Which is the best die type for bullet seating?

[malkiserow]

I've just realised some bullet seating dies are free floating for the depth adjuster and some are fixed in the centre.

 

Any thoughts on which is the best method or doesn't it make any difference at all?

[malkiserow]

Any thoughts on this?

[Dougy]

Just get some plain and simple dies. RCBS, Hornady, Lee, Forster or Redding. Unless your into chasing rainbows they will all do the job that you expect them to do. If you want to be a tackle tart then you can go Redding, Sinclair, Forster or any other competition sets, or even custom made. But for around £50 ish,just stick to simple 2 die sets.

[malkiserow]

Just get some plain and simple dies. RCBS, Hornady, Lee, Forster or Redding. Unless your into chasing rainbows they will all do the job that you expect them to do. If you want to be a tackle tart then you can go Redding, Sinclair, Forster or any other competition sets, or even custom made. But for around £50 ish,just stick to simple 2 die sets.

 

I am not thinking expensive.

 

The RCBS ones are fixed and the Lee is floating ....... I am thinking if the bullet is not perfectly central the Lee one will still deliver the same seating depth (or near enough) but a fixed one will seat it deeper ?

[Savhmr]

I use a Lee seater. Floating or not, I have got into the habit of part seating, then turning the case by half a turn before finishing the seating. You can do this with no-floating seaters if you want to tighten groupings too. It seems to have an effect on accuracy doing this especially where parallel sides of the bullet are short. I'm shooting .3 to .4 using the Lee kit. If you're a competition shooter you may want to be tighter than this but with so many other variables in the loading process, not to mention the effects of different primers and cases, I'd not worry about it. If you've spotted that lee use a floating seater, then buy a floating seater if that helps you.

[malkiserow]

I use a Lee seater. Floating or not, I have got into the habit of part seating, then turning the case by half a turn before finishing the seating. You can do this with no-floating seaters if you want to tighten groupings too. It seems to have an effect on accuracy doing this especially where parallel sides of the bullet are short. I'm shooting .3 to .4 using the Lee kit. If you're a competition shooter you may want to be tighter than this but with so many other variables in the loading process, not to mention the effects of different primers and cases, I'd not worry about it. If you've spotted that lee use a floating seater, then buy a floating seater if that helps you.

 

the turning is an interesting idea. Like many of these things, I've no idea if it helps or not. I hope someone has tried it.........

[Paul223]

Think your over thinking

 

Just buy a Lee seater and crack on

[LeadWasp]

Just get some plain and simple dies. RCBS, Hornady, Lee, Forster or Redding. Unless your into chasing rainbows they will all do the job that you expect them to do. If you want to be a tackle tart then you can go Redding, Sinclair, Forster or any other competition sets, or even custom made. But for around £50 ish,just stick to simple 2 die sets.

I was going to say Forster Micrometer (after frustration with Lee) but then Dougy knows I stalk Unicorns...............

 

the turning is an interesting idea. Like many of these things, I've no idea if it helps or not. I hope someone has tried it.........

I'm with Savhmr on the 180 turn.

 

Edited April 15, 2016 by LeadWasp

[wymberley]

Getting better results with the Forster bench rest die than the Lee for the thin walled 22Hornet although the Lee was fine for all bigger calibres. Also do the 180 for neck sizing.

[LeadWasp]

Getting better results with the Forster bench rest die than the Lee for the thin walled 22Hornet although the Lee was fine for all bigger calibres. Also do the 180 for neck sizing.

so you turn yours when you size too? Interesting. So a double size in effect??

[Paul223]

If your using the Lee to neck size turning just under or over 180 deg removes the 4 marks left by the collet.

[wymberley]

If your using the Lee to neck size turning just under or over 180 deg removes the 4 marks left by the collet.

Paul,

Never thought of that and the 180 is approx' - probably explains why I don't see them! To be honest, I'm not absolutely sure that it does any good but figured that by doing so, any error would be halved.

[activeviii]

To many other variables to worry about Malk. Neck tensions and wall thickness. You can have the best idea in the world but if your wall thickness isn't even then the bullet will not sit central. If the tensions are different in cases then some bullets will seat in easier that others. To many variables,

[Dougy]

Oh no !

Now that's added more issues activeviii lol neck turning inside and out concentric guages it's endless..

[malkiserow]

My head hurts now....... Lol

[Dougy]

Malc just keep it simple.

[kent]

Chamber type LE Wilson is the most accurate but the best? Depends on purpose

[malkiserow]

I've just realised some bullet seating dies are free floating for the depth adjuster and some are fixed in the centre.

 

Any thoughts on which is the best method or doesn't it make any difference at all?

 

 

Chamber type LE Wilson is the most accurate but the best? Depends on purpose

 

Hi Kent, it was more aimed at free floating or fixed seating dies, any thoughts?

[kent]

 

 

 

Hi Kent, it was more aimed at free floating or fixed seating dies, any thoughts?

Yes it's got a lot more to do with set up if you buy any of the quality brands

 

What you need to do is have a consentricity gauge and look for less than 2 thousands run out ( you won't get any better with them reliably)

 

If it's for hunting to 200 yards or so I shouldn't stress about it at all

[Savhmr]

Yes it's got a lot more to do with set up if you buy any of the quality brands

 

What you need to do is have a consentricity gauge and look for less than 2 thousands run out ( you won't get any better with them reliably)

 

If it's for hunting to 200 yards or so I shouldn't stress about it at all

 

 

+1.

 

 

Shot a mixed batch of brass, all 3 times fired with different wall thicknesses yesterday, all different brands. This probably meant neck tension as well as internal volume was different for each batch. Shot it in groups matched to brand. Worst case POI difference at 100 yds between brands was a surprising. 1.5 inches. Group sizes for the same loads (60gr pills in 223) varied between 0.6 and 0.95 inches. I'd expect some variation due to both neck tension and internal volume changes. What this shows is that for Fox at 100 yards, it's not worth worrying about. Just use what you have and don't over think it.

 

For longer ranges and for target use, it's an absolute must to use the same batch/brand of brass and not to mix them up or they'll not deliver the results you expect. From the experiment yesterday, POI and therefore Zero changes with different brass due to changes in internal pressure. Group sizes were not drastically affected surprisingly, so differences I guess attributable to bullet concentricity didn't seem to have as much impact as variances in internal volume and neck tension.

 

I'll be sticking with one make of brass and taking extra care over everything from trim length to seating depth from now on.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Savhmr

[seeker]

Theres a series of articles on 6mmbr about getting the most from your dies. One tip was on using an O ring to give some float, something that comes standard from Lee.... A useful read but as Kent says 'don't stress about it', for that articles by people who are paid to shoot ....

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/09/how-to-improve-case-concentricity-with-standard-seating-dies/