Author Topic: Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?  (Read 1446 times)

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Offline DalesCarpentry

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Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?
« on: October 04, 2010, 08:31:06 AM »
I just received 2 die set of Hornady dies ( for 308 Win. ) that contain a Full lenght sizing die and a bullet seating die. I am still new to reloading and I need to know how to adjust them. The guy I got them from must have forgot to include the instructions. Thanks in advance and take care Dale
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Offline quickdtoo

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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2010, 08:44:37 AM »
The seater die , screw into press . screw the stem out . screw the die body in until you feel resistance. lower the ram and place a bullet in the case mouth and lower the handle. if you don't  feel contact then screw the seater stem in until you do . Raise the arm a little and screw the seater in more. Do this until you get desired COL. Then screw the seater out and adjust by screwing in until you get the crimp you want. Lock the die in place and adjust the seater on the case you just crimped and lock it in place. If you seat and crimp in different operations just lock every thing when you get COL. and do all your rounds then adjust to crimp.
sizing die Assuming you don't wish to partial size ( some say neck size but in reality that takes a speical die). And you are not trying to load to a spefic rifle then run your ram up with a shell holder in place . Screw the die in until it touches then back off until it just misses touching. Lock it in place . I like to adjust the primer punch so it just pushes the primer out with out alot of over travel and lock it in place.
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Offline DalesCarpentry

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Re: Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2010, 09:00:18 AM »
Thanks guys thats just what I needed. Dale
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Offline Graybeard

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Re: Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2010, 10:58:45 AM »
The single most important thing to know about Hornady sizer/depriming dies is that the rod is a sliding one it is not threaded like most. This means you must treat this die a bit differently than the rest of them.

I recommend with all new dies and perhaps with used ones as well to take it apart and clean that rod and the collet area that tightens against it to hold it in place well. I use acetone to be sure ALL oils and grease is gone. Then tighten that rascal down real good once you have it set so the deprime pin is in the right position which is just enough below the die to assure it knocks out the primers.

If you don't do this that rod can and at times will move on you and eventually will stop depriming the brass.

I like Hornady dies best of them all especially the seater but that sizer/deprime die does take some getting used to. Since you are after long range accuracy I'd highly recommend you opt for a Micro-Just Seater to go on top of the seater die. It gives you micrometer adjustment accuracy in seating the bullets and you can change it by a thousanth of an inch at a time with it and if you write down your settings can return to it immediately if you are loading more than one bullet or using more than one seating depth while working up at load.


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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2010, 03:42:04 AM »
I can't say I like Hornady better ( Redding is my pick) but when depriming lots of cases the slip feature has save alot of pins when a berden primed case slips in  ;)
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Offline tacklebury

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Re: Can someone tell me how to adjust Hornady FL and seater die?
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2010, 02:27:01 PM »
Yah, my Lee dies are slip pins also.  I haven't got one yet, but intend to get the universal decapper which slides also.  8)
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