Redding 9mm Competition SeaterDie

[MAshooter1]

Disclosure: I have the 223 seater and LOVE it.

Was loading some 9mm rounds last night, 5.0gr Unique over the 115gr Berry's Plated, and I was finding that my COL varied a few thousandths in either direction, say +/- 0.005" from a nominal 1.125. I'm curious if anyone here has the aforementioned seater and if they are a fan or not. I hear it has a different seating design than the bottleneck rifle one that I have.

 

[edhead35]

Redding competition seaters are awesome but you have to set realistic expectations. I am a machinist by trade and I lost my mind on 10mm seating Hornady xtps +/-. 005...I was thinking I could get .001 but it is what it is.

It is just the nature of the process. Some bullets are really consistent and some aren't. If you could measure cartridges on the bullet ogive you are probably more accurately seating than you think. You are seating to ogive but measuring COL.

 

[MAshooter1]

Funny you should say that- I'm a machinist (of sorts) too. Which is why I've become obsessed with the repeatability of the whole reloading process, haha...

Maybe I should start thinking about measuring off the ogive to get a more realistic reading of length?

Redding competition seaters are awesome but you have to set realistic expectations. I am a machinist by trade and I lost my mind on 10mm seating Hornady xtps +/-. 005...I was thinking I could get .001 but it is what it is.

It is just the nature of the process. Some bullets are really consistent and some aren't. If you could measure cartridges on the bullet ogive you are probably more accurately seating than you think. You are seating to ogive but measuring COL.

 

[rewster]

The tips of bullets, be they for .223 or 9mm vary a lot when measured for COL. It is best to measure to the ogive if you want better consistency. Be aware that even the ogive will not be 100% consistent even with expensive projectiles like Sierra. Especially from batch to batch. I have the Redding Comp die for 9mm. I found it really helped a lot.

Funny you should say that- I'm a machinist (of sorts) too. Which is why I've become obsessed with the repeatability of the whole reloading process, haha...

Maybe I should start thinking about measuring off the ogive to get a more realistic reading of length?