Use lee press as an arbor press?

[docsleepy]

OK, I'm on a budget and I don't want to buy an arbor press just right now, and I am considering a Wilson bullet seater.

Evidently you can whack these with a plastic hammer or use an arbor press.

I'm wondering why I can't just set it on the ram of my Lee challenger press and lift it UP until it contacts either a 7/8-14 bolt set into a bushing at the top, or alternatively, the bottom end of, maybe, a crimping die that I don't use.

Either way would seem to be able to apply the modest amount of force needed to seat a bullet.

Any comments (other than I'm being quite cheap!)?? I'll eventually get an arbor press I guess, but I just have too much junk already and figure this might work for 100 rounds or so to try out the wilson chamber seater and see if it makes a meaningful difference in my Savage 12FV.

thanks
gordon

 

[jcwit]

No reason it shouldn't work.

 

[ThomasT]

Never mind.

 

[docsleepy]

thanks, guys.

I just wondered if there was anything stupid that I hadn't thought of.

gordon

 

[ranger335v]

Don't know why you wish to go Wilson, so....?

Good dies but they are rarely any better than the more conventional straight-line seater dies by Forster and Redding.

Many BR shooters use the Wilson dies and arbor presses at the range because they only neck size and that's an easy to use system in the field, not because it's a lot better.

 

[rcmodel]

The only reason it wouldn't work is if ram travel is not long enough to get the die in there with a bullet not seated.

And then, the ram would be at the bottom of the stroke and you would have next to zero leverage at that point.

Still, shouldn't take much to seat a bullet.

BTW: Have you got a vice? Or a big woodworkers C-Clamp?

rc

 

[docsleepy]

ranger: I thought the Wilson was considered better? I would actual prefer to use the Forster, but on another thread I got the advice that the Wilson was preferred by BR folks....

rc: well, my vise is in sad sad shape... and it would be horizontal seating...not sure that would be bood. I don't have any C clamps big enough.


If A forster would load with as little runout as the Wilson, I'd prefer that.

gordon