Bullet seating tolerances

P

paulie

Guest
What seating depth tolerances should be expected when seating bullets using the Redding Competition seating die.

In a 6ppc, I’m seating Barts Ultra FB bullets, using the Redding Competition seater, and find myself continually adjusting the micrometer top because the bullet at times seats .002 too deep, or .002 not deep enough … using an ogive comparator to check the length.

Is this what is to be expected from this seater die?
 
Paulie ...

What you're talking about is feel. Eliminating a .004" swing in hand pressure when your using a comparator is not the easiest thing to do. I suspect that what you're seeing is not the seater but rather the seatee's [that's you] sense of feel, that's being measured at the comparator. I seat my bullets, the same Bart's bullet you're using, by looking for a mark twice as long as it is wide near the ogive, marked by the rifling or lands, and then move on to the fun part. Art :)
 
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Have you tried an arbor press seater with the same components? Friends have run into the same problem when loading for their varmint rifles. One, who has Forster and Redding seaters feels that the Forster may be better in this respect. Is the body of your seater making contact with the shell holder? Some have said that light contact helps. Since the die body is not hardened, heavy contact has the potential of moving steel.
 
Paulie, I use Redding Seaters exclusivelly. The secret to arriving at consistant bullet seating depths from round to round is to be sure that shell holder is contacting the bottom of the die firmly. I set mine to where you feel a distinct force as the press linkage breaks over center...........jackie
 
Both Boyd and Jackie were correct in their assessment of my problem.
Although Redding says in their directions not to make contact between the die and the shellholder.... a bit bit of contact solved my problems.
I'd be interested in knowing what kind of press you use Jackie, to seat with the Redding seaters.
Thanks all for the very useful info.
paul
 
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