Redding Competition Seating Die

[Roland Thunder]

I purchased the Redding Competition Seating die for my Dillon 550b. I have been using Dillon dies but I liked the idea of the micrometer knob on the Redding to fine tune the OAL as opposed to the Dillon which requires loosing the retention nut and turning the entire die. However, I am having trouble setting up the Redding die. I am trying to get a OAL of about 1.235 on my 200gr 45acp SWC's. I have to turn the die body as far as it will go toward the shellplate just to get the OAL down to1.245 and turning the micrometer dial won't adjust it that much to get it down to 1.235. I don't feel I should have to screw the die in as far as it will go.

Here is the Redding Die broken down:

I am wondering if it may have something to do with the fact that I am using semi waddcutters and not round nose bullets. I am about ready to go back to using my Dillon die for this

 

[cw308]

I'm using the Redding competition seating die for 308 . My set up is as instructions , raise the ram screw the die down to the zero position with a little less then 1/4 left on the sleeve. Works great. They may have a flat seating stem for wadcutters just like the standard dies. I think your correct , give Redding a call. How much of the sleeve do the say should be extended for the 45ACP. Somethings not right , why the die is screwed down so far on your press.

 

[Roland Thunder]

I know one thing, they don't have a reversible stem like Dillon does, one side for round nose and the other end for flat nose

 

[F. Guffey]

Rolling Thunder, All of my dies are adjustable and can be read digitally, I use a height gage or a dial indicator, I also have a G2859 and a CDI gage. I find the dial indicator on the top of each one of those seating dies is very expensive.

F. Guffey

 

[Unclenick]

Yep. Call Redding. They may even ask you to send them a bullet to look at. Some SWC designs have much shorter noses than others. Since I have a lathe, I have turned special matching seaters for myself before, including for a Dillon die on a friend's 1050, because he was using a longer nose LSWC that had a narrower meplat than the Dillon design was meant for, so his bullets weren't centering and going in as straight as they could.

The alternative, if you know someone with machine tools, is to grind about 0.050" off the mouth of the die body so it may be set down lower.

 

[cw308]

I think the die is to low already. Redding must have a stem for the 45acp wadcutter bullet, l would be surprised if they couldn't correct the problem.

 

[F. Guffey]

It is like reinventing reloading all over. Back in the good old days I have universal seating die bodies, the dies came with a set of inserts for seating. The nice thing about that arrangement is the seating die in die box sets were made the same way, and then? the sizing die had the same threads for the seating plugs, meaning? a reloader could use the sizing die if the inside diameter allowed for 'no case body support'. or the reloader could figure a way to manage to get clearance between the die and case neck.

There was a way, problem; convincing anyone it could be done.

F. Guffey

 

[Roland Thunder]

I called Redding. They told me to take allen wrench that came with the die and insert it into the top of the micrometer and turn it 3 full turns. This will push the plunger lower into the die body. I did that. Now OAL = 1.235 looks like this:

Much better

 

[Unclenick]

Hah! I have one of those dies in .45-70, but got brain gas when I read the post and the adjustment just didn't pop into mind. Glad this was so simple to solve.

 

[cw308]

Roland Thunder
Glad it worked, always best to call. It's a great seating die. I use a 7/8 O Ring between the locking & the press , I get the die zero screw the ring & ORing down lock the ring & mark the ring matching the zero on the die. Screws on an off with set die position very easy. Works for me.