micrometer seating dies

[hogan]

Save your money...

Forster Benchrest dies will do all you need, and are simpler to keep in adjustment and to adjust. They got the same floating die chamber and same seating stem that passes through the die chamber. Only difference is the thread pitch on the seating stem.

One piece head unit on the Benchrest units have fewer variables to concern you. Once you learn the depth value of 1 revolution of seating stem you are set.

Like to play with your bullet seating depth constantly or are you looking to find the depth that works and then maintain that depth? I pretty much shoot one bullet per cartridge, and load uniform ammunition for all rifles in a chambering. Benchrest works great and saves a lot of money.

Forster will also sell you die bodies and seating stems so that you don't need to buy a new complete die every time you want to add a cartridge. About $20 for a die body and $10 for seating stem w/lock nut. If you keep a dummy round with your die set, easy to swap parts when need to and reset your seater per your dummy round.

I prefer Forster seaters and Redding Type S sizers.
Too bad Forster didn't use 1/2 inch bushings like Wilson and Redding...

 

[mikecr]

it must be better to have the seater stem further up the olive.

No, this is a bad idea. Will increase wedging and reduce consistency in CBTO.
I've bedded seaters committed to a particular bullet, but this actually provided no value over standard Wilson datum points & contact.
There is nothing here to be fixed really.

 

[lpreddick]

The Forster seating depth marks are wider apart and my aging eyes appreciate this. One unknown goodie with the Forster is that you can order from Forster a bullet seating sleeve for another cartridge of the same caliber. Remove the 22BR sleeve, insert the 223 or 22-250 sleeve, make appropriate adjustments for case length differences, and seat bullets. I have a 6BR seater with 6x47 lapua and 6x45 sleeves. You can get sleeves for Redding, but have to go to a second source and it takes forever. Whidden say no. If you really want to save $ you can change bullet seating stem and sleeves with the Forster and use one micrometer body for short cases and one for longer ones.

 

[amlevin]

The Forster seating depth marks are wider apart and my aging eyes appreciate this. One unknown goodie with the Forster is that you can order from Forster a bullet seating sleeve for another cartridge of the same caliber. Remove the 22BR sleeve, insert the 223 or 22-250 sleeve, make appropriate adjustments for case length differences, and seat bullets. I have a 6BR seater with 6x47 lapua and 6x45 sleeves. You can get sleeves for Redding, but have to go to a second source and it takes forever. Whidden say no. If you really want to save $ you can change bullet seating stem and sleeves with the Forster and use one micrometer body for short cases and one for longer ones.

I'd rather have the separate die. Less time changing over--------unless you no longer load the cartridge your converting from.