Bullet Seating Die Options

[4thefunofit]

I have all the necessary ingredients to do my first build, a 6mm TCU, except for the neck sizer and seating dies. I have a FL die, and have been waiting since January for the neck and seating set. Now I find out someone, somewhere, somehow, blew my order and it had to rewritten. This is likely going to require another long wait. So my question is if there are other options I might use in place of the 6mm TCU seating die to seat the bullets? We have a 300 yard range (long for a 223 case) nearby, and I'm really anxious to see how this new creation shoots. Thanks a lot for any tips and/or pointers!

 

[L.Sherm]

I make all my seating dies anymore out of wilson inline blanks from my chamber reamers, Newlon blanks are another option.

 

[4thefunofit]

Thanks for the information. I don't have the reamer McGowen used to cut the chamber, so a local gunsmith would have to rent one. Looks like my most realistic option is to simply wait it out. I just discovered another problem. I've already purchased a couple boxes of 87gr. VLD bullets, and it appears they will not work in standard seating dies, so I'll have to also buy a VLD bullet seating micrometer. If I have to also wait for it to be special ordered it means even more months before I can take the new rifle to the range. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be worth the wait. I do have a trim die, and a collet bullet puller, but trying to use those instead of a seating die would be an act of desperation. Thanks again.

 

[LongBomber]

Forester universal seater, if nothing else it will get you through till your ordered die come in.

 

[4thefunofit]

Forester universal seater, if nothing else it will get you through till your ordered die come in.

Thanks for that, but are you sure it's still available? I couldn't find it on their web page.

 

[Backwoods towny]

Frankford arsenal universal seating dies.

 

[4thefunofit]

Forester universal seater, if nothing else it will get you through till your ordered die come in.

Had no idea universal seaters existed. Thanks for the recommendation. I found one that I'll probably order.

 

[4thefunofit]

Frankford arsenal universal seating dies.

Yes, just found it and am ordering it.

 

[4thefunofit]

This is great! Just ordered the seater, so now I can take my donor to have the barrels swapped. Just got hold of a 10 pack of primers, so I'll be all set. Shouldn't be too long until I can see how she does. It's a Savage 110 (swapped the bolt head), Boyd Nutmeg Prairie Hunter stock, McGowen SS 24" (8) Heavy Varmint barrel, with Bushnell Nitro 6-24x50 scope. Fun!

 

[QuietTexan]

We have a 300 yard range (long for a 223 case) nearby, and I'm really anxious to see how this new creation shoots.

Don't be afraid to take it past 300 yards, those small cases can run:

 

[4thefunofit]

Don't be afraid to take it past 300 yards, those small cases can run:

Amazing!

 

[bengineer]

A 6x45 die set could get you seated, too. RCBS makes them, and Grafs recently had them on clearance.

 

[4thefunofit]

A 6x45 die set could get you seated, too. RCBS makes them, and Grafs recently had them on clearance.

Thank you. I was wondering whether or not that would work. I've already ordered the universal, but I'll check out Grafs anyway.

 

[Pdyson]

I love micrometer seating dies but reloading for over 10 bottleneck rifle cartridges it can get expensive. You can convert any a standard hornady to micrometer seater for not much money just by buying the mic knob and screwing it on.
I bought one of those FA multi-cal micrometer seating dies a few weeks ago and have been testing it. Just 6 creed and 243 win so far but I'm impressed. I resized with Forster FL (non bushing dies) with expander removed. Then expanded the neck with a .262 21st Century mandrel. I'm getting 1 to 2 thou total runout with Lapua 6CM brass and 2-4 with Hornady 243 brass.