45 ACP Reload Beginner Question

[The_Duke]

Last night I seated a .45 bullet just for a tester and had mixed results. I used a .45 230 gr RN lead bullet and a PMC case. It would go into the chamber up to about 1/8 inch. The bullet looks like it is straight but looking at it up close there is a bulge mainly on one side of the case from the bullet. With factory ammo you can see a slight bulge but this one you can feel with your finger.
My experience up to this point has mainly been with rifle and .38 spcl cartridges.

Using RCBS dies, press.

What did I do wrong?
1) Not enough flare?
2) I wanted to be able to remove the bullet so I did not do a taper crimp.
3) PMC brass?? Case was less than max length.


Thanks in advance

 

[oneof79]

Have you measured the outside diameter of the case with the bullet in it? Did you bell the case mouth before seating the bullet?

 

[ryanncass]

I had the same problem so i backed off the belling and bought a crimp die and have had no more problems.

 

[The_Duke]

I had just a slight bell just enough to hold the bullet. Probably needed a little more.

Outside diameter was .4725, length 1.276 inches (Looks like my length was .001 over max)
I measured this to a Blazer diameter .4695, 1.260 inches

 

[Randall]

You may have to crimp the case enough to remove the bell in the case,that may allow the cartidge to chamber. Do not use a heavy crimp,just enough to remove the bell.

 

[walker]

Sounds like the bullet seated a little crooked, done it myself a few times while setting dies. Sounds like your in the right direction by increasing the mouth expansion so the bullet drops in deeper.
I just roll crimp mine with the bullet seating die.

 

[The_Duke]

Thanks for the help, I did another tester increasing the flare and paying attention to the orientation of the bullet before I seated it and that one chambered. Crimping it will help the problem also.

This is the first auto caliber that I have tried, never had a problem with .38s going in crooked, is this more of a problem with .45 or just how much I flared it?

 

[ragsflh]

oal shorten to 1.245 and try it

 

[aeropb]

Thanks for the help, I did another tester increasing the flare and paying attention to the orientation of the bullet before I seated it and that one chambered. Crimping it will help the problem also.

This is the first auto caliber that I have tried, never had a problem with .38s going in crooked, is this more of a problem with .45 or just how much I flared it?

it is a problem with the amount of bell

 

[1911user]

I don't know if the RCBS dies come with 2 different seating plugs; I kind of think they do. One seating insert should be for flat nose bullets and the other for round nose or FMJ bullets. If you have a choice, make sure you are using the one for round nose bullets.

I've loaded a few rounds of 45acp in the last decade... I bell the case just enough so that no lead from the bullet is shaved off. I load almost exclusively lead for 45acp; jacketed bullets can probably get away with a little less case belling. I set the taper crimp die to crimp (i.e. unbell) the mouth of the case to exactly 0.469 inches. That should feed into any 45 auto with a standard size chamber.

Ask if you have more questions.