Competition Seater Die Question

[patkinson]

Does anyone have an opinion about what make of competition(micrometer) bullet seater die is the best? Also do such dies contribute to better accuracy, especially for long range shooting?

 

[britz]

I just bought my first comp die - a redding. The two I looked at were redding and Forster. RCBS is less expensive, but it has been my experience the Redding has superior quality control. The basic principle behind the comp die is a sleeve that contacts the cartridge and slides into the die forcing the cartidge to be centered into the die. I'm not sure how much that helps to be honest. I have one in a 22-250 and it did reduce runout over my old RCBS seater that had a burr on the seater plug.

The micrometer adjustment is really nice for setting up the die. I just screw the die into the press, back off the mic a few thou and seat a bullet. measure the bullet and if it is .003" long, I screw in the mic .003 and the bullets are perfect. For me, the mic is a the most helpful feture of the die, but I'm not compatition shooter. I am not sure if I will purchas one again because it was $87 plus s and h.

 

[Blacktail2]

Does anyone have an opinion about what make of competition(micrometer) bullet seater die is the best? Also do such dies contribute to better accuracy, especially for long range shooting?

I have been using the Redding for a few years on several differant cases and like it.I don't know about the best, that's a matter of opinion.But its one of the better ones for sure.

Yes it does contribute to better accuracy by removing some runout.They also give you more consistent bullet seating depth.

 

[Winchester 69]

What sets the "Competition" seater dies apart from standard seaters is the sliding alignment sleeve they have. It allows for consistent straightness of the seated bullet. The micrometer makes it simpler to adjust bullet seating depth. If you're loading to magazine length and a stock chamber, minor depth changes to adjust bullet "jump" are not needed. The standard Forster seating die provides the sleeve without the micrometer. The Forster and Redding dies are of comparable quality with each having its fans.

 

[boomtube]

The Redding and Forster competition seaters are tied for first place. All others are tied for a distant second place, no exceptions. You MAY get a good conventional seater but it's a matter of luck, not a matter of who made it.

But I have no evidence that a competion seater is any more consistant in OAL seating. Used properly, they will all seat to a consistant length IF used in a rigid single stage press. Turrets and progressives simply have too much head flex to be consistant in anything - there has to be a little slop or the heads couldn't turn, could they?

 

[LewisH]

VICKERMAN

This is the original sliding sleeve seating die, and it's still made.

 

[boomtube]

Lewis, I think I would like the easy to use side entry port for bullets in a Vickerman/Wells/Herters (all of a simular construction) but not enough to trade a Forster/Redding competition die for it.

The basic Vickerman design shares the short supporting sleeve with previous dies by several other makers, Lyman, Wells, Herters and now Hornady and RCBS ("Competition" dies) for instance. All of them only support the case neck/mouth and bullet so most, if not all, of them can be used to seat almost any cartridge of the same bullet diameter, including the Vickermans, because they don't fit or support the case body at all.

On the other hand, Redding/Forster dies have a dedicated, fully chambered sleeve that holds and aligns the entire case before seating starts. They work very much like the hand dies used in serious BR competition. They only work for the intended cartridge and that makes them a whole different thing in my mind!

 

[LewisH]

From the Vickerman web site:

The internal guide is chamber reamed to fit the neck and shoulder of a specific caliber case and the bullet slot in the open window is reamed to .001" over the bullet diameter. The window is 1 1/2" long t

 

[Meatco1]

The Hornady® Custom-Grade Rifle seater die, also has a sliding sleeve that contacts the bullet, and slides up, forcing the bullet to be centered into the die body & case.

I haven't had a chance to use one yet, but I've ordered a couple of sets to try out.

I do use the Forster Competition seaters with the Mico adustment, and they work very, very well.

Richard