45 reloading problem

what am i doing wrong? i have some 45 reloads (200g lswc) and they are coming out so that the case noticeably bulges around the base of the bullet, while the remainder of the case is narrower. how do i correct for this?

I would throw a micrometer on the bullets in question
If they're .452 then measure the wall thickness of the brass

You are going to have some slight bulging, on a lead bullet but it should be minimal, now if the bullets have not been sized correctly it could be big and unusable.  Mic the area around the base of one of the un loaded led bullet it should not measure more than.452, this is what most lead 45 acp bullets are sized at. If by base of the bullet you mean the base of the loaded round down near the rim then those cases could have been fired out of a glock which will bulge the base of a case., most times a good sizing die will get rid of most of it.

thanks, is around where the base of the bullet is as it sits in the brass. i'll mic the bullets and see what i find.

It usually isn't a problem, but you might want to enlarge the "bell" a little on the case by adjusting the die.

I have heard people say that rounds loaded on Dillon presses look somewhat like Coke bottles.  Mine do a bit, but the only thing keeping them from the 10 ring is me.

Cases that were loaded a bunch of times do this, but its not a big concern. Just do the old drop test into the bbl chamber. If the rounds drop in and out easily  you shouldn't have a problem

How long have you reloaded? This is the infamous "coke bottle" and is generally a GOOD thing. It means that, unless the bullets have been swaged down during seating, that the bullets are being held with as much tension as possible.
If they chamber in your gun, be happy.
The real problem is if you do not properly expand the case (many try to just flare/bell the case mouth and don't expand the case properly), the lead bullet can be swaged down in size (destroying accuracy) or it can seat crooked and bulge out the case where the case wall is thinnest. The bulge will often cause the round not to chamber and, even if it does, the crooked bullet will not improve accuracy.
Do not concern yourself with aesthetics, but rather performance.

I've also heard the term "wasp waist" used for this condition.  Same as "coke bottle".  And, yes it is a good thing.  The reason is, that you don't want the bullet doing any set-back when it hits the feedramp or barrel chamber.  You do have a taper-crimp to hold the bullet, somewhat, but I've seen with a .469" taper crimp, some bullets will still set back in the case at random times.  Try a few mag fulls sometime, and let the slide chamber the round.  Instead of shooting it, eject it on the bench and check for overall length to see if the bullet moved back or not.

And, don't do the following, as I've already tried it...    I've tried a 454 Casull sizer since it sizes the OD of the brass to .470, where the 45acp sizer OD is .466.  A fired case, from my chamber, measures OD at .472.  The .002 difference is not enough to help the crimp hold the bullet from setback.  I've also tried just neck-sizing the brass, thinking that the loaded round would be more centered in the chamber.  Bottom line is, don't do it.  You'll run into chambering problems, and it will probably happen during rapid fire when the gun gets just a little bit dirty.

I checked a factory American Eagle 230FMJ load and the OD of the brass at the mouth is .468.  Halfway between the base of the bullet, and the case web, it measures OD .466.  So, there is a bit of "coke bottle" effect going on there.  Since cast bullets are generally a bit larger in diameter, you will see a bit more of the "coke bottle" effect on those rounds.

As others have mentioned, check your loaded rounds to drop into the chamber of your dis-assembled gun, and make sure you're loading them to 45acp specs.

Then, focus on front sight and trigger control.  Your gun will do the rest.

Good luck!

thanks for all the advice. i loaded another set and they were either much less noticeable or i just stopped worrying. they worked like a charm in my clark, so i figure that is, as bill murray would say, "a successful test of the equipment." they all miked out to spec. now i just have to be still enough to get them downrange properly.

1) I shoot as-cast bullets. Very seldom is there a noticeable bulge.
2) There are two bulges:
a) all around the case. This indicates that everything is just fine and the bullet is not going to be set back during feeding and chambering
b) at one area of the case. This is almost always due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flaring) and indicates that the bullet has been pushed off center and has bulged the case (generally where the walls are thinnest).
a) is desirable.
b) is not desirable