Is the forster ultra die set good enough for 3-400 yard varmits?.. I am particular and want to get good results.. i have a hornady set now.. The forester ultra and rcbs top grade set both come with full lenght sizers?. Do you set them for neck sizing in bolt action? Ive bought 100 rds of brass and weighed them, need the pilot for 6mm to turn the necks, and have to reorder my coax indicator (bonaza) That i lent out --GRRRRR!.. I also would like to upgrade my hornady 6mm dies. So what say you to the non sliding, non inter changeable expander on the ultra? dave

I use Forster Ultra die sets*.

I send the sizer body back and get the necks honed to .003" less than loaded ammo neck size.

I have given up on weighing brass and turning necks.


* But I can get great groups with cheapee RCBS die sets if I take out the decapping stem with the evil expander ball. Paying extra for Forster is mostly my superstitions, varmint accuracy can get done with the cheap RCBS dies.

I like Forster or Redding dies to load for my match rifles. I have to say that I bought my dies individually, but it was long before Forster had bushing dies. I don't think you can go wrong with Forster, no matter what you buy.

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
I use Forster Ultra die sets*.

I send the sizer body back and get the necks honed to .003" less than loaded ammo neck size.

Yes, that is favourite die set-up for me as well. A Forster (Ultra) seater is about as good a factory seater as you are going to get. The Redding Competition seater is finished better than the Forster, but other than that works on the same principle (at higher cost).

I tend to use a bit more neck tension than .003" (at least for big game rounds), but a neck honed Forster FL sizer - used without the expander - is a great tool. I normally set my sizer to push back the case shoulder .001-.002" - many call this "Partial Full Length Sizing".

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by ffffg:
Is the forster ultra die set good enough for 3-400 yard varmits?.. I am particular and want to get good results.. i have a hornady set now.. The forester ultra and rcbs top grade set both come with full lenght sizers?. Do you set them for neck sizing in bolt action? Ive bought 100 rds of brass and weighed them, need the pilot for 6mm to turn the necks, and have to reorder my coax indicator (bonaza) That i lent out --GRRRRR!.. I also would like to upgrade my hornady 6mm dies. So what say you to the non sliding, non inter changeable expander on the ultra? dave

What sort of results do you get now?
Have you tried your existing dies at 300 to 400 yards? The type of sizer die you use and how you use it may make more difference than the seater. Some sizers size the case way too much, like about .007 to .008 undersize on the neck and even squeeze the body way down. I size a lot of my cases twice. I retract the case just enought to spin it 180° and size again. I get more consistent headspace on bottle neck rounds doing that and I think all case types wind up with the head more perpendicular to the body.
Because I get a lot of my dies used and most are older than the various competition and benchrest dies I have never used a lot of the improved design dies. I have had excellent results with the old die designs so I have not been motivated to buy a lot of new dies.
I have a few sets in mostly sub .30 cal rounds but I have yet to see them make a lot of difference.
I do load the 6X47 with arbor press benchrest dies and always have. I have no idea how much difference it makes since I have never used conventional dies with this round.

i don't think you have to get that technical for varmits

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
i don't think you have to get that technical for varmits

butchloc
Man my head spins when I see the time and money guys waste on hunting guns and reloads what the hell do they do in a 20mph wind not hunt go home for fear of missing.

Come on guys it's all about enjoying what you do not making an event out of it.

Trigger time and it's the first shot that counts.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunt-ducks:

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
i don't think you have to get that technical for varmits

butchloc
Man my head spins when I see the time and money guys waste on hunting guns and reloads what the hell do they do in a 20mph wind not hunt go home for fear of missing.

Come on guys it's all about enjoying what you do not making an event out of it.

Trigger time and it's the first shot that counts.

Enjoying what you do is different for each person. Maybe some enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

I've only been around a few days but have read several responses from you in the same vein.
You're entitled to your opinion but that doesn't entitle you to criticize others and tell them what THEY should enjoy...

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
I normally set my sizer to push back the case shoulder .001-.002" - many call this "Partial Full Length Sizing".- mike

I call that perfect full length sizing. That's what I do. I want my loaded rounds to fit my chamber but bumping the shoulder no more than .002, and preferably .001 is where I have seen consistent accuracy.

I haven't use a full length die to reload with for my bottle-neck cases in so long that i think the dies that I have are probably rusting. I neck size leaving a bit of the neck unsized to center the case in the chamber and have gotten sub-MOA groups with all my rifles. I have never run into a problem with having to "bump" the shoulders back. If 1/2 to 3/4 MOA groups are too big then you need to have a target rifle made. There isn't a critter small enough that I couldn't hit it with any of my hunting rifles and that includes my 358 Winchester. Maybe I just have really accurate rifles but If I have a weapon that won't shoot to sub-MOA I won't keep it! My oldest 03A3 can keep rounds in 1/2" groups as an average and my newest 358 Win shoots sub-Caliber groups every time - even with pistol bullets at 2500 fps.
I am a careful loader and more conservative than most but I am not a target snob - these are hunting loads.

I ordered the Forster ultra seater 2 months ago and got more runout with it than I did with my standard Redding seater, and that was with 3 different bullets. No change in brass prep.

Contacted Forster not long ago. They are sending me a new seater stem, even though I cannot visibly detect anything wrong with the one I have.

I checked 18 rounds I had left of WW brass/168 TSX that I loaded back in 2004. The most runout was .001 on 15 of them and .002 on 2, and .003 on 1.

Same WW brass weight, same lot, same case prep, all before my last trip in May, seated same bullet, and also the TTSX. Runout varied from .003 to .005 on the first 8 rounds so I reset the die again in the Rockchucker press, no change. Placed die in my Bonanza press, same thing.

Tried it again with the Bergers and AB bullets, runout was up to .004.

Used standard Redding seater for the rest of my loads and runout was less.