Hornady seater die work with cast boolits???????

[haff202]

Looking to load Ranch Dog 350 grain, .460 diameter boolits using wheel weights scrap. Will the Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Dies give me the best loaded bullet??? Would like to keep run out under control.

Is a 45-70 bullet of .460 diameter to BIG for a sliding sleeve seater die???

[Moondawg]

You can give them a try. I was using Hornady 45-70 dies up until recently. I had problems with the seater die from the git go and didn't really like the expander die. A couple of weeks ago, I switched to RCBS 45-70 Cowboy dies. I like them a lot better. The seater die was what was giving me the most problems. My boolits come out of the mold at .459 and I run them through a 460 lubri-sizer die. They tended to get stuck in the sliding sleeve of the hornady seater die. I am not sure that design die is necessary for a 45-70 with cast boolits. In fact, I think the Hornaday 45-70 dies are designed with jacketed bullets in mind. I may be wrong.

[462]

Hornady's Custom Grade New Dimension dies are a modern take-off of Lyman's long discontinued, Precision Alignment dies. Unfortunately, both are designed with jacketed bullets in mind. I've a number of PA dies but had to enlarge the hole in the sliding sleeve to accommodate cast boolits. I have a Hornady set, in .30-'06, just in case I ever decide to load jacket for the Springfield.

In theory, either brand of die should produce a more accurate round, compared to an ordinary seating die. However, reality and theory are rarely on the same page. Regardless, I'll continue to use the PA dies.

[haff202]

I called Hornady today and they said the seating stem is .461 diameter so the die has to be larger. Also the die hardness is 65 rockwell. Polish the die with a compound and keep it clean. There is a cost to have Hornady open up the die and make a new seating stem. Boolit lube could make things sticky inside the die.

Has anybody load over sized cast bullets with the Hornady dies?????

[462]

The diameter of the hole in the sliding alignment sleeve is the critical dimension, not the outside diameter of the seating stem. The sliding alignment sleeve is the part that keeps the bullet/boolit aligned with the case mouth. The seating stem works in conjuction with the seater adjustment screw to determine the cartridge's over all length, and is no different than the system that Lee uses.

Ths sliding alignment sleeve is not hardened and you should be able to open it to whatever size you need. (I forgot that I had enlarged the hole in mine to .310", from .308", so that I could seat a 308291.)

As to lube build up, the die is easily disassembled for cleaning, but the seater adjustment screw does not need to be removed, so the seating depth is not disturbed.

If I ever need another rifle die set, and was not able to find a Lyman PA set, I'd buy another Hornady set.

[Colorado4wheel]

Looking to load Ranch Dog 350 grain, .460 diameter boolits using wheel weights scrap. Will the Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Dies give me the best loaded bullet??? Would like to keep run out under control.

Is a 45-70 bullet of .460 diameter to BIG for a sliding sleeve seater die???



Has anybody load over sized cast bullets with the Hornady dies?????


Yes, I had horrible luck with my Hornady Seating Die. I prefer my Lee by far.

[haff202]

SO, to those that cast oversize bullets....... Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Dies ..............NO GOOD!!!! Is this the majority??????

[Moondawg]

Lets just say, that for me it did not work well, and the RCBS cowboy seating die is working fine. Others may have different experience. My opinion was that the Hornady die was really made for jacketed bullets. RCBS Cowboy dies in 45-70 are designed for cast bullets reloading. their deminsions for expanding die and seating die are a few thousands bigger.

[noylj]

Mine all do without any problems and I shoot as-cast and tumble lubed boolits.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Not one problem here with my Hornady 45/70 dies.

Am loading a 465gr boolit using a Lee style .460 push through die..

As said, No problems!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[August]

The Hornady seating die is one of my very favorite dies. It works particularly well -- for me -- with lead bullets because they don't get canted between the time I let go of them and when they start seating. Much less shaved lead with the Hornady design than other seaters.

Of course, the expander die is the real, critical link in the process. Hornady doesn't do such a good job with expanders on their dies or, particularly, their powder measures.

But the seating die is GTG in my experience.

[brotherdarrell]

I was seating some un-sized lee boolits in .308 and found out any driving bands outside of the case gets sized to .3104" by my hornady seating die. For my purposes this in not an issue as the throats on my rifle are right at .310", so this allows a snug fit with cast. Now those trying to use over that size for fat throats might run into some issues. Of course someone handy with a lathe could remedy that real quick.

brotherdarrell