This is a really great video, thanks! I really like the pink Dillon press by the way!

Thanks, excellent demo. Clear detailed explanations and just slow enough that even I could absorb the content.

I own this die but have never used it due to the fact that it confuses the crap out of me, as does this video. I'm not sure pistol ammo needs the fine tuning--and I've been reloading for years: never had a problem with LEE and Hornady dies, and I think I will stick with whai I know. However, I must say thanks to you for taking the time to share this video.

Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge with us! Your explanation of setup is vastly better than the instructions that came with the die.

Thanks for this video- it goes to show that a quality piece of well presented information stands the test of time.

Well done. Thank you for the thorough and concise instructions.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video, very well done and I appreciate the effort.

Thank you. I ran out of adjustment and so I had to use the Allen key on top of the die, I turned it down 3 full rotations and brought the micrometer into the game.

@knowledge2you

3 жыл бұрын

I am glad the video helped. Out of curiosity, what cartridge were you reloading?

@JohnSmith-hz8zp

3 жыл бұрын

@@knowledge2you 357 sig. it’s allowing me to discover all sorts of stuff I didn’t know I didn’t know.

@JohnSmith-hz8zp

3 жыл бұрын

@@knowledge2you the spring tension in the die just pushes the projectile past the point in the neck where it should be seated. It won’t work, because if I back the die out far enough to prevent the spring tension from pushing the projectile past the neck where it should seat, the case is too far below where the inner walls of the die hold the case in position. Clearly my friends at Redding know more about how this works, but I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.

Thank you so much for this really useful tutorial.

Great vid bud! Thx

excellent presentation, very concise. ive searched the web of possibly installing a redding micrometer for both seating and crimping dies to my dillon xl 650, and looking at your hardware , it is feasible. many many thanks sir.

@knowledge2you

8 жыл бұрын

Ernie, I am using a Dillon 550B and both presses (550B and XL650) have a station for bullet seating and another station for crimping. If you are reloading cartridges that head space on the case mouth, I do have a video on the Redding Competition micro adjustable taper crimp die.

@richardstevens5197

7 жыл бұрын

ernie andrada x

This is a very good video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

@knowledge2you

2 жыл бұрын

You are welcome.

Well I’ll be I just picked up the Redding 9mm set I guess this makes some sense to me now.I have 4 different casting molds and at this time 3 different jacketed projectiles for 9mm. I’m glad I purchased this die set now it’s going to be A LOT easier to find my OAL with my cast projectiles at the very least. I just have to record them in my note book.

Raise an empty case and bullet all the way in the body of the die without the shell hold contacting the base of the die. Turn the micrometer all the way up till it stops. Then turn down the thimble until you reach the OAL you need to properly feed and chamber the dummy round. Personally a pistol cartridge isn't something I would concern myself with OAL. Maybe a bolt pistol, but not a semi or revolver.

Very good video! Do you find that the OAL is the same when not having all the stations filled in your press?

@knowledge2you

3 жыл бұрын

whliving, I have a Dillon 550 and use UniqueTek dot com's 'clamped CNC machined toolhead'. So No, I do not get OAL variation. Hope this helps.

I wish you would have explained how to read or record and redial the micrometer. Thanks

What is the function of the step at 06:30 if you are going to screw the die down further in a later step? I followed your steps (your a great instructor) for LSWC in 38 spl. However, with the die just off the shell plate and the micrometer all the way in, it still only barely seats the bullet. Am I missing a step?

I noticed that you have what looks like a DIllon press. I also have DIllon pressses (550b and 650). I, like you, don't care for the lock nuts that come with the Redding die. Will the lock nuts that Dillon provides work ok with the Redding die. If not can you suggest where I can get lock nuts for the Redding die?

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

GregGa, yes, the Dillon lock rings will work on the Redding dies. When I can, I use the Lyman Split-Lock die locking ring. Its set screw will not contact die threads. Also, it has move surface area contacting the tool head than the Dillon lock ring. However, if when you install the Lyman ring, if the set screw does not end up in a position where you can reach it with a hex wrench, remove the ring, flip it and try again. If that does not work (not very often), you will have to use a different ring.

@gregwikle1415

6 жыл бұрын

Do you/can you use more than 1 Lyman lock ring on a Dillon 550/650 tool head. It looks like the circumference of the Lyman and other rings that tighten with an allen wrench are larger than the Dillon ones and there may not be enough room on the tool head for a Lyman split ring on both the powder die and bullet seating die

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I use Lyman lock rings on all the dies. The only time I do not use a Lyman lock ring is when the hex screw on the Lyman does not line up in such a way that I can get to it with a hex key. If you watch the video again, at time mark 9:05, you can see a Lyman lock ring being used at stations 1 and 2. I also use a Lyman lock ring on the crimp die but you cannot see it in this video because the crimp die has not been installed yet. Hope this helps.

