Loaded first .45 round in LnL AP press. What did I do wrong?

[bobznew1]

Bullet is not seated straight - one side seated more deeply than another.

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[reddog81]

Not enough flare, bullet was cockeyed when it started seating, wrong seating stem - it looks like the seating stem is digging into the nose of the bullet, too much crimp too soon.

Those are the culprits I'd look into and in that order

[std7mag]

Yup, expand the mouth just a touch more.
Also looks long.
Your rounds would never chamber in my 1911.

[locknloader]

id get a finished cartridge gauge as well very handy tool.
https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloadi.../dp/B005I0IU5E

[zeke]

Maybe try seating and crimping in different steps. More flare, or using a stepped expander to help bullet seating straight. Would also consider insuring your seating die is square to the shell holder.

[gwpercle]

1.) You have too much bullet protruding from the case . Seat the bullet deeper , you only want about 1/32 inch (the thickness of your thumbnail) of the top band of the bullet sticking out.

2.)Lighten up on the crimp....you want to taper crimp the bullet just enough so you can't press the bullet into the case with your thumb.

3.) Seating in one step and then taper crimping in a separate step is advisable. You're not trying to do two things at once...you get better results . You will have to adjust die to do this.

4.) After getting the bullet seating depth and proper crimp adjusted , make up a dummy round (bullet but no powder or primer) that can be used to quickly adjust your dies in the future.

5.) Flare the case enough to get the bullet started into the case and make sure it's going in straight...crooked in = crooked out. Lead is soft and will not straighten itself out .

6.) Reread and follow the instructions that came with the dies...if they are poor , every loading manual...Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook ...has a chapter on adjusting dies , Lyman's cover loading cast bullets , which require a little more TLC and are just a bit different than loading jacketed bullets.

Be sure and use data for lead bullets...the data is different than for jacketed.
Good luck ....we have all gone through the "learning curve"
Gary

[scsov509]

Lighten up on the crimp....you want to taper crimp the bullet just enough so you can't press the bullet into the case with your thumb.

Just for clarification, there's no taper crimp on an autoloading pistol cartridge like this since the cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. So all you're really looking for is enough crimp to remove the flare from the case and get it to headspace properly.

Toward that end, I'd skip out on purchasing a cartridge gauge and just use the barrel of whatever you're going use to shoot these. The easiest way to figure out your crimp and OAL is to pull the barrel from your pistol and see if your finished cartridges drop freely in and out of the barrel and headspace correctly. If you want more info on how to do that then search the forum for "plunk test" and you'll find a ton of info on how to do it. It's by far though the quickest way to figure out the best seating depth and proper crimp for a new round.

[locknloader]

^ that’s all well and good if your shooting from one gun but reality is if your reloading you probably have a bunch of guns in that cartridge size which is why I like the SAAMI gauges, I know my rounds will work in any gun made for that cartridge.

[mikld]

Just for clarification, there's no taper crimp on an autoloading pistol cartridge like this since the cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. So all you're really looking for is enough crimp to remove the flare from the case and get it to headspace properly.

+1! The step should be referred to as "deflaring" and not crimping. I have 3, 45 ACP guns and plunk testing in one has worked for all three for 22 years (Ruger, RIA, and Hi-Point Carbine).

Some mentioned seating depth and agree so,check in your Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook for the proper OAL (after you get more experience a glance and a plunk test will suffice). Your bullet looks a H&G 68 clone? I load mine to 1.160" +/- .002" and plunk them...

[bobznew1]

Great, thanks so much for the feedback.

The bullet is a Missouri Bullseye#1 200gr.

My main concern is why it didn't seat straight. It went in at an angle. I'll see about separating the seating and taper crimp (or "de-flaring") into separate steps and see if that helps.

As far as flaring, I'm not sure I've got that one. That's a separate step from the PTX Expander?

[BBarn]

Though I don't use the PTX expander on my AP Press, it should be able to expand the cases. Slightly larger cast bullets like you are using can be a little more difficult to seat (though the bottom bevel on them can help).

As suggested, a good fitting seater plug can help straighten the seating, especially with truncated nose bullets like that one. Not sure what seater plugs might have been included with your seating/sizing dies.

Another thing that helps (and mentioned earlier) are stepped seating expanders like those of the Lyman M dies. However this would require another station on the press.

But the most important thing is getting the bullet started straight as it enters the seating die.

I use the following setup on my AP Press, but other setups can work just as well.
Sizing die
Lyman M expander
Powder drop (non-PTX)
Seating die
Crimp die
(This is a 4 die setup with separate seating and crimp dies)

[44 AMP]

Just for clarification, there's no taper crimp on an autoloading pistol cartridge like this since the cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.

Autoloading pistol cartridges that headspace on the case mouth have been taper crimped since they began to exist. The factories all do it. I do it on my handloads. The correct amount of the taper crimp does not interfere with headspacing, and it is a different thing than the seater die body "straightening out" the case mouth flare.

One can choose not to taper crimp, and have your ammo work fine, in certain guns and load levels. But taper crimping, done right, hurts nothing, and I believe it aids in the function of feeding and chambering, as well as helping hold the bullet in place.

[Dufus]

I don't see it in your pics. It looks to be an optical illusion with the blue lube bulging more on one side.

Wipe the blue crap off and then take another look at it.

[1100 tac]

There are PTX expanders available for Dillon's that have the M step, probably for Hornady too.

You are not seated deep enough.

[cw308]

Look into the Lyman expander M die, your bullets will seat straight in the case . Size , M die , seat and crimp . I also went with the Lee Factory Carbide Crimp taper Die in 45ACP.