If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
Be sure to enter the NES/MFS May Giveaway ***Canik METE SFX***
Same here, I don't know if it's the best but it's the best I have used.I use Redding Competition seating dies with no issues.
Dave
Jeezum!This is what my regular die does to the SMKs. Makes a halo. Even with this I can hit targets fine at 600. I just know it's definitely the limiting factor in what I'm doing.
View attachment 527761
Jeezum!
Are you running a compressed load? Are you crimping, Do you have different searing stems. You can modify seating stems with JB weldThis is what my regular die does to the SMKs. Makes a halo. Even with this I can hit targets fine at 600. I just know it's definitely the limiting factor in what I'm doing.
View attachment 527761
Are you running a compressed load? Are you crimping, Do you have different searing stems. You can modify seating stems with JB weld
Poke around for different stems a new die may not have “correct” stem. I wonder if the ELD and tipped bullet profile seating stems will work. I needed a different seating stem for the hornady tipped 224sYes compressed. 24.5gr Varget. Star brass. CCI400s
I do not have any other stems. I'd rather buy a nice die than make something or modify a current one.
I don't check neck tension. I am not anneaing either.
Call reading and ask about the seating stem it may still sit poorly on the ogive?Yeah I only get halo on the 77gr SMKs. I haven't loaded a huge variety of bullets, but 52/55/62/64 grain bullets I've never had a problem with. I'm sure some of it is the powder crunch, but clearly other dies don't do what my Lee is.
At this point I'm committed to buying a die with a micrometer style adjustment knob to make setup easier/faster. Still seems like Redding is going to be the winner
This. They have a “VLD” stem that eliminates the halo issue.Call reading and ask about the seating stem it may still sit poorly on the ogive?
I used a Redding Competition die.
i ranted about my struggle with the redding 6.5 competition die - but for the .223 i had same rings left by the RCBS seater.This is what my regular die does to the SMKs. Makes a halo. Even with this I can hit targets fine at 600. I just know it's definitely the limiting factor in what I'm doing.
View attachment 527761