razorfish Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Based on this thread, I've bought one for my 550b. Anything I should be aware of in the dept of tips/tricks for this die? It will be replacing a stock Dillon 9mm seater. I use the supplied lock ring on the top of the die and a Dillon lock ring on the bottom of the die to make sure it will never move. Next I set the die on 1.000 and use the supplied hex wrench to set the seating depth (as opposed to the micrometer) to match my favorite OAL for that caliber. (Basically you calibrate this die using an OAL in the middle of what you would expect to load.) Now I have a seating die that's locked in place. With the micrometer set at 1.0 it's ready for my PET load and the micrometer has plenty of range to go little shorter or longer. Makes experimenting with different bullet makers and/or different size/shape bullets much simpler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baer45 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I use them every caliber I load including for .556 & 9mm and they work great on my 650. I find the variances are operator induced with pressure at the bottom of the stroke and in variance in the de-prime cases. You do have to watch which plunger you choose. Try each and see which works best. My Redding competition seating die only came with one "plunger". I thought that was the point of the spring design...am I missing something? Marine Corp Colonial Shooting Academy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trident Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) No my mis-speak sorry I was thinking of a different die. The Redding uses the Ogive. What does "Production or Open" have to do with using the Redding Comp Die? Edited October 7, 2014 by Trident Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 No my mis-speak sorry I was thinking of a different die. The Redding uses the Ogive. What does "Production or Open" have to do with using the Redding Comp Die? Production guns have fairly loose chambers in general, so less chance the gun will be finicky about oal.Plus it is minor by definition, so no need to worry about getting up to major pf, where the difference between making pf, and making an unsafe load can be slim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noximus03 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Just got mine in. I'm having a serious time getting it to spit out consistent OAL!!! Target is 1.165 and I keep getting rounds come out from 1.135 to 1.180. WTH????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brisix Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Just got mine in. I'm having a serious time getting it to spit out consistent OAL!!! Target is 1.165 and I keep getting rounds come out from 1.135 to 1.180. WTH????? That's pretty bad. I would reach out to Redding and make sure you don't have a defective die. I am thinking something else is causing such a large deviation. Someone smarter than me might have a better idea on what troubleshooting steps you need to take, including Redding support. They were very helpful when I called them about issues I was having with a sizing die. I am not recommending this will solve your problem. Once you get things worked out and have a OAL with a +/- .003 deviation, the item below might be able to get the deviation even tighter. I have not used it but the concept seems sound and I would imagine someone on this forum has used it. I am happy with +/-.003. http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1230 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Stupid question, but you aren't mixing bullets, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Service Desk Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Mine works great with lead, coated lead, plated lead and jacketed boolits..... But doesn't enjoy a buildup of bullet lube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noximus03 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Stupid question, but you aren't mixing bullets, right? No, not mixing anything at all. Federal brass, 115 Hornady HAP's, and Fed SPP. Press is clean, and shimmed. Don't understand why I'm getting these effed up oals.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikamarj Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 How are you doing crimping? I had my carbide factory crimp die crimping too much and that caused some variation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noximus03 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I'm crimping a fair amount for the packs open rounds, but that's a ton of variance based on crimp level. I measured the seat before the crimp station for 20 rounds and the variance was the same. Not at all making sense.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) Pretty sure that my use of a 38 super Comp seat die for 9mm is bad, but its what I do and has been working fine so far. Edited October 28, 2014 by wgj3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikamarj Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Open rounds... Not compressed loads by any chance? Those would damage the CSD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Nothing compressed for me. OP only asked about folk using CSD for 9mm, not 9major... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Seating dies should be the same for 9 and 38 super, shouldn't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noximus03 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Yeah, compressed like whoa! How does that damage the die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slotbike Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I use them for .9, .40, .45, .223 and .308 I also use their micro adjust taper crimp die for each. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikamarj Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Yeah, compressed like whoa! How does that damage the die? I think in my seating die's manual said not to use it for compressed loads. Try a small test batch with less or no powder, does the OAL still vary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noximus03 Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Yeah, compressed like whoa! How does that damage the die? I think in my seating die's manual said not to use it for compressed loads. Try a small test batch with less or no powder, does the OAL still vary? Yep.