Poor precision with competition seating dies.

[Thumper580]

I have a Redding Competition seating die and a Forster Competition seater for 308. Normally seating 168 or 175 smk's. On both of them I can make a 1,2,3 or 4 thous. adjustment and maybe it will be exact and maybe not... Sometimes I can make an adjustment and nothing happens... or it moves past what I dialed. I've taken them apart several times, cleaned and lubed, etc. but still not precise or consistent. I've actually gone back to an ancient seating die that once set to the depth I want it stays within 1/2 thousandths..... Anyone else have this situation. Bit pissed considering the cost of competition seaters....

 

[rustyinbend]

I have a Redding Competition seating die and a Forster Competition seater for 308. Normally seating 168 or 175 smk's. On both of them I can make a 1,2,3 or 4 thous. adjustment and maybe it will be exact and maybe not... Sometimes I can make an adjustment and nothing happens... or it moves past what I dialed. I've taken them apart several times, cleaned and lubed, etc. but still not precise or consistent. I've actually gone back to an ancient seating die that once set to the depth I want it stays within 1/2 thousandths..... Anyone else have this situation. Bit pissed considering the cost of competition seaters....

Is it possible your bullets require the VLD seating stems? Mine did, and my accuracy improved greatly once I got them for my long range bullets. You know how to test for that ... right?

 

[Holliday]

Been using them for years and never had this issue unless a compressed load or cracked the stem. Redding will tell you don’t do compressed loads -no warranty. Forster will bend over backwards for you.

 

[rustyinbend]

Another way to improve seating accuracy is to go to an inline die (I use LE Wilson) and seat with an AMP Press or an Arbor Press. I love my AMP Press ... never going back to non-AMP seating.

 

[Rathmatik]

Are you measuring OAL or using a bullet comparator? Only the comparator will give accurate readings since it relies on the ogive rather than the tip of the bullet.

 

[FimRire RongLifle]

Is it possible your bullets require the VLD seating stems? Mine did, and my accuracy improved greatly once I got them for my long range bullets. You know how to test for that ... right?

do 75gr eldm require the VLD? the 80 seemed to favor the standard in testing.
anyway I have had issues where length is not the same as it crunches powder down and had to use drop tube with tiny carts (223) not a compressed load just 'moving the powder down'. I wind up with .005-.002 longer then expected. This is with dry lubed necks.

 

[Thumper580]

Are you measuring OAL or using a bullet comparator? Only the comparator will give accurate readings since it relies on the ogive rather than the tip of the bullet.

The ogive with comparator....

 

[Hickswr]

Have a matchmaster micrometer seater with the bullet cutout and it seats them all the same depth and quickly on a Rock Chucker. Zero complaints

 

[ShootnFool8]

Get a micron, or sac seater. Won't be disappointed

 

[straightshooter1]

Another way to improve seating accuracy is to go to an inline die (I use LE Wilson) and seat with an AMP Press or an Arbor Press. I love my AMP Press ... never going back to non-AMP seating.

That press is a LOT of $$$$$$$$, which is ok if you're a high end competitor. . . or, money is just no object.

 

[straightshooter1]

I have a Redding Competition seating die and a Forster Competition seater for 308. Normally seating 168 or 175 smk's. On both of them I can make a 1,2,3 or 4 thous. adjustment and maybe it will be exact and maybe not... Sometimes I can make an adjustment and nothing happens... or it moves past what I dialed. I've taken them apart several times, cleaned and lubed, etc. but still not precise or consistent. I've actually gone back to an ancient seating die that once set to the depth I want it stays within 1/2 thousandths..... Anyone else have this situation. Bit pissed considering the cost of competition seaters....

I haven't use my Forster Competition seater or has it seen the light of day for years, since I got my LE Wilson Micrometer seating die and an arbor press. I used to have that kind of issue with 168 and 175 SMK's as well. I used the Forster seater on a Forster Co-Ax and thought there shouldn't be that kind of results. I never figure it out as I've must been happy with the Wilson die.

 

[CK1.0]

The lines/marks on any die with a micrometer adjustment are relative, not linear. Depending on brass, neck tension, bullet ogive tolerance, lube/no lube, and other variables, clicks/lines could mean half a thou (.0005") or 3 thou (.003"), who knows... (if you're using a comparator to measure base-to-ogive, you probably know that already).

Just ensure that once it's set it won't move on you and you're good, that should deliver an acceptable tolerance of a few thou or less. But if it won't hold its setting... it's fucking you, it's junk, get rid of it.

 

[robb_va]

I have a Redding Competition seating die and a Forster Competition seater for 308. Normally seating 168 or 175 smk's. On both of them I can make a 1,2,3 or 4 thous. adjustment and maybe it will be exact and maybe not... Sometimes I can make an adjustment and nothing happens... or it moves past what I dialed. I've taken them apart several times, cleaned and lubed, etc. but still not precise or consistent. I've actually gone back to an ancient seating die that once set to the depth I want it stays within 1/2 thousandths..... Anyone else have this situation. Bit pissed considering the cost of competition seaters....

I expect the neck tension on your sized cases is inconsistent. If you are using a bushing sizer, I would increase the bushing a thou or so and see what you get.

 

[Rio Precision Gunworks]

if you’re using the right stem, your necks are consistent, and you’re using quality die and press, the increments on your seating die are definitely absolute.

They literally move the seating stem/parts up or down the increment you adjust. Especially the higher end that use an actual micrometer adjustment.

If you’re finding your adjustments are relative, either your process, your brass, or your bullets are inconsistent.

 

[ifgator]

Get a micron, or sac seater. Won't be disappointed

You don’t have to worry about cracking the searing stem on a micron die. I had no clue how stout they are.
OP go watch YouTube of fclass John and micron dies

 

[ShootnFool8]

Had a whidden die, decided to try micron. Great dies, love how consistent they are. My go to now.

 

[FimRire RongLifle]

This thread inpsires me to go to an arbor press setup especially since I still do single stage. I loaded today using a drop tube on 223 and got to .xx1-.xx3 with a redding micrometer seater in a press. I checked every 5 rounds. Without the drop tube where i would feel it 'move' powder I got more variance like .x15-.x18

 

[Kfive73]

I have a Forster. Had the same issue. Turned out to be cracked stem. I forgot to lube a couple necks before seating bullets and cracked it. All on me, not the die. Ordered a couple new stems and learned my lesson. Haven’t had issues since

 

[Devildog]

I’ve moved to an arbor press and in line dies, no looking back from here.

 

[rustyinbend]

That press is a LOT of $$$$$$$$, which is ok if you're a high end competitor. . . or, money is just no object.

I had a boss that used to say: "It's not a 'problem' if you can solve it with money ... it's a prioritization and budgeting exercise".

 

[ShootnFool8]

I had a boss that used to say: "It's not a 'problem' if you can solve it with money ... it's a prioritization and budgeting exercise".

Kinda like buy once, Cry once. Exactly