HP crushing problem?

[Balog]

I've been working at a gun shop for a while now, and today I had a guy come in with a return.

He'd bought some 125gr .357 Sierra hollowpoints that he thought were RNFMJ. He said that he couldn't load them because his press would crush the points?!?!
I asked what kinda press and dies he was using. He said it was a standard Lee press and die set, I believe it was a single stage.
I've never heard of this problem, and assumed he just wanted an excuse to return something we don't usually take back. However, I thought I'd check with the learned minds of THR.

So what say you? Was he full of it, or does Lee have a problem with hollowpoints?

 

[Third_Rail]

Sounds like BS to me!

 

[Mal H]

If he wasn't full of it, he was probably using a flat seating stem instead of the required rounded cavity stem.

 

[kimbernut]

HP Nose crushing

If he was using a seating/crimp die in one,he could very well have had his die set to begin the crimp too early. Once that firm crimp is in place the hp nose will give first. I've only experienced this with Rainier Ballistic copper- washed hollow points in .45ACP with a tamper crimp but I'm sure it could happen with others.A roll crimp in .357 would be even more inclined to do so IMHO.( I'm not that familiar with Lee die setup-all mine are RCBS)

 

[Zeus]

I've had this happen with Nosler 300 grain bullet in the 44 magnum. I seat and crimp in separate steps so that is not the problem. It seems to be a problem with the seating stem. I have the rounded on in it right now and basically it just rounds the exposed lead section and leaves a VERY small hole where the hollow point section is. Doesn't hurt the bullets just looks funny. Shoot incredibly accurate from the old super blackhawk and are devastating to game. He may not have been fillin you full of crap, just isn't set up to do them correctly.....GS

 

[stans]

It is possible to collapse the lead hollowpoint by using the wrong seating stem. Been there, done that!