Best seater for flat base bullets?

[chevytruck_83]

Im about to experiment with light weight flat base bullets in a 308 I ordered. I’ve loaded some flat base bullets in my 223 and noticed it can be a little bit of a pain to get every Bullet lined up just right while seating. I know some dies have an open top design. Do they work well for flat base or is the Wilson inline seater the best choice? I currently have a hornadyvlock and load progressive no arbor press.

 

[Chris Covell]

I like the Wilson

 

[Gabe22BR]

Chamfer the neck , & any seater die will work

 

[chevytruck_83]

Chamfer the neck , & any seater die will work

I always do. I imagine the Wilson in-line or one like the rcbs competition seater would make sure a straight seat every time. At least easier anyways.

 

[noylj]

Seater can only seat straight if it FITS the bullet. Get a seater plug that only contacts the ogive and does so as low as possible. All die manufacturers can make a die (and most already have plugs for many common bullets). You can also flare the neck a little, but they you need to "crimp" the flare away.

 

[Gabe22BR]

Your not supposed to drop bullets down the stem hole on Wilson seating dies.
Whidden can make you a custom die

 

[Bart B.]

Seater dies work best when their bore is, at worst, .0010" larger than bullet diameter and case necks are centered in the die's neck. Here are my seater die bore diameters

Wilson BR chamber type .308, circa 1966;.3105"
RCBS standard .308, circa 1966; . . . . . . . . .3100"
RCBS standard .308, circa 1979; . . . . . . . . .3115"
RCBS competition .308, circa 1980's; . . . . .3107"
RCBS standard .300 Win Mag, circa 1999, .3104"
RCBS standard .30-.338, circa 1967, . . . . . .3102"
Bonanza BR .30-.338, circa 1980; . . . . . . . . .3093"

30 caliber bullet diameters I've measured go from .3070" to .3092".

The Bonanza (now Forster) die has a floating chamber that centers the case shoulder in the die chamber shoulder and if case necks are straight and well centered on case shoulders, their necks will be well centered in the die's neck.