I bought the Redding 45acp competition seating die shown in your video. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. I have a Dillon 550b as shown. I followed your instructions to determine the bell. When I get to the part (8:27) on video where you start turning the die body and checking the OAL, I end up having the die body turned into the tool head as far as it will go and the the OAL is only 1.345 and I am try to achieve 1.235 but the die body is screwed in as far as it will go. I then turn the micrometer to seat the bullet further, trying to get to 1.235. Finally the micrometer bottoms out and the OAL is still too long at 1.284. In addition the die is screwed so far in that the belling die no longer comes down far enough to bell the cases. Any ideas what I am doing wrong. I am using 200gr 45acp SWC's.

@knowledge2you

7 жыл бұрын

GregwGa, is the micrometer set to the middle of its range, as shown at time 5:30, before you start the installation? If so, and the die is bottoming out, set the micrometer to a lower number and then re-install. For example, when I install the die on my press, I set the micrometer to 1.5. If you are doing that and it is bottoming out, try setting it to 1.25 and if that does not work, try 1.0 and so on. I know when I installed my first die, I set the micrometer to 2 and my die bottomed out. So I started with a lower setting and re-installed. When you re-install, start at point 6:12.

@GregwGa

7 жыл бұрын

Does it matter which end of the spring goes in first into the stem or are they both the same

@knowledge2you

7 жыл бұрын

It does not matter GregwGa.

one of the things you did not mention , will the bullet be seated and crimped in the same die ?

@knowledge2you

3 жыл бұрын

The Redding Competition micro adjustable bullet seating die is a seating die only. You can learn about their crimp die here. kzread.info/dash/bejne/kXepyqSGnt3UmtY.html

Nice video. Most powder manufacturers have specific OAL's to use for whatever amount of powder is being used. Since you are determining what the OAL should be rather than use what the mfgr suggests, I guess you have to adjust the amount of powder accordingly, right?

@knowledge2you

7 жыл бұрын

GregwGa, I am a little confused because in the video I think I say set it to your desired OAL. How you determine your desired OAL is up to you. Personally, I use the OAL found in reloading books as a starting point. I then fine tune it to give me reliable feeding/chambering. Regarding powder charge, I start with whats in the manual, what I hear from other experienced reloaders who are shooting a similar gun and load but in the end I fine tune the powder charge based on chronograph results. I hope I have answered your question. p.s. I am sure you know that OAL is also determined by bullet profile (round nose, SWC, hollow point, etc) and not just powder make. Thanks.

@GregwGa

7 жыл бұрын

Do you think it's worth it for me to get this die with a micrometer since I am basically only loading one type of 45acp bullet, 200gr SWC. Seems like the real advantage to this die is when you are changing bullet types

@knowledge2you

7 жыл бұрын

GregwGa, OAL would be affected by not just bullet type, but also by bullet weight and manufacturer. For example, assume you reload a 200gr swaged lead SWC from XYZ manufacturer and you have your die set up to give you the OAL you want. But next time you buy your 200gr swaged lead SWC from ABC manufacturer, you could find that you need to adjust the die to get the same OAL. Also, assume you then want to try the 185 gr swaged lead SWC from XYZ, you might find that you need to adjust the die to keep the same OAL. You probably don't want to watch another video, but in this one kzread.info/dash/bejne/eGalzZdxaJyrcZM.html I modify my die in order to get consistent OALs because of slight variations between manufacturers. The video, named Bench Report: Modifying bullet seating stem for SWC, is only for reloading lead SWC bullets. Therefore, if you are only going to reload the same bullet, same weight, from the same manufacturer, then you are correct, this die would be overkill for you. Hope this helps.

