Guys,

My 25 WSM project is just about complete. I ordered some dies from Redding. They say to run my 270 WSM cases through the bullet seating die, then the F/L resize die. My question is, why do I have to run the case through the bullet seating die first?

Thanks,
Jim

the seating die will size the neck down a bit before the next stage. actually taking a 270 to 25 i think would be OK to do in 1 step

if you set your seating die up as if you are going to crimp the bullet, it puts a little champher on the case mouth to give a " lead" to the case so it goes into the neck sizer a bit smoother and better centered.
the .270 case probably won't start into the .25 neck sizer without it.

That sounds kind of nuts to me. I have sized .284" down to .264" in one stroke with a neck sizer die with no problems at all and see no reason why a .277" neck can't be sized down to .257" in one stroke with a F/L sizer die.

You may have some split knecks if you don't anneal first...I read this in rifle shooter or some other rag a writer was working on the same wildcat you speak of.

quote:

They say to run my 270 WSM cases through the bullet seating die,

butchloc's reply was dead on the money.....that said the recommendation by Redding to do this is not.....maybe their dies have case hardened seaters but I can assure you that not all company's seater dies are hardened and trying to use the seater as a partial neck sizing die will cause great trouble some day! I wouldn't do it at all.....necking from .270 to.257 is not at all a stretch....one pass thru the die and it's done!