# Trouble seating Hornady .358 lead semi wadcutters



## ivoryhunter (Nov 11, 2017)

Hi everyone am new to this forum with this being my first post. Have been reloading a variety of rifle and pistol calibers for about 2 years so am not totally inexperienced but an expert by no means. This is the first time I have tried to load lead semi wad cutters for a .357 magnum usually use Meister .357 RNFP without any problems. What I am finding is even after flaring and chamfering the case mouth just enough for the bullet to just start in as I go to seat the bullet the lead is digging into the case mouth badly enough to buckle the brass kind of looks like edge of brass is being crimped as the bullet enters. I am using a Lee .38/.357 Magnum seating die, new Hornady 357 brass, and Hornady 158 grain lead semi wad cutters the Frontier lead type with the knurled base. Any help would be appreciated have box of 300 bullets and pretty much destroyed the first 2 just didn't imagine would be having a problem. Thanks.


----------



## noylj (Dec 8, 2011)

Digging into the case mouth means the bullet was not aligned properly when it entered the case.
1) The case needs to be expanded such that the case ID after expansion is around 0.356-0.357" for 0.358" bullets. I use a .38 PTE die for lead bullets in 9x19.
2) Use MORE flare. More rounds have had accuracy destroyed by NOT flaring enough than cases have been saved by minimal flaring. With proper EXPANSION and flare (not just flaring the case mouth), you should be able to place a bullet on the case and, with only very light finger pressure pressing down on the bullet, you should be able to remove the case from the shell holder and turn the round upside down and have the bullet stay on/in the case.
3) Check your seating stem. The stem needs to fit closely. For SWCs and WCs, my seating stem ONLY contacts the shoulder of the bullet. This improves control and alignment of the bullet. In fact, I think that most seating stems should only contact the bullet's ogive and should contact as low as possible. Lee can make proper seating stems if you send them a couple of bullets and tell them what you want. Last time I checked, they were charging $12, but the price may have gone up.


----------



## Kosh75287 (Nov 12, 2017)

+1 what *NOYLJ* said. If you are buckling cases, that sounds much like your seating stem is a lot too low. Did you set its height by putting a loaded .357 round in the shell holder and running it up into the die, and adjusting the seating die down until it makes contact? Even if the loaded round is not a SWC, adjusting the die and seating stem in this way will get you close enough that only very minor adjustments will be needed.


----------



## ivoryhunter (Nov 11, 2017)

Thanks guys you were exactly right. Flared cases just a bit more, not sure what I was doing wrong in adjusting the die it seemed like as I was setting it deeper was not getting much of a flare reset die and achieved slight bell which was all it took and bullets seated nicely. Thanks again.


----------

