the case mouth?

Thanks for all the feedback by the way, Gents!

[dellet]

The expander is in the sizing die, with the de priming pin attached. It needs to go down below the neck. It should measure around 305-306. Most of mine have needed to be polished to get 306.

Assuming you have calipers, you should be able to measure all the way down inside the neck with the short side. The long side measures outside, the short side measures inside. The neck should be uniform diameter inside, I prefer 306 at most, 305 in an AR.

[gomeybear]

Not tied to these dies. Going to try RCBS dies.

Edit: Picked up a forster ultra micrometer seating die!

[rebel]

You have been offered expert advice. Now you are ignoring it. Don't ask any more questions, just keep throwing money at your perceived problem. The micrometer seating die will not solve the problem if you don't understand what caused it. Seen it, been there , done that. Go your own way son. If your still interested at solving your initial problem, answer the questions asked. Then you might get some knowledge.

[gomeybear]

You have been offered expert advice. Now you are ignoring it. Don't ask any more questions, just keep throwing money at your perceived problem. The micrometer seating die will not solve the problem if you don't understand what caused it. Seen it, been there , done that. Go your own way son. If your still interested at solving your initial problem, answer the questions asked. Then you might get some knowledge.

You’re a bit sensitive, Sir. You seem to not read folks full posts either. I followed most if not all the advice given and it mostly eliminated the indentation ring and is now a faint ring showing up with no indentation; I appreciate that from y’all. I seem to remember you chiming in once on my other thread, and it was the least valuable information on the subject that I received from these threads I opened.

Anyways.... thanks again to all and I’ll report back if there is any difference in the ring with the Forster seating die. If there isn’t any difference in faint ring mark, well I ended up with a better seating die in the Forster anyways.

[ThreeHundredBlackout]

Not tied to these dies. Going to try RCBS dies.

Edit: Picked up a forster ultra micrometer seating die!

If you polish the hornady expander like dellet said and have the die set correctly it will work well and cost less than buying the new dies you have now.

I also have a set of hornady dies and after reading and searching this forum to learn i polished my expander ball and gained propper neck tension and neck sizing.....2 or 3 years ago when i got them ( originally started with lee and still have and use them).

I also like you wanted a Forster umsd but didnt have the cash......., but for $20 and free shipping from academy and no tax i got a micro top for my hornady dies i already had..........sure id still like a redding or a forster, but whats the point........the hornady micro top does what i need and alot cheaper.

Not knocking your new toys at all, but if i were you i would work out the kinks on your hornady dies, they will work great like mine......and then you will have a back up set or even set one seater for subs and use the micrometer for whatever else.

I love 300 blk, but if i want bench rest i will choose a rifle cartridge with temp stable rifle powder for a long range lazer beam.

Ive taken my 8" ar out passed 600 yds........killed 2 deer with it at 120 and 250 yds..........point is i loaded the ammo with my hornady dies i tweaked.

Ps- im not a hornady fan boy at all.......and no harm meant, just a little insight i thought might help.

[ThreeHundredBlackout]

Just out of curiosity....

Take a look in your hornady die box for me and in the top right corner there should be a tiny boxed off rectangle with a black piece of foam in it, under that piece of foam there should have been a second seating stem that is different than the one installed when you bought it...........

Did your die set come with that extra seating stem like mine ?

I know that made a difference in using the other seating stem for me......i got irritated seeing the marks too, and thats when i found the other seating stem by accident.