Proper Use of Wilson Dies

[WANTASHOOT]

I just purchased a set of Wilson dies. I got the Neck Bushing Die, and an Inline Seater. In the instruction manual it shows that you can use a soft faced hammer or an arbor press.

Can anyone shed some light on the hammer method, will you get the same precission using this method as with an Arbor Press. I plan to buy the Arbor press but who know's maybe I dont need it afterall.

 

[Preacher]

No matter if you set on it, hammer on it, or use a arbor press to seat a bullet with a Wilson die, they will be as good as it gets...

 

[mshelton]

I've never sat on one but now know I can do so in a pinch, something I can see coming in real handy one day.

Good to learn something new every day.

 

[WANTASHOOT]

Awesome thanks Preacher. I plan to set on it as a last resort.

 

[expiper]

wana,,,,the rawhide mallet or plastic tipped hammer works well for driving the spent round into the neck sizing die,,,,but I wouldnt hammer on the seater die,,,the best method there is the arbor press,,,,IMHO,,,Roger

 

[Lapua40X]

I have used a hammer on a block of wood on the seater die. It works in a pinch but I always feel like a crude Neanderthal using a hammer. I did find, however, that spending good shooting money on one of those fancy arbor presses isn't at all necessary.
I use this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-ton-arbor-press-3551.html#.Ux6aFNt385Y
If the thick table plate on the base is too thick for the load I'm working with I simply remove it and put a flat plate in its place on the base.
When I'm not using it for reloading it comes in handy for a lot of other jobs too.

 

[Preacher]

I had a old bottle capper in the garage and Mike spotted it and uses it for seating bullets with one of my inline seaters..
I'll see if I can snatch a photo of it...

 

[bow shot]

If neck tension isn't real tight, tap-tap-tap with a wood mallet will do it. There is also a pleasent little "clink" that you hear with that method that tells you you are positive-stopped, its good feedback. But Arbor or lever-type press is really the best. I do both. You could even smack together a fulcrum/lever type thingy pretty quick out of wood if you think about it.

When my brass it what it ought ot be, I can expect under 0.0005" bullet TIR, often more like 0.0001"

I also get thatou out of my Lee collet dies... 'should get that out of busing dies too...

 

[mattlewis]

I'm also new to chamber type dies, and after studying how they work (case fully inside the chamber of the die), and how easy it is just to use them with an arbor press, and how straight your loaded cartridge is, I wonder why one would use traditional screw in press dies for anything except fl sizing?

It sure does seem to me to be a no brainer.

 

[bow shot]

Yankee inginuity, I love it!!

I found an old orange-squeezer-kind-of-thingy in the garbage at work. Works great.

 

[expiper]

wow,,,Im waiting on someone to use the butt stock (with rubber recoil pad) on their Savage LPVS to pound the Wilson die and seat their bullits,,,,,,or like they built sleepin huts on the Alaska pipeline ,,,pounda pounda with their work boot !!! hahaha,,,,,,Roger

 

[bow shot]

I use my forehead!

 

[Preacher]

Here's that old bottle capper that Mike snuck off with..
A little paint work, and a block of wood the correct size and he'll be good to go...

 

[expiper]

hey,,,you culd use the buket on the front end loader,,,just push down !!!! ,,,wink....Roger

 

[dwcon]

Use your drill press