Just loaded first .338, round ring on tip of bullet

J

jamesf553

New member
Hey guys, just got done loading my first 20 rounds of .338 lapua. Went pretty well, used 84gn of retumbo in each. Question I have is, there seemed to be a ring around the top of each of the bullets. I followed the seating die's instructions however i'm wondering if this looks like the bullet came in contact with the crimper? Or is this just a mark that sometimes may happen while seating the bullet? Just want to make sure. Pictures below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1idgEja63-hg5pozB6C7TiystxBJk5AlC/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OtdFtGRGtewNElti5qie_Jc-cR-nmFyx/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gqyzxZpdCvab8GXIGXfqzCboEMS7ptSQ/view?usp=sharing
 
Could have the wrong seating stem in the seating die???

Is this a compressed load???? Case to full...not room for the bullet to be seated that deep???

Just some thoughts and things to look for

Ocharry
 
My guess is that the seater die isn’t contacting enough of the ogive. I would try a VLD insert that will make contact with a more of the bullet when seating. Though, I would think a .338 seater would be set up that way to begin with...
 
Normal. Most of my loads have the same. It is more apparent with some than others, but it even shows up on some factory loads.
 
Yep. Normal. It's just where the seating ram makes contact with the bullet. If it bothers you, you can take the die apart and polish the ram edges with a Dremel tool to round them a little.

Ballistically, the mark has no measurable effect on the bullet's flight for the same reason that rifling marks don't appreciably affect bullet ballistics: the fluid friction-induced air boundary layer at the bullet's surface is deeper than the marks.
 
Sometime back, I pulled a lot of bullets (wrong powder charge), using an RCBS collet puller. I then had a couple hundred bullets with much deeper marks than your reloads do. I didn’t think they’d fly straight, looking like they did, but I loaded em up with the idea of letting the grandkids use em up. I shot some groups and they grouped about the same as unmarked bullets. Maybe not quite as good, but close enough for the grandkids and for a little varmint shooting. I did get the occasional flyer, and assumed that would be from the worst looking bullets. No point in blaming the flyers on me....:-)
 
That's just the seating plug. Nothing to worry about.
"...didn’t think they’d fly straight..." The only part of any bullet that matters is the base.
 
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