Best adjustable seating dies

+1 on the Redding.

All seating dies are adjustable. You must be thinking of a micrometer-equipped seating die.

For the level of precision you care about in 9mm, I'd buy the Hornady stem. I also own RCBS and Redding, but I wouldn't spend the extra money above Hornady for a pistol caliber seating die.

I use a Redding competition seater (has no integral crimp function) for 45acp RN & a standard Redding with their add on micrometer for 45acp SWC. I did however modify/fine tune each stem to suit my preferences.

I use Lee for 9mm and they work just as well really.

I think the redding is wonderful, but the hornaday has the best support for seating stems, at a good price. If you use a bullet that the redding fits well go that way, if you use a bunch of different bullets the stem options of the hornaday dies is a great way to go.

For the Money and that bullet sleeve thing that goes up and down… HORNADY

I like micrometer dies but I have a bunch that don’t have that feature. I built this fixture for them, just as precise and cheaper.

All seating dies are adjustable. You must be thinking of a micrometer-equipped seating die.

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Even Lee steel dies are adjustable. More so when you have the chart below. Example: Lee dies are 18 pitch. Turn the seater plug 90 degrees in and it moves 14/1000's in. It's pretty accurate.

I like micrometer seating stem dies, particularly where I change bullets for a cartridge frequently. If the micrometer setting is recorded, returning to that setting is quick and easy.

For cartridges that I almost never change bullet designs, the non-micrometer seating stem is fine. The die almost never gets adjusted for a different bullet although I might tweak the adjustment periodically.

That said, Hornady has a good system. About all of their seating dies come with a non-micrometer seating stem. Then, they have a micrometer seating stem that can be fitted to any of the dies which is reasonable in cost.

That said, I've had issues with a few Hornady sizing and mouth expanding dies such that I will not buy a Hornady die set any more.

Redding dies are my favorite with RCBS second. The RCBS Gold Medal Match seating dies have some other unique features for inserting the bullet including a micrometer seating stem. Unfortunately they are expensive and not available in all cartridges.

I use only redding adjustable seaters if offered in the caliber im shooting.

I also like the adjustable neck tension. I don't neck size only but I do size neck and body separately to ensure my neck adjustments are as precise as possible for seating tension.

Redding makes extremely nice dies.

jmorris said:

I like micrometer dies but I have a bunch that don’t have that feature. I built this fixture for them, just as precise and cheaper.

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Do you have an automated version too?

I like your labeling format. It lends credibility to your post.

CQB45ACP said:

I use a Redding competition seater (has no integral crimp function) for 45acp RN & a standard Redding with their add on micrometer for 45acp SWC. I did however modify/fine tune each stem to suit my preferences.

I use Lee for 9mm and they work just as well really.

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I use RCBS competition seaters for all my rifle rounds. I really like the window on them, especially for the small calibers.

I use Redding Micrometer Competition dies for my 9mm also. I also use a Lyman Micrometer Crimping die.
The Lyman dies are stainless steel and are real quality dies. They were on sale for $53.00 each for quite some time after Black Friday sales from Midway.
I bought the Lyman Crimp die and wish now I would have bought the Seating die also.
I really like my Redding for 9mm but I wish I would bought the Lyman Professional seater for .357mag just to see what the difference in seating was between it and the Redding Comp die. At that time it was about half price of the Redding Comp die. Now it cost more than the Redding. Not going there now!

I have several straight line seating dies. One RCBS, one Bonanza and the rest are Redding. Truthfully I don't use the micrometer enough to justify it. The Bonanza has no micrometer. The RCBS has a neat window in it that helps setting the bullet in place and has a micrometer. All of my Redding seaters have the micrometer. I don't have any straight line seaters for handgun cartridges, only rifle calibers.

lightman said:

I have several straight line seating dies. One RCBS, one Bonanza and the rest are Redding. Truthfully I don't use the micrometer enough to justify it. The Bonanza has no micrometer. The RCBS has a neat window in it that helps setting the bullet in place and has a micrometer. All of my Redding seaters have the micrometer. I don't have any straight line seaters for handgun cartridges, only rifle calibers.

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Tell me more about the RCBS w/window...is it a pistol die? Includes or not crimping?
I looked at their website and was confused frankly. (My fault not theirs)

cfullgraf said:

I like micrometer seating stem dies, particularly where I change bullets for a cartridge frequently. If the micrometer setting is recorded, returning to that setting is quick and easy.

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To be honest, I'm setting here scratching my head looking at the photos of these setups... I would never have thought about an adjustable micrometer seating die for 9mm or .45ACP... or any pistol cartridge, honestly.

Chuck's explanation sounds reasonable... but I'm wondering... do some of you really pull out the stops like that on pistol ammo?

frogfurr said:

I am thinking about buying and adjustable seating die for 9mm. I am partial to Redding dies but wanted opinions before buying.

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I know with my Redding micrometer adjustable seating dies, compressed loads are strictly verboten. Maybe that's not an issue for you but it has been for me when I load .223/5.56 so I buy Forster dies now and they're known to produce very concentric ammunition with their resizer and seater dies.

Charlie98 said:

To be honest, I'm setting here scratching my head looking at the photos of these setups... I would never have thought about an adjustable micrometer seating die for 9mm or .45ACP... or any pistol cartridge, honestly.

Chuck's explanation sounds reasonable... but I'm wondering... do some of you really pull out the stops like that on pistol ammo?

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I bought the Redding competition seating die primarily for its lack of crimping plus it’s spring loaded stem plus the stem was most easily modified (with a little JBWeld) to only contact bullet nose and not ogive. The micrometer itself is completely unnecessary but it looks cool and does make readjustment to a known value simpler.

redcon1 said:

I know with my Redding micrometer adjustable seating dies, compressed loads are strictly verboten. Maybe that's not an issue for you but it has been for me when I load .223/5.56 so I buy Forster dies now and they're known to produce very concentric ammunition with their resizer and seater dies.

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The last 2 FL sizing dies I bought (6.5 CM and 308 ) were Forster. I like them alot. I bought RCBS MatchMaster seating dies to go with them.

What I like about the Redding is not so much the micrometer but the sleeve seating that actually puts the bullet in straight. After trying one I ended up buying the Redding in the 3 calibers I am currently loading.