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW39 Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Noximus03, Are you still having the OAL issue with the 9mmCSD? I also purchased the 9mm CSD and are getting OAL did you get this solved and if so, what was your issue? I am seating for 1.125 and I am seeing 1.124 to 1.131 but the more I loaded the more it setted to like 1.127 and 1.131 I dialed down to 1.125 and still moving up and down by 0.006 looking for input Thanks Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 (edited) The last thousand 9mm berry's plated were very consistent. All were 1.124 - 1.126 Edited November 10, 2014 by b1gcountry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truborshooter Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 SW39 Do you mean +/- .003 off your target 1.125? That is a pretty tight tolerance considering it is more based on bullet consistency and case 'springyness' than the CSD. Do you think that 10 cent bullets are holding a dead on ogive dimension? or tip dimension? (depending on where the seating die stem meets the bullet). JHP are the worst for tip dimensions both before and after seating. Anyway, the only critical dimension is where the bullet hits the rifling and the jump distance into the rifling. But that varies with each barrel. I've got 3 barrels for my M&P Core and they all have a different freebore dimensions. All considered, I wouldn't worry much until you're over +/- .005 High power riflemen use a ogive fixture that mounts on their caliper to measure from a fixed point on the bullet and even high end match bullets show variations since oal isn't really than important I use Redding Competition Seating Dies on all 7 of my loads 9mm - 308win and highly value them PS you do realize your caliper can only read +/- .001? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noximus03 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I talked with Chris over at Redding. He ask some specific questions, and I gave him specific answers. He suggested that I remove the spring in the die and run a batch without it. Completely solved my issues. Through 500 rounds, my variance is +- .004. I'm gonna call my issue closed. Thanks for all the input and help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW39 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) SW39 Do you mean +/- .003 off your target 1.125? That is a pretty tight tolerance considering it is more based on bullet consistency and case 'springyness' than the CSD. Do you think that 10 cent bullets are holding a dead on ogive dimension? or tip dimension? (depending on where the seating die stem meets the bullet). JHP are the worst for tip dimensions both before and after seating. Anyway, the only critical dimension is where the bullet hits the rifling and the jump distance into the rifling. But that varies with each barrel. I've got 3 barrels for my M&P Core and they all have a different freebore dimensions. All considered, I wouldn't worry much until you're over +/- .005 High power riflemen use a ogive fixture that mounts on their caliper to measure from a fixed point on the bullet and even high end match bullets show variations since oal isn't really than important I use Redding Competition Seating Dies on all 7 of my loads 9mm - 308win and highly value them PS you do realize your caliper can only read +/- .001? Thanks for the reply Trubor, My goal was to set at 1.125 OAL, I had a fluxuation of .001 with the fixed Dillion Die which to change to load 115gr & 124gr seemed a pain so that is why I purchased the CSD. I figured how great to dial between the (2) OAL I need without using a wrench with the Micrometer. You are correct with the +/- .001 on the caliper, I have about 5 sets ranging from analog to digital because of my work, but my flux range was between 1.1245 & 1.1310 pushing over .006 and I was trying to stay within .002. If you are telling me .003 is a good hit range I will defer to you all since my range of knowledge here is one of a rookie by far with working with varying loads. The difference does hit me directly because at 1.1295 the front of the bullet meets the barrel, which is why when I went over 1.1275 I started to do my additional research and found this tread. I also sent an e-mail and then called Redding directly, they were a great source of information and help. As they did tell me to also pull the spring. As you noted, the different manufactures of the bullets have different dies within a batch, so the contact point of the seating of the die is an issue I am looking at now also. I pulled the Dillion die seater out and compared it to the seating cavity in the redding die also. The seating cavities are different with the redding deffinitly more tight which is why along with the spring I think I am getting the variation. I am going to run a batch without the spring and if I can get the range below .004 then I will call it done. Otherwise my other thought was to spin a test insert on the lathe with a cavity more inline with the nose on the (2) bullets I am currelty loading. With the twist out top it's an easy swapout. I was thinking of making drop in seaters for the dillion before I changed to the Redding CSD Thanks for all the great input I will let you know how it pans out. Tom Edited November 12, 2014 by SW39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW39 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I talked with Chris over at Redding. He ask some specific questions, and I gave him specific answers. He suggested that I remove the spring in the die and run a batch without it. Completely solved my issues. Through 500 rounds, my variance is +- .004. I'm gonna call my issue closed. Thanks for all the input and help. Noximus03 Thanks for the update and the confirmation on the spring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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