Wanted to reduce runout after getting 21st century gauge last week. It's an incredible tool by the way, even I can use it. Bought this Forster ultra seater die for 223. Using 77 SMK moly bullets in freshly trimmed to within a thou Lapua brass that's been fired 3/4 times. Champher/deburr cleaned primer pockets, tumbled, etc.
Had trouble from start setting forster seating die up. Instructions said after compressing bushing to back out at least one turn. I did that and followed directions to adjust from there with seating stem on top, where flat screw driver fits. I turned it out several turns. Then set first bullet almost all the way in case, tip barely protruding. Did similar versions of that 2-3 x, the started over and after compressing bushing, I backed out about 5 turns, rather than the 'at least one' as directions said.
That got me close, and I adjusted the top seating stem, then locked it all down. I loaded 2-3 rounds at 2.256-2.257 and called it good. Main objective was to compare runout to same brass, same load, with my redding seater I had been using. The results of this Forster were worse overall, with more extremely off examples than my standard seater.
What's more puzzling is that I essentially loaded two groups. I loaded 28 rounds and using ogive/base measurements with hornady bullet comparator, they were extremely uniform, but two groups, separated by 7 thou. I'm lost. I locked die down first. I changed nothing. The results were as random as they could be. Meaning, the rounds didn't get longer at one point. Didn't have a pattern or shifting.
Literally imagine pulling 13 random rounds out of my loading block and them all being within +/- a thou in ogive/base. Then the remaining 15 rounds were the same, +/- a thou, but 7 thou longer than the other group. Numbers are below. I'm praying it means something to someone here.
I'm assuming I set seater up improperly, but have no clue about the randomness of two otherwise very consistent COAL groups. And in similar proportion, 13 in one group and 15 in the other. And the runout was terrible in both groups. Worse than my standard redding seater. How did I screw things up this bad?
13 round 'group'
On Hornady bullet comparator ogive/base measurement ...
All were between 1.880-1.882" (1.881 avg)
COAL with calipers ...
2.266
2.267
2.266
2.267
2.267
2.265
2.269
2.265
2.270
2.265
2.264
2.272
2.260
Second 'group' of 15 rounds ...
Hornady comparator base/ogive 1.873-1.875"
COAL with calipers...
2.258
2.253
2.258
2.262
2.259
2.260
2.256
2.258
2.256
2.257
2.264
2.260
2.263
2.260
2.259
Now the really painful part, runout... On 21st century gauge...
The 1.874 avg group had the following variation in thou...
3
8.5
7.5
9.5
5
4
6
5.5
2.5
2.5
4
1.5
6
3.5
6
The 1.881 avg group was...
2.5
3
4
4
2
6
4.5
6
2
6.5
5.5
1
5.5
Dan
Had trouble from start setting forster seating die up. Instructions said after compressing bushing to back out at least one turn. I did that and followed directions to adjust from there with seating stem on top, where flat screw driver fits. I turned it out several turns. Then set first bullet almost all the way in case, tip barely protruding. Did similar versions of that 2-3 x, the started over and after compressing bushing, I backed out about 5 turns, rather than the 'at least one' as directions said.
That got me close, and I adjusted the top seating stem, then locked it all down. I loaded 2-3 rounds at 2.256-2.257 and called it good. Main objective was to compare runout to same brass, same load, with my redding seater I had been using. The results of this Forster were worse overall, with more extremely off examples than my standard seater.
What's more puzzling is that I essentially loaded two groups. I loaded 28 rounds and using ogive/base measurements with hornady bullet comparator, they were extremely uniform, but two groups, separated by 7 thou. I'm lost. I locked die down first. I changed nothing. The results were as random as they could be. Meaning, the rounds didn't get longer at one point. Didn't have a pattern or shifting.
Literally imagine pulling 13 random rounds out of my loading block and them all being within +/- a thou in ogive/base. Then the remaining 15 rounds were the same, +/- a thou, but 7 thou longer than the other group. Numbers are below. I'm praying it means something to someone here.
I'm assuming I set seater up improperly, but have no clue about the randomness of two otherwise very consistent COAL groups. And in similar proportion, 13 in one group and 15 in the other. And the runout was terrible in both groups. Worse than my standard redding seater. How did I screw things up this bad?
13 round 'group'
On Hornady bullet comparator ogive/base measurement ...
All were between 1.880-1.882" (1.881 avg)
COAL with calipers ...
2.266
2.267
2.266
2.267
2.267
2.265
2.269
2.265
2.270
2.265
2.264
2.272
2.260
Second 'group' of 15 rounds ...
Hornady comparator base/ogive 1.873-1.875"
COAL with calipers...
2.258
2.253
2.258
2.262
2.259
2.260
2.256
2.258
2.256
2.257
2.264
2.260
2.263
2.260
2.259
Now the really painful part, runout... On 21st century gauge...
The 1.874 avg group had the following variation in thou...
3
8.5
7.5
9.5
5
4
6
5.5
2.5
2.5
4
1.5
6
3.5
6
The 1.881 avg group was...
2.5
3
4
4
2
6
4.5
6
2
6.5
5.5
1
5.5
Dan