Opinions on replacing my 223 seating die

[TommyD11730]

Hey guys, hope your having a good day.
So, I'm thinking of replacing my 223 seating die. I currently have a Hornady "match grade" die with micrometer top. It makes decent enough rounds, however I can barely read the mic portion!
I just bought a Forster Ultra micro for my 308. HUGE numbers on the mic, that I can read.
I'm always up for suggestions, so before I order the Forster any other dies I should look at.
Thanks!

 

[spife7980]

 

[TommyD11730]

View attachment 7716119

That's awesome!!!!

 

[Steel head]

All my seating dies are Forster and one whidden

Big numbers for the win.

 

[spife7980]

Hornady, Forster, Redding

These are all I have as an example

 

[FLIGHT762]

I have three of the old Hornady mic seater tops that have small numbers and thin lines. That is my only complaint with them, but I wear reading glasses when setting them and can still read the mic's. Not too long after I bought my mic tops, I noticed Hornady updated the mic settings on the new mic tops and the numbers and the mic lines were thicker.

Do you have the old mic tops like mine? I came close to contacting Hornady to see if they would swap out my old mics for the new ones, but I get buy with just reading glasses.

I'm keeping my old mic tops, for me they are still very useable.

Buy the Forster if you need it, it's probably the least expensive for the large mic top seaters out there.

Photo of the newer Hornady mic top. The lines are much thicker than the ones I have.

 

[spife7980]

I have three of the old Hornady mic seater tops that have small numbers and thin lines. That is my only complaint with them, but I wear reading glasses when setting them and can still read the mic's. Not too long after I bought my mic tops, I noticed Hornady updated the mic settings on the new mic tops and the numbers and the mic lines were thicker.

Do you have the old mic tops like mine? I came close to contacting Hornady to see if they would swap out my old mics for the new ones, but I get buy with just reading glasses.

I'm keeping my old mic tops, for me they are still very useable.

Buy the Forster if you need it, it's probably the least expensive for the large mic top seaters out there.

Photo of the newer Hornady mic top. The lines are much thicker than the ones I have.

View attachment 7716173

I’ll be damned. I guess I set my old ones and never looked at em again and forgot what they look like.
here is new vs old

 

[FLIGHT762]

I’ll be damned. I guess I set my old ones and never looked at em again and forgot what they look like.
here is new vs old
View attachment 7716174

Thanks for the photo, others can see the difference from the old to the new. A big difference. I bought three of them (old style) at the time, thinking I needed one for each of my regular Hornady seating dies.

What I quickly found out is, you can switch the mic top to any other Hornady seat die and just note the mic setting #'s for the bullets and die you're using because of the way the mic is designed, it sits on top of the seating stem of the particular seating die you're using. It is NOT caliber specific, doesn't need to be.

What I do is use one mic for my short cases (308 or shorter) for 260 Rem. and 223 Rem. I use the other for my long cases, 270 Win, 30/06 and 300 Win Mag. Works perfectly. I just keep notes in each die box with all of the bullets used and mic numbers.

What I like is this is the poor guy's mic seating die. It gives me low runout as well as my Redding mic seater.

 

[BiggBeans]

ive been using a redding micrometer seating die, ive been really happy with it. its about all i use now.

 

[Shoots 700's]

I like the reading glasses idea. Not buying new dies just to read the lines

 

[TommyD11730]

Ended up ordering the Forster, already have 1 on 308 and I can read that.
My 223 micro adjuster from day one has been a rust magnet. Maybe 1 too many cleanings has made it tough to read? Dunno.

 

[Fret]

I use the Redding micrometer seater for my .223 gas guns but use the LE Wilson micrometer seater for my bolt gun.