@Sten Möller. This comment is for Sten Möller. Sten, I do not know why, but I get your comments via KZread's notification feature but they do not appear on the video nor on my dashboard. So I am unable to reply to them. Therefore, I am hoping you will find this. To answer your question regarding seating WC or SWC for .38 special. I reload SWC more frequently than I do jacketed. Most of my reloading is .45 ACP, .357 mag and 9mm. I do not reload .38 special, which is a shorter case than .357 mag but longer than .45 ACP. I did not have an issue setting up this die for either of those calibers. In fact, in the link below, I show how I modified the seating stem to do a better job of seating SWC. kzread.info/dash/bejne/eGalzZdxaJyrcZM.html

@stenmoller5700

4 жыл бұрын

I thank you for your effort even though the comment did not appear. The reason is, in this case, that I finally did find the solution and then deleted the original comment here. The seating die DID bottom out, and it was through no mistake on my part. The thing is, Redding, for all their excellent products, are not on par with instructions and so have failed to write what I feel would be appropriate in the accompanying instructions sheet, perhaps something like this: "If your micrometer seating die bottoms out, take the hexagonal key that came with the set, insert it into the tiny hole on top of the micrometer until it sits properly in the internal screw head, then turn the key clockwise to increase the protrusion of the stem of the micrometer (which pushes the seating stem) until you are able to obtain the desired seating depth." I spent quite some time to find any info on this and eventually wrote the comment that I did, asking you here. But after plenty-a-searching I did find a note on Redding's webpage, certainly well hidden. Methinks they might need a good technical editor to improve their instructions but who might also help them renovate their website which always makes me grow more gray hairs...

@knowledge2you

4 жыл бұрын

@@stenmoller5700 Thank you for the reply and I agree with you. The Redding instructions could be better written.

Thank you for this very helpful instructional video. When the die is resizing the bell with the associated scraping noise (at ~3:52) is there any reason to be concerned about the die being damaged by this?

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

jmmuench, since the die is steel and the case is brass, I am more concerned about excessive wear on the case. If the case if belled too much, then the seating die is going to reduce the bell size, thus causing the scraping noise, when the case is inserted into the seating die. This is unnecessary wear on the brass.

I am using this die for 9mm for a month and have noticed the dial creeping down as I reload. It’s moving..001 every 50 rounds, when I add primers I dial it back. Is there a way to lock the dial?

@knowledge2you

4 жыл бұрын

Larry, I am sorry to hear you are having this issue. I know of no way to lock the micrometer. On mine (and I own several) it is not easy to turn the micrometer. Therefore, the micrometer does not move even after hundreds of rounds. If you find it easy to turn the micrometer, I would suggest you call Redding support and tell them of your issue.

@stenmoller5700

4 жыл бұрын

Though I am not an experienced reloader like knowledge2you, I would recommend the following (threads and rubber rings are old friends): 1. First of all, check that there is a rubber ring in the micrometer. Unscrew the micrometer from the die, then unscrew the top of the micrometer from the bottom. There should be a rubber ring in a groove in the thread of the male (lower) part. If it is not there, contact Redding. If it is, but the micrometer is still (too) easy to adjust and moves, contact Redding for a new ring. Do note that you should be careful with strong chemicals when cleaning the die before the first time. Rubber does not take kindly to many chemicals and can dry out quickly. If this might have been the case, very gently pry it out of the groove with a wooden toothpick or at least something that cannot cut scores in the rubber ring, grease it with some silicone and reinsert it. 2. If the micrometer still creeps, unscrew the top of the micrometer again and apply just very little high temperature grease (fat & sticky) to the thread. This should slow down any creep to a minimum. Mind you, this fat must not come in contact with any other part of the die than this "covered" micrometer thread, as anything will stick to it and possibly have an adverse effect on the function. 3. Loctite thread lock will do the job if the above suggestions do not help you. The drawback is that as soon as you change bullets or cases you are in for extra cleaning work...

do you have any experience using this seating die with hitek coated bullets. i can't seem to find a combination of flaring that is enough to stop the coating from scraping off but not too much that the flare doesn't scrape when seating the bullet. i guess the easy answer is you spent a lot on a seating die why are you using cheap bullets. well i have a lot of them.

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I have the experience you mentioned. The best solution I have found for seating either lead bullets or polymer coated bullets is to use a Lyman M two stage expander die to expand the brass and not the Dillon powder funnel. However, that could/will require some of the reloading steps to be done as separate operations. (I once suggested to Dillon that the ideal 650 would be one that allows a reloader to place the powder assembly in either station 2 or station 3.) I would not call coated bullets cheap just like I would not call lead bullets cheap. A coated bullet would be cheap if the coating is unevenly applied or where the coating is missing in some spots. I have a batch of the latter and I only use them for recreational shooting, not competition shooting.

@rageglide

6 жыл бұрын

knowledge2you I set up my die again per your video and it's almost 100% . Thanks for the tip I'll look into the Lyman die

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

The link below is where I compare two, of the 2-stage expander dies on the market. kzread.info/dash/bejne/opeXm5OHcdXalbQ.html

I'm getting up to a 5 thousandths deviation OAL using this seating die. Tried almost everything and it hasn't remedied the problem. I was told to remove the spring, tried that too, didn't do anything either. Any suggestions?

