As benchrest records through 300 yards are set with powder charge weight spreads of 2/10ths grain thrown direct from measures, 'tis my opinion exact charge weights are a waste of time and money for 99% of all reloaders.
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My .02 would be to be sure you are properly setting up your dies, whichever brand they are, to insure that they are centered in your press. There is an excellent how to discussion in my old Hornady manual, and I've seen gun mag articles on the same subject. Essentially, after adjusting the die, tighten the lock rings when a case is in the die on the full upstroke. Applies to both sizing and seating dies. I'd advise finding those instructions and following them.
I also like my micrometer competition seating dies. I have both RCBS and Forster versions. I assume they seat more concentrically, and I sure like the micrometer adjustments to accurately, and easily, come back to the desired COL when changing bullets and/or rifles.
I also like my micrometer competition seating dies. I have both RCBS and Forster versions. I assume they seat more concentrically, and I sure like the micrometer adjustments to accurately, and easily, come back to the desired COL when changing bullets and/or rifles.
I've got both Forster (Bonanza, actually, what Forster now makes), a Wilson chamber type and RCBS standard and competition seaters. They make bullets seat no straighter than standard RCBS seater dies that accompany their sizing dies in sets. Here's an interesting comparison in seating die's bullet chamber diameters. Measured my seven bullet seaters for .308 Win., .30-.338 Win Mag and .300 Win Mag to get the bullet chamber diameters at the mouth juncture:
Wilson BR chamber type .308, circa 1966; .3105"
RCBS standard .308, circa 1966; . . . . . . . .3100"
RCBS standard .308, circa 1979; . . . . . . . .3115"
RCBS competition .308, circa 1980's; . . . . .3107"
RCBS standard .300 Win Mag, circa 1999, .3104"
RCBS standard .30-.338, circa 1967, . . . . . .3102"
Bonanza BR .30-.338, circa 1980; . . . . . . . .3093"
30 caliber cartridge bullet diameters I've measured go from .3070" to .3092." Sierra match bullets at .3082" except for their 155-gr original Palma bullet that was/is .3084".
The clearance case necks have to the bullet seater's neck chamber is unknown, but there has to be enough clearance for the thickest necks and fattest bullets in them to easily go in then back out of. Seaters with floating bullet chambers usually rest on case shoulders during operation. That helps center case shoulders in the die but case necks will be centered only when they're well centered on case necks. Cases sized properly in gelded full length sizing dies (no balls) have the best alignment of neck axis to shoulder axis.
Wilson BR chamber type .308, circa 1966; .3105"
RCBS standard .308, circa 1966; . . . . . . . .3100"
RCBS standard .308, circa 1979; . . . . . . . .3115"
RCBS competition .308, circa 1980's; . . . . .3107"
RCBS standard .300 Win Mag, circa 1999, .3104"
RCBS standard .30-.338, circa 1967, . . . . . .3102"
Bonanza BR .30-.338, circa 1980; . . . . . . . .3093"
30 caliber cartridge bullet diameters I've measured go from .3070" to .3092." Sierra match bullets at .3082" except for their 155-gr original Palma bullet that was/is .3084".
The clearance case necks have to the bullet seater's neck chamber is unknown, but there has to be enough clearance for the thickest necks and fattest bullets in them to easily go in then back out of. Seaters with floating bullet chambers usually rest on case shoulders during operation. That helps center case shoulders in the die but case necks will be centered only when they're well centered on case necks. Cases sized properly in gelded full length sizing dies (no balls) have the best alignment of neck axis to shoulder axis.
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tjd308
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Amen! COL Stevens is awesome. He was such a pleasure to deal with and offered amazing customer service while he walked me through the options and answered all of my questions during the process. I highly recommend him!
What happens to seated bullets if a seater die is a few thousandths off center in the press threaded hole its in?
Having checked the lateral slop in ram head position at the top of its stroke in several new presses in stores, the several thousandths inch spread they have will let cases with their heads in shell holders well center in any die.
To say nothing about shell holder clearance to case heads that also comes into play.
All good presses have their ram and die holes bored with a two-diameter single reamer after a pilot hole's drilled. Threading the die's hole will make it a thousandth or two off center relative to the finished thread axis which is normal and never any problem.
Does anyone measure die chambers to see if they're off center from their thread axis?
I put a thin coat of grease on die and press threads so their tapered and matching surfaces well center on each other. No need to measure to ensure perfect alignment that happens automatically. Exactly the same as rimless bottleneck cases perfectly centering in chamber shoulders when fired.
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