seeking a precise .243 Winchester bullet seater.

[gene so]

I am looking for a Wilson style seater for the .243 Winchester. Looking for minimal runout after bullet is seated and my present dies are inadequate.

 

[Jim D]

I have played around with different bushing dies, and used them as a seating die.
Mostly on smaller calibers.
For a 223, a 223 AI bushing die will work with a bushing smaller than a .224 bullet.
In my testing, I would seat a bullet long with a regular seating die, and then finish with the bushing die.

My reason was to eliminate any variation in the bullets shape from the tip to the ogive. Not so much to correct run out.
This worked to get a consistent ogive, to the base of the case. I didn't check run out.

Again I was Playing with this. It may be a place for you to start.

You would need a bushing die for a case, that had wider shoulder, and more shoulder angle. than the 243.

Food for thought.

Jim

 

[JEFFPPC]

Call Wilson, buy an inline seater with a micrometer top and use an arbor press. Easy.

 

[rwj]

I am looking for a Wilson style seater for the .243 Winchester. Looking for minimal runout after bullet is seated and my present dies are inadequate.

How much radial runout are you measuring on the case neck and bullet?

 

[chromatica]

I like the Forster Ultra Micrometer Seater. I use it with a Co-Ax press and get runout of +/- .0005.

 

[BoydAllen]

I am looking for a Wilson style seater for the .243 Winchester. Looking for minimal runout after bullet is seated and my present dies are inadequate.

What sizing and seating dies are you currently using? How much runout are you getting, measured with what concentricity gauge? If your gauge supports the case body, how far out from the case mouth is your indicator touching the bullet? My experience it that the key to straight seating lies in the sizing die because the bullet will follow the case neck. Case runout is typically the neck being at an angle to the CL of the body, so that the farther the angle extends, the greater the runout reading. On the subject of reducing runout, a while back I ran into this video that you might find interesting.

 

[Bill Norris]

What sizing and seating dies are you currently using? How much runout are you getting, measured with what concentricity gauge? If your gauge supports the case body, how far out from the case mouth is your indicator touching the bullet? My experience it that the key to straight seating lies in the sizing die because the bullet will follow the case neck. Case runout is typically the neck being at an angle to the CL of the body, so that the farther the angle extends, the greater the runout reading. On the subject of reducing runout, a while back I ran into this video that you might find interesting.

Agree with Boyd on this. It seems to help along with making sure the press is mounted level which allows the case to stand straight up when entering both the sizing and seater die.

 

[acloco]

Because there are so many variables in the equipment that we use, press, shell holder, sizing die, seating die, crimp die (if used), AND, bullet runout, AND bullet ogive variance, unfortunately, you have to start eliminating one at a time.

 

[chromatica]

Here are the practices that allow me to minimize runout:

• I use a Co-Ax press.
• I use the Co-Ax one-piece jaw module.
• I use elliptical-head screws to retain the jaw module. The conical underside of the screw head will self-center the jaw module.
• I adjust the conical jaw-stop so that there is a small gap between the jaws at the bottom of the stroke. This ensures that the case head is centered at the beginning of the stroke.
• I use a Wilson FS sizing die with a bushing. I make sure there is enough room in the top of the die for the bushing to rattle.
• I use Sinclair cross-bolt die lock rings. They provide an interference fit for the Co-Ax press resulting in less slop than with the Forster, Lee or Hornady die-lock rings. In addition, Sinclair rings are made out of steel – not aluminum.
• I orient the die so that the seam in the ring is fully supported in the slot. I don’t want the ring to distort under load.
• I use a Lee Collet die after FS sizing so that the last operation on the neck is an expansion - giving me .002 neck tension
• I use a Forster Ultra Micrometer seating die.
• I put a chamfer on the inside of the case mouth as part of the trimming operation, so that the base of the new bullet moves easily down the neck.
• I use three partial strokes to seat a bullet, rotating the case 120 degrees after the first and second stroke. The third stroke reaches the limit of travel.
• I do not crimp!
• I measure my runout about 3/16 inch above the case mouth on a Hornady Concentricity Gauge at +/- .0005