Deformed bullets

[grymster2007]

I'm loading 357 magnum, Sierra 125gr SJSP over 9.7gr Herco, CCI SP and new Winchester brass. I'm loading them on a Lee Turret with Lee carbide 3-die set. The issue I'm having is, while the crimp doesn't look particularly overbearing, the soft point is coming out slightly mushroomed and with a fair size chamfer on it.

Before I go back and try and figure this out, I thought I'd ask if someone might have some insight. Maybe I'm crimping too heavy, or there's something up with the seat plug? Maybe it's the wrong one? Or maybe the deformation is normal with this type of bullet?

[Christchild]

The first thing that comes to my mind, especially using SJSP, is You're probably Seating and Crimping at the same time. While that's efficient and effective, what I would think is happening in doing that, Your Seater Plug is touching the Bullet Ogive while seating (SJSP bullet) and when You Crimp, the last few thousandth's, or maybe even the last Hundredth (0.010"-0.015") of seating depth, You're pushing the bullet after it's started to crimp, and applying pressure to the Soft Lead Point.

When using SJSP bullets, I would seat the batch first, the go back and crimp the batch.

Also, make sure You're cases are Belled correctly. If they already are belled enough, I'd say Seat and Crimp seperately using SJSP.

[GP100man]

a seating pulg would help but as soft as the lead noses are seating then crimpin are best done in 2 seperate steps , just what ya wanted to hear rite!!

well some times i have cleaned the seater plug & made a flat 1 by fillin the plug with 2min epoxy, this won`t leave swaging marks .

[dsv424]

Another solution would be to get the Lee Factory Crimp Die. Thats what I did when I experienced the same problem you are having with .357 Mag and .38 Special. May cost a bit more this way but it sure is easier separating the seating and crimping process.

[Unclenick]

Any separate crimping operation will improve the accuracy of the ammo, too. That's been shown by target shooters over and over. You get less bullet distortion and more consistent start pressure since you no longer have some bullets shaving while others don't.

I would further add that using the Lyman M die for expanding and belling improved accuracy for me by keeping the bullets straighter going into the case. Some other brands now use that same profile. Redding and Forster both do, I believe. I think maybe Hornady does. It puts a little step below the flare for the bullet to sit squarely into.

You can also use epoxy putty or JB weld and a well-waxed bullet to form the seater punch to that specific bullet shape. The flat one won't deform it, as described, but also won't center the nose. I would definitely want a step forming expander to center and right the bullet if I used the flat punch style.

[grymster2007]

Well, I took all your feedback and went back down and scratched my head a bit. Thought about ordering a FCD, but didn't want to wait. Thought about seating, then crimping, but didn't much care for that idea either. Then I considered modifying the seat plug by either flattening it or machining it out to leave clearance for the lead portion of the bullet, then making a nice long cone shaped section that would lock out on the copper part of the ogive, but I didn't much care for that option either.

Came back upstairs and realized that someone gave me a set of old RCBS 357 dies. Went back down and settled on the RCBS for seating and the Lee for crimping. Being an old RCBS die, it had the round, knurled locking ring, too big to fit in next to the other dies. I swiped a Lee locking ring from another die and went about adjusting the settings.

Problem solved! Making nice, pretty bullets now..... ones that are more worthy than their user. :)

Thanks to all for your help!