Redding Seater Die vs Redding Profile Crimp Die

[d31tc]

Is there any advantage to a Redding profile crimp die vs a Redding seater/crimping die?

I’d be seating and crimping in 2 steps and already have an RCBS seater/crimp die, but if I was going to buy an extra die for crimping, it seems an extra seater/crimp die would offer more flexibility than a dedicated crimping only die, so I’m leaning toward that.

 

[Walkalong]

They both crimp very well, as do the RCBS seater dies.

, it seems an extra seater/crimp die would offer more flexibility than a dedicated crimping only die, so I’m leaning toward that.

Nothing wrong with that, I mostly crimp in second steps with seaters or dedicated crimp dies. Not all, but many.

 

[Dogleg7]

I use bonanza Benchrest seating dies for bullet seating placement and either RCBS or Lyman seater dies, with the seater stem removed, to add the crimp on calibers/guns/loads that need a crimp.

 

[9mmepiphany]

it seems an extra seater/crimp die would offer more flexibility than a dedicated crimping only die, so I’m leaning toward that.

Yes and no.

A combination seater/crimp die offers the ability to be used as either function depending on what you are trying to accomplish. It also allows you to seat and crimp in one operation using the same die for both functions.

What you are giving up, in place of using two dedicated dies , is the flexibility to adjust each function separately...without affecting the already set adjustments of the other.

As an example, I recently noticed that I was getting less crimp on some .38Spl cases due to shortening of the cases with use. It was easy to make a small adjustment to my Crimp die without having to reset my Seating die

 

[d31tc]

A little while ago I picked up a set of RCBS dies off of eBay (carbide sizer, expander, seater/roll crimp) that had a couple extra dies (Lee carbide sizer, RCBS taper crimp). To complete two sets to allow for seating and crimping in two steps, I purchased another set of RCBS dies off of eBay (carbide sizer, expander, seater/taper crimp). That leaves me with an extra carbide sizer, but short a seater/roll crimp die or a dedicated roll crimp die if I want to have one set of 4 dies set up for a roll crimp on one bullet and another set of 4 set up for taper crimps on another bullet.

I was going to buy another seater/roll crimp OR a dedicated roll crimp die. I'm going with another seater/roll crimp die so I have the following:

Roll Crimp: carbide sizer, expander, seater/roll crimp for seating, seater/roll crimp for crimping
Taper Crimp: carbide sizer, expander, seater/taper crimp for seating, taper crimp die

I'm going to try a Redding seating/crimp die since the cost is about the same as the dedicated crimping die.

 

[d31tc]

Just a note, keeping track of the die setups is getting confusing .

 

[shoebox1.1]

Just a note, keeping track of the die setups is getting confusing .

This is why folks buy more presses!! Dedicated this.. dedicated that…. I’m in same boat but now I can just add turret heads and add all I want! I need a few more crimp dies to make it all work like I want

 

[ballman6711]

Just a note, keeping track of the die setups is getting confusing .

Put a 3x5 index card in the die box with the data the dies are set for. Ex: .357 cal, 158gr swc at 1.2xx, crimp 0.xxx

Or put a tag like a key tag on each die with the setup info.

Option three is a set of RCBS dies with the extra seat/crimp die being a different brand. Easily identified until you get ten or twenty die sets, at which point you go back to labels.

chris