Best adjustable seating dies

[cfullgraf]

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?

Except for maybe “pistol cartriges” like 22 Hornet or 221 Rem Fireball, I do not have micrometer seaters on any of my hand gun dies with micrometer seaters. I rarely change bullet designs and settings once they have been established for a cartridge.

For rifle cartridges, besides recording seating depth settings, they make dialing in a specific cartridge length easy since you can measure the length and the know exactly how much adjustment to make.

 

[redcon1]

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.

I have been real happy with my Forster dies. Here's my Forster .223 and .308 micrometer seater dies on the right next to my Redding 300 win mag micrometer seater die. I had thought that Redding was the bee's knees until I found out I couldn't seat bullets over compressed loads with them. I have bought nothing but Forster ever since and have been very happy with them. I'm loading for 300 blackout now so compressed loads are the norm so I wouldn't pick a Redding die for the seating operation in this case.

 

[Walkalong]

Love my Forster seaters, but the OP asked about 9MM seaters

 

[9mmepiphany]

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?

Yup, I have them for 9mm, .38Spl, and and will be getting one for .45ACP in the near future. I was introduced to them by a fellow competitor who only loaded .45ACP. He not only uses the micrometer seater, but also the Dual Ring Sizing die and the Micrometer Crimp die

I was introduced to them while loading .38Spl. The feature I was really after was their ability to align the bullet and case while seating. I got it to compliment my Lyman M-die to address keeping the bullet straight as it entered the seating die and to prevent shaving of my polymer coated 170gr RN match bullets.

I found that my Xtreme 158gr RNFP practice bullets needed a different setting to seat to the cannelure. Then the Xtreme 158gr FN (backup for the RNFP) required a different setting. A polymer coated 160gr RN bullet needed another setting to seat to the desired OAL.

Each tick mark on the Redding Competition Seating die adjust the seating depth by .001". I make a notation, along with load data, as to the required setting for each bullet on the box they are stored in.

Loading 9mm, there is quite a setting difference required to attain the same OAL between the Xtreme 135gr RNFP and the RMR 135gr MatchWinners

 

[CQB45ACP]

Yup, I have them for 9mm, .38Spl, and and will be getting one for .45ACP in the near future. I was introduced to them by a fellow competitor who only loaded .45ACP. He not only uses the micrometer seater, but also the Dual Ring Sizing die and the Micrometer Crimp die

I was introduced to them while loading .38Spl. The feature I was really after was their ability to align the bullet and case while seating. I got it to compliment my Lyman M-die to address keeping the bullet straight as it entered the seating die and to prevent shaving of my polymer coated 170gr RN match bullets.

I found that my Xtreme 158gr RNFP practice bullets needed a different setting to seat to the cannelure. Then the Xtreme 158gr FN (backup for the RNFP) required a different setting. A polymer coated 160gr RN bullet needed another setting to seat to the desired OAL.

Each tick mark on the Redding Competition Seating die adjust the seating depth by .001". I make a notation, along with load data, as to the required setting for each bullet on the box they are stored in.

Loading 9mm, there is quite a setting difference required to attain the same OAL between the Xtreme 135gr RNFP and the RMR 135gr MatchWinners

Interesting, I also bought the micrometer crimp die but used it for just 100 rounds or so and went back to the FCD. As I recall it was loud and oddly took a great deal of force to pull round out. Doesn’t explain it well, but someday I’ll sell it.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I also bought the micrometer crimp die but used it for just 100 rounds or so and went back to the FCD

Interesting.

I think I started loading .38Spl with a Hornady crimp die and settled on the Redding crimp die when I bought the Redding set. It has been flawless and all my loaded rounds case gauge without issue.

With 9mm, I've gone through a succession of dies. One constant has been the FCD. While experimenting with the Mighty Armory Sizing die, on a friend's Dillon 750, I found the FCD somewhat redundant. Currently loading on my Hornady LNL and using the Lee Undersized Sizing die and FCD doesn't seem to do much either...but it is nice for that odd round that won't case gauge

 

[Walkalong]

I also bought the micrometer crimp die

My "adjustable crimp" solution.
I adjust dies for a strong crimp and use spacers to get less when needed, just log which spacer is used.

 

[lightman]

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)

My RCBS seater is a 308. I don't know if it crimps or not as I don't crimp rifle rounds. The window is just that, a hole in the side of the die that allows you to see the case mouth and allows you to place the bullet squarely on the case mouth.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Interesting.

I think I started loading .38Spl with a Hornady crimp die and settled on the Redding crimp die when I bought the Redding set. It has been flawless and all my loaded rounds case gauge without issue.

With 9mm, I've gone through a succession of dies. One constant has been the FCD. While experimenting with the Mighty Armory Sizing die, on a friend's Dillon 750, I found the FCD somewhat redundant. Currently loading on my Hornady LNL and using the Lee Undersized Sizing die and FCD doesn't seem to do much either...but it is nice for that odd round that won't case gauge

Rather than continuing to discuss crimping dies on OPs seating die thread, I may start a new one solely on crimping dies.