Are the newer model new deminson dies better or different than the older ones? Are the seaters still a universal type?

Tried a set in a 270 wsm. There was something amiss in the sizer, stuck cases galor no matter what type of lube, and thought I was going to break my press.

Finally bought a forester FL sizer and its as smooth as silk.

planed on still using my hornady seater, but now I'm wondering if I should have gone forester all the way.

The Forster seater is a step up in design and finish. What kind of runout are you getting with the Hornady?

I used to use Hornady dies almost exclusively, then later switched to Forster and Redding. Of late, I have used a few Hornady (custom) dies again. I believe Hornady dies have improved during the time I did not use them. E.g. the decapping stem on the sizer dies is now threaded, making it much easier to stop the decapper pulling out of the die. I still don't care much for the way the decapper is fixed, though.

I find the Hornady seater serviceable, but I much prefer the Forster. The sleeve supporting the entire case as opposed to just the bullet (and case neck?) is preferable, IMHO. So if a Forster seater is available in a particular caliber, that is what I'll normally get.

- mike

Don't have a concentricty gauge.

quote:

Originally posted by skunk:
Don't have a concentricty gauge.

Roll the loaded rounds accross a flat surface. If you don't see wobble, you are fine for hunting.

What kind of shooting are you doing? How do your rounds group? The final analysis is in their grouping.

If you see wobble and are shooting for accuracy, you probably need a runout gauge. Your seating technique may need improving. Partially seat the bullet, rotate the case and complete the seating.

If you aren't already aware, your Hornady seater has a sleeve in it. It doesn't encapsulate the case neck as the Forster does. Also, the sleeve isn't spring-loaded. Although I don't know how much difference it would make, I have heard of someone adding a spring to the Hornady die.

If you want to play with the Forster die, it is a nice piece. It comes with and without a micrometer head. Of course, you can add a micrometer head to your Hornady die for less than $25.

In the end, the benefit will be determined by how much runout you eliminate. Or the pride of ownership and possible ease of use of the Forster.

skunk,
I really like Forster FL dies and seating dies.

However they do/did not make a die set for my .20 VarTarg.
So I bought a Hornady New Dimension set in .20 V T. The sizing/decapping die is O K. The bullet seater causes me a lot of grief and unusable brass.
I have very carefully followed their
instructions which came with the set.
I think that is partly caused by their "one or two size bullet seater" which in my case(20 caliber and 32 gr bullet) requires that the bullet be manually pushed up into the cone as far as you can ( I use needle nose pliers)before you pull the loader handle.
I hope Forster soon makes a set for .20 VT.All my other Forster Die sets including .17 and .20 calibers work just great.

BRH