Seating pressure idea...

[gareth96]

Anyone heard of such a thing, or tried it?

I was thinking of taking a 3/8 socket and welding it on a bracket that I could screw on to the handle of my rock chucker. Then stick one of those beam type torque wrenches in the socket in line with the pull direction of the handle. So when you seat a bullet you can read the pointer on the beam scale. Something like a 0-75lb torque wrench should do it.

Think it would work? Trying to figure out a cheaper way to measure seating force than buying the K&M or 21st Century hydro press.

[Boogedy_Man]

I'm not familiar with measuring seating pressure, but don't see any reason that wouldn't work.

[Rcmaveric]

Might help with crimping. Using a click style torque wrench would help you make a more consistent crimp. But then also setting your press to stuff at full travel to the desired seating depth or crimp would have the same repeatable effect.

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[ReloaderFred]

For sizing, a torque wrench in ft. lbs. would work, but I would think that seating bullets would be more in the range of in. lbs. of measurement. Just a thought.

Fred

[Valley-Shooter]

It's been done before.
Someone was advertising in Handloader magazine a product to do that.
Been over year since I saw the ad.

[jmorris]

Why? If you could seat with the exact same force precisely, what good would that do for you? You would just wind up with a range of different OAL’s because of slight differences in the components or how they were prepared.

[str8wal]

Why? If you could seat with the exact same force precisely, what good would that do for you? You would just wind up with a range of different OAL’s because of slight differences in the components or how they were prepared.

I don't get it either. You need to seat to a specific OAL, not ft lbs. No?

[jcren]

Compressed loads maybe?

[Walter Laich]

also curious as to how this would help the process

[fast ronnie]

Seating tension is a matter of two variables. The first is the amount of "press fit" between the bullet and case. If I remember correctly, bench rest guys tend to be around a thousanths of an inch.(There are guys here that can tell you better than I can about that number.)
The other factor is how hard the brass is from work hardening. Again, bench rest guys anneal their cases. The amount of times between annealing varies between different guys. There are some guys who anneal every time they load, others, never.
I had some loads that I wanted to take apart and the bullets were so tight that I almost gave up trying to disassemble.
The amount of tension affects the way the brass releases the bullet to start moving. Less tension lets the bullet move quicker. That is why crimps can vary the way powder burns. Some powders seem to like a heavier crimp to get the powder to burn efficiently. Unique can be dirty unless loaded to higher levels. The burning rate is also affected with the amount of crimp.
It depends on what level of accuracy one wishes to obtain that determines how precise your loading practices have to be. Some weigh cases, some do not. Same for bullets, some weigh, some do not. I don't bench rest but am somewhat concerned about accuracy. Each loader has to decide what level they want to shoot at, then figure out what it takes to do that. Personally, I am careful with some things but not so much with others. Just my opinion.

[gareth96]

watch how much force it's taking to seat each bullet up to just before the cam-over.. sort loaded rounds by what the reading was.. so ones that loaded easy (say 28lbs and less) in the light group.. #30 in the average group, and #32+ in the heavy group.. weights are just a guess.. adjust the weights according to what actually happens and the range of weights. Watch the youtube video on the 21st century hydro seater.

[Boogedy_Man]

I think you need to be in the inch-lb range also...but that's the good part of
Your design...it's versatile.

It would be intetesting to use a device like this to measure sizing force with different lubes.

I can see applications for crimping also.

[country gent]

Not sure this would give you improvements or not. Might be interesting info with different brass sized in the same dies and press though. Might show another variable in manufacturers brass. I have head of crimping to a set number with a torque wrench. Again brass thickness, hardness also play a role in the crimp.

I have played with neck tension on several rifles. and it does make a difference. Not so much a off the shelf rifle but a true match rifle or benchrest rifle with min or tighter chamber, a premium barrel, bedding job and good trigger. Its not a big improvement but does show at 600yds +, or when groups are being measured to the .001 inch. The easiest way to accomplish this is to neck turn your brass to a consistant and even neck wall thickness. IE .011 thick. Then use a bushing die to size cases and no expander ball size to just where you want it. In this way you have the exact tension you want and can experiment with it by changing bushing in the die.

In my 243 match rifle with the tight necked chamber (.268 dia neck) cases are turned to .011 thick this cleans the neck up nicely and allows .001 release room for firing. I size in a redding full length bushing die with a .266 bushing in it this gives right at .0015 bullet tension and is where this rifle really wants to perform. A lot of benchrest shooter also shoot the "fitted" chambers and use Wilson or jones bushing dies to load brass with a small ahrbor press. The may have 60 identical cases and will wear out a barrel with them. They may hold the loaded round neck dia a little tighter to chamber neck dia.

A click type torque wrench could easily be used. and seated to the click. It would be easier than reading a scales mounted sideways.

[Valley-Shooter]

It would make your crimps more consistent.

[jmorris]

It would make your crimps more consistent.

There are a lot of other factors in play that could make that statement false.

[nvbirdman]

It would be very easy to use a torque wrench on a Lee Turret Press with no modifications. I'm going to give it a try.

[jetinteriorguy]

Titan Reloading used to offer this, not sure if they still do.

[Valley-Shooter]

Titan Reloading used to offer this, not sure if they still do.

I found it:
https://www.titanreloading.com/consistent-crimp

[SyberShooter]

Somebody on one of the forums built/converted one IIRC from a valve spring compressing tool... durn if I can recall where- either here or maybe on shooters forum?

[jsizemore]

Take a little time to read "Secrets of the Houston Warehouse" to put a little perspective on your proposed endeavor. At least the reloading portion.