223 redding comp seat die

[kz45]

I just started loading 223, I read a bunch of threads on this and thought I had come up with the best set up, size deprime on one tool head and load on the other, I have a redding comp seating die but am getting any where from 2.258 to 2.267 oal, is this the best I'm going to get? My brass is trimmed to 1.752 with a possum holler, I just checked and it should be 1.750, can that shouldn't affect oal ? My starting load is 24.5 gr Varget with a 69gr SMK on a 650

Edited December 6, 2009 by kz45

[jaredr]

my $.02 -

+ small differences in cartridge length shouldn't impact your cartridge overall length - as long as there's enough cartridge neck to hold the projectile, the length should be defined by how deep the seater stuffs the bullet, not how much neck is holding it in (within reason)

+ i haven't used the redding competition seater for .223, but I do use it for .308 and i've found loaded rounds to be very consistent (within ~.001)

+ SMK's are a quality bullet, wouldn't think the issue is due to manufacturing tolerances with the projectile

what press are you using? any looseness in the shellplate?

[technetium-99m]

The redding may seat the bullet using the ogive and not a fixture on the tip of the bullet. Check your ammo using a comparator and see if you get more consistency.

[Viggen]

What reloading press are you using?

If it is a Dillon you will get very variable OAL, learn to live with it. They seem to shoot OK for 3-gun ranges.

If you want consistent OAL you will need a single stage press.

[kz45]

What reloading press are you using?

If it is a Dillon you will get very variable OAL, learn to live with it. They seem to shoot OK for 3-gun ranges.

If you want consistent OAL you will need a single stage press.

A Dillon XL 650, and 3 gun is what its for, I think there is a washer system for it that might help

[Viggen]

What reloading press are you using?

If it is a Dillon you will get very variable OAL, learn to live with it. They seem to shoot OK for 3-gun ranges.

If you want consistent OAL you will need a single stage press.

A Dillon XL 650, and 3 gun is what its for, I think there is a washer system for it that might help

Maybe, but as far as I can remember with ever rifle reloader I know the OAL is variable with the Dillons.

We have learned to ignore the variation since the ammo is good enough for 3-gun. If you want consistency get a good single-stage. But that eats time.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Viggen

[Justin R.]

Just an idea, UniqueTek sells a product that basically eliminates tool head travel, which could solve what I think is the problem. I haven't used it, but know people who do and it solved the varied OAL. Here is the page: http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1230

Good luck,

Justin

[mildot1]

1. You should only be measuring from the bullet base to the ogive to compare consistency

2. Your die may very well be seating off the ogive or it could be seating any where from the tip to the ogive.

I had to send a forster die back in once to have the seating stem worked over, the bullet tip was hitting the stem before ogive contact. The rounds were very close in OAL but a lot of variance from base to ogive.

The OAL of a round is really only important as far as fitting and feeding from the mag to the gun.

What really matters in accuracy is the base to ogive measurement as this is what the bullet jump really consists of!

If you compare the same bullet from the same lot you will see a lot of diference in length from base to tip especially in BTHP match since the case is formed from the base to the tip. All the runout is at the tip of the bullet.

the Stoney Point compaprator system works very well.

Good Luck

PS: when shooting high power all my 200/300 yard stuff was ran on a dillon, the 500 yard+ was all done on a single stage.