Wilson hand dies / Arbor Press

[wildcat284]

Hey guys,

I would like to set myself up with Wilson hand dies and an Arbor press to reload my .204 Ruger. My rifle is a Kimber Pro Varmint

As I have never ventured into this real precision end of reloading, I need some help please on the bits I need.

Many thanks,

Michael.

 

[mason]

Spend your money on something you can get some use out of.
The wilson is more for loading at the bench.I think you will be kicking yourself after you buy one if you are just going to use it at home; a good rockchucker rcbs is hard too beat....

 

[fdshuster]

wildcat284: As mason said, "regular" dies may be a better choice. I have the Wilson dies and Sinclair arbor press for 222 and 6ppc. But I'm also set-up with redding neck bushing dies and Forster collet, micrometer seater dies for both those cartridges. I find that i seldom use the Wilson/ arbor press combination: very time consuming. All loaded rounds have been checked for run-out with both the Sinclair and RCBS coincintricity gauges and I cannot find any difference in loaded round run-out, using either system. Just my opinion/ what works for me.

 

[chuckw2]

Michael,

I always use hand dies and an arbor press to seat all my bullets and to neck size some of my cases. It makes it easy..

For my .204 I use a Redding bushing die and a Wilson seater..

 

[rstreich]

I've been very happy with the K&M arbor press with the force measurement option. The only thing I don't like about the K&M is that adusting the height requires and allen wrench. Not much of a gripe, but I can be pretty damn lazy sometimes.

I do almost all of my bullet seating on smaller cases with my arbor press. It's just a lot easier to turn that little handle with my wrist than it is to run one of my other presses arms up and down. I also like the extra feel when seating the bullets,as well as a visual indicator with the dial indicator). You just don't have that with a standard press when you have so much extra leverage.

My "bench" is often my coffee table. I can just pick up a couple of trays of charged rounds, my press, a box of bullets, and the seater die and sit down in front of the TV and knock them out pretty quick. Like I said, I can be pretty lazy.

For neck sizing all you need are the appropriate bushings and a base. The base is for decapping on one side and popping your case out of the die on the other. Decapping can be a little tedious. My solution to that was to buy one of Neil Jones' decapping tools, so I don't use the decapping rod in the neck sizers. With the decapping tool I just slide my case on the mandrel, position it over the anvil and squeeze the primer out into a paper or plastic bag.

I started with Redding TiN coated bushings as that's all my favorite local reloading shop carried, but I'm starting to buy the Wilson bushings now. The one downside with them is that the sizes can be a real pain to read.

 

[SlowpokeRodriguez]

You could not give me seating dies that screw into the press anymore... If you want maximum concentricity the Wilson’s are the way to go and when sitting at the kitchen table with the Charge Master, Wilson’s and the K&M Arbor Press I can crank them out. Just depends on the level of precision you are after.

 

[olympian]

I like the system of Wilson seaters and the arbor press. In my experience, I can load with a Wilson as fast as with a screw-in seater. I seat jacketed bullets either at the range or on the coffee table. The screw-in seaters are for the cast bullets only. Most of my shooting does not require the kind of precision the Wilson delivers, but that precision cost so very little it is worth it to me.

That is my 0.0132 of a Euro,and going down.....)

 

[memilanuk]

Well, since we're all entitled to our opinion...

I haven't noticed markedly better concentricity or runout using Wilson dies in a R.W. Hart arbor press, or a Harrell's combo press, than with Redding Competition Seating dies or Forster Ultra BR seaters in a threaded press.

YMMV,

Monte

 

[billmo]

Monte, I ordered an Ultra BR seater for my 6 X 47 Shehane and I cannot tell any difference at all between it and the Wilson hand die and I am turning my brass down to .267 on an unfired case. I also own several Redding Comp. seaters that all seem to seat bullets as good as the Ultra however, I do not turn brass for any of my other rifles. Just my .02. Bill

 

[Forum Boss]

I prefer the Wilson Micrometer dies.

After loading a match round I always check it for case base to bullet ogive length,bullets are bearing-surface sorted to begin with). I have found that I can hold base to ogive length to tighter tolerances,usually 0.0015 or so) with the Wilson die.

I also like the feel of the arbor, and the K&M gives me the option of attaching a bullet seating force gauge. I've found this to be helpful in culling brass that has very high/very low neck tension.

 

[wildcat284]

Many thanks guys for all your recommendations. Gives me plenty to think about.

Best regards,

Michael.

 

[wildcat284]

Just placed an order with Sinclairs for a Redding comp neck die set for .204 with a .224 titanium bushing according to my Sinclair catalogue.

Unfortunately, it looks like my Hornady seating die is out of alignment. Its not my Lyman press, that happily loads my .280 Remington ammo,Redding .280 dies btw)with .001 - .002 runout. I replaced my lee shell holder with an RCBS one and still my runout is well over .005 or greater. Runout on my fired .204 brass is between .000 and .001 with the very odd one at .002.

So I wait with eager anticipation for my dies to show. Then me and my rifle will be deadly I think.

Regards,

Michael.

 

[M700]

For the .204, all I've ever used are Wilson dies and the little Arbor press. I simply enjoy loading that way, and it produces good ammo. :thumb: