Seating die

[454bore]

Getting setup to reload lead 240gr 44 mag SWC’s for my S&W 629. My current Redding Comp Seater does not work with them and was not happy with the results from trying the hot glue trick.

Between the Hornady and the Dillon seaters which is the better option from a bullet comparability standpoint?

Thanks

454bore
AKA Steve

[Char-Gar]

It is not unusual for a seating die to not work with cast bullets, if the cast bullets are larger than the nominal size of jacketed bullets. Current production seating dies, particularly high precision ones are made to accept the jacketed bullets.

For this an other reasons, I use older 1950's handgun dies that were made before jacketed bullet became "the thing". They size cases less, expand the cases more for seating and the seating dies will accommodate any cast bullet of reasonable diameter.

I have no experience with current production handgun dies of any make.

[fatnhappy]

Getting setup to reload lead 240gr 44 mag SWC’s for my S&W 629. My current Redding Comp Seater does not work with them and was not happy with the results from trying the hot glue trick.

Between the Hornady and the Dillon seaters which is the better option from a bullet comparability standpoint?

Thanks

454bore
AKA Steve

The redding comp seating dies specifically state in their instruction sheets they are not designed for use with cast bullets.
I would also advise against the hornady seating die or the forster BR seating die for essentially the same reason. They all use an alignment sleeve with a diameter meant for jacketed bullets, not boolits which might be 4 thou larger than the nominal jacketed bullet. The hornady dies might be most annoying of all. If you seat cast with them the larger diameter causes you to use excessive force on the downstroke. That stupid little retention clip inevitably fails and you're sitting there with a useless die and a sleeve stuck on a loaded round.

You can hone out the alignment sleeve on the hornady dies. I've done it. It's just as easy to use a RCBS die for seating cast.

YMMV

[pworley1]

+ 1 on the older dies. Or find a friend with a lathe and get him to make you one.

[jmorris]

Between the Hornady and the Dillon seaters which is the better option from a bullet comparability standpoint?

Thanks

454bore
AKA Steve

Have you remove the spring slip, flipped it over and tried both ends (RN&SWC) of the Dillon seater?

[Nueces]

I'm a big fan of the Hornady sliding sleeve seaters, partly because me little Myford lathe loves jobs that size. All straight cylindrical turning and boring.

[PJEagle]

I found out the hard (expensive) way that a Lee Seating Die with a flat plug will seat my SWC boolits to the same depth every time. In my experience, it works for .357 and .45 ACP. You have to order the flat plug directly from Lee. I bought and used two different Redding Seating Dies before I learned.

[gwpercle]

A seating die from a set designated as "Cowboy" dies ... in the Cowboy Action Shooting rules only lead boolits can be used ...so all die's and set's marked as Cowboy Dies will be made to load lead ... match the seating stem to your boolits design ... SWC , RN or RF ... whatever design you will be loading .

Epoxy putty works better than hot glue for custom fitting (slow cure not fast setting) ... Hint a flat seating plug will seat any boolit with a flat spot on it ... WC , SWC , RF and Truncated Cone ... truth be known I've even used a flat nose punch to seat RN boolits ... it works just fine .
Gary

[gwpercle]

I found out the hard (expensive) way that a Lee Seating Die with a flat plug will seat my SWC boolits to the same depth every time. In my experience, it works for .357 and .45 ACP. You have to order the flat plug directly from Lee. I bought and used two different Redding Seating Dies before I learned.

Fill the cavity of ANY spare Lee plug with epoxy / epoxy putty , let cure and sand flat ... Wah-Lah ...
Flat Nose Plug ...for free ... don't even have to wait for the mail man ...
... or bother Lee !
Gary

[454bore]

Thanks everyone for your input!

Steve