Experience with Vickerman Seating Dies

[South Pender]

I'm loading for a discontinued cartridge, the 7x61 S&H, and would like to upgrade my dies. I have the usual RCBS-type resizer and seating dies. For all the other cartridges that I reload, I have used L.E. Wilson sizers and chamber-type seaters, and have had good luck with handloads exhibiting very low runout. However, Wilson doesn't make (and won't do so as a special order) for the 7x61 S&H.

So I'm looking around for dies that will improve on the standard resizers and seaters. I'm not sure that I'll find a better resizer (I'd like a chamber-type neck sizer), but I heard about the Vickerman seating dies and wondered what everyone's experiences have been with them. I learned that they are now made by Robert Gemmell, of the Dayton Machine Shop, and emailed Robert to get info on his dies. He told me that there is just one die for all 7mm. cartridges, and that this die would work with my 7x61 S&H.

I'm curious about how a single die could hold in place all 7mm. cartridge cases in the seating process, given the very different shapes of the various cartridges. Can someone explain to me how these Vickerman seaters work? And, more importantly, any information on their effectiveness at achieving very low runout with the seated cartridges would be much appreciated.

 

[Kurz]

You can skip all the running around and send 3 complete cartridges fired at least twice to John Whidden. They make an excellent set of dies.

https://www.whiddengunworks.com/

 

[dellet]

There is a die body, a caliber specific insert and a seating stem. More or less like a normal spring loaded competition seater.

The stem is fixed to the body and the insert floats

The way the die works is only about .200” of the neck goes into the insert and the lip of the neck contacts a step cut in the insert. The rest of the insert is bullet diameter with a window cut to insert the bullet. The whole insert moves up against the stem to seat the bullet.

They can work very well. I use them for a number of mostly straight wall cartridges.

One size fits all is not exactly true.
I provided loaded neck diameter, brass thickness and bullet diameter. You can run into problems with excessively thick necks or oversize bullets like cast. Order a 30 caliber die and a .309 cast bullet will not fit down the channel in the insert. Use brass with an overly thick neck, and it may not come out of the insert once the bullet is seated.

It’s also worth mentioning the type of bullet you will be shooting, so the stem is correct. VLD, round nose, cast.

I learned this the hard way on the first die I ordered. There was joint responsibility in the mistake, they did not ask the right question when I ordered, I did not know enough to say I would be shooting cast. After a phone call, the insert was swapped out at no charge. I was more than pleased with the service.

Hope that helps some.

 

[PopCharlie]

I have a Vickerman seater for .223. If you use a standard press (not a co-ax or arbor) you will need to buy their extended shell holder.
I found the Vickerman die to me less accurate than my Forster seaters. It also produces the highest runout of all the seaters I tried, except for the Lee searers.

 

[biggun2869]

I'm loading for a discontinued cartridge, the 7x61 S&H, and would like to upgrade my dies. I have the usual RCBS-type resizer and seating dies. For all the other cartridges that I reload, I have used L.E. Wilson sizers and chamber-type seaters, and have had good luck with handloads exhibiting very low runout. However, Wilson doesn't make (and won't do so as a special order) for the 7x61 S&H.

So I'm looking around for dies that will improve on the standard resizers and seaters. I'm not sure that I'll find a better resizer (I'd like a chamber-type neck sizer), but I heard about the Vickerman seating dies and wondered what everyone's experiences have been with them. I learned that they are now made by Robert Gemmell, of the Dayton Machine Shop, and emailed Robert to get info on his dies. He told me that there is just one die for all 7mm. cartridges, and that this die would work with my 7x61 S&H.

I'm curious about how a single die could hold in place all 7mm. cartridge cases in the seating process, given the very different shapes of the various cartridges. Can someone explain to me how these Vickerman seaters work? And, more importantly, any information on their effectiveness at achieving very low runout with the seated cartridges would be much appreciated.

I had one of these years ago. The dies I got w/it were RCBS. The case has a double radius shoulder. I don't see how a 7mm mag die could work. My rifle was a Shultz & Larson which I'm betting yours is. They ARE out there. These guys would have them, put up a wanted ad