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

Boosted, what type of bullet are you seating? When you removed the spring, did you clean the inside of the die and clean the inside of the seating stem? A build up of debris/dirt/gunk in the seating stem will lead to OAL variation. Also, check your shell plate. If it is getting loose (vertical play increases) with usage, that will also lead to OAL variation. What die were you using before and what OAL variation were you getting with it?

@CigarilloFiend808

6 жыл бұрын

Just a standard 125gr Round nose 9mm. The die is brand new, no dirt or gunk at all. My shell plate is spaced exactly 15 thousandths and does not have any play. I was using a stock dillon die and was getting 3 thousandths deviation, most of the time it was spot on.

@CigarilloFiend808

6 жыл бұрын

Tried removing the spring and setting the "Zero" to the 2.0 area on the micrometer. Seems to be a lot more consistent now. Im getting a deviation of around 4 thousandths.

@robertbrandywine

Жыл бұрын

Seating dies don't control actual OAL on most bullets. They control the distance from the back of the round to where the bullet seating stem is making contact with the bullet (sometimes referred to as the ogive). If the distance from that point on the ogive to the front of the bullet is varying slightly between individual bullets, then you'll get a slightly different OAL. Hornady, at least, makes a gauge to measure from the back of the case to the ogive so you can check to see if that distance is consistent. I've never experienced an instant when it wasn't

This die doesn't work with lead SWC bullets. That's because they're .452" and flaring the case enough to accept the bullet exceeds the inside diameter of the die. So you'll end up shaving lead when seating. Also, the Competition die bullet stem/plug will not engage the SWC shoulder....it just pushes down point of the bullet. Redding will not provide custom seating plugs like RCBS does for their seating dies. I don't shoot FMJ bullets in my 1911 so this die has been a disappointment.

@knowledge2you

4 жыл бұрын

All of my competition .45 ACP loads are lead SWC. At first, I was running into the very issues you are discussing lllottolll. But I made two changes to my reloading process that solved them all. First, I use a two-step expansion die. They work well with jacketed bullets and many consider a ‘must have’ for lead. They eliminate the need for a large flare/bell on the case mouth. I have a short video on them here. kzread.info/dash/bejne/opeXm5OHcdXalbQ.html Second, I bought an extra bullet seating stem from Redding. Then I used my Dremel tool to modify the extra stem specifically for SWC. You can see this in the video linked below. The original stem I use for non-SWC. If you have a drill press, you will be able to use it instead of a hand-held rotary tool. Now my lead bullets are being seated straight without shaving and I retain the benefit of a micrometer adjustable seating die. kzread.info/dash/bejne/eGalzZdxaJyrcZM.html p.s. Some people advocate the use of hot glue or epoxy to form a mould inside the seating stem. I do not like this technique because the mould is specific to that bullet weight and caster. If you buy a 185 grain bullet from caster X and a 200 grain from caster Y, and you make a mould for the 185, it will not fit the 200. The technique I show in the video above works across all the bullet weights I use, from 160 to 230, and from all the casters I purchase from.

What is the range of adjustment of the micrometer scale?

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

The micrometer markings go from 0 to 3.5. Each full rotation of the knob moves it 0.5 on the scale. Therefore, to go from 0 to 3.5 will be seven full rotations .

@scottc3029

6 жыл бұрын

What does "0 to 3.5" mean? What is the range in thousands of an inch? 0.000"-1.000"?, 0.000"-0.500?"

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

The turn knob on the micrometer has 50 index marks. Each mark represents 0.001". So one full turn of the knob moves the micrometer 0.05". The scale on the micrometer's shaft goes from 0 to 3.5. It takes seven full rotations to move the knob from 0 to 3.5. Therefore, the full range of the micrometer is 0 - 0.35"; or, a little over a third of an inch. (Each rotation is 0.05" x 7 rotations = 0.35"). p.s. When installing the micrometer, you do not want to set the die to the extreme end of the range (not 0 and not 3.5).

@Welder6131

6 жыл бұрын

Scott Coffin is this metric by chance? A full rev would be a 1/2 mm or .50.....i doubt 3.5 inches would be the range, to me 3.5mm would make more sense.

@knowledge2you

6 жыл бұрын

No, it is not metric. Each notch on the turn knob is .001". The full range of the die is a little more than a third of an inch. Specifically, 0 - 0.35".

why doesn't Redding change that lock ring as no-one likes the one the one supplied with the seating die. then we won't have to buy Hornady lock rings :)