It's a Stevens action with timminy trigger in a b&c medalist stock, factory bbl for now and I am getting 1.6 inch average groups at 200 yards.
My press is a lee classic cast single stage
You have an excellent press, and you will gain nothing by changing it. You are on a good start with the gun. Barrel probably the weak point, but there may be room for more accuracy with good loads. My suggestions:
Get some Lapua brass, Berger 68 Target bullets, and Berger 80 Varmint bullets, Varget powder, and CCI BR-2 primers (Federal 210M also worth a try).
Assuming you have a FL sizing die, short stroke it so that you only resize about 2/3 of the neck. The remaining 1/3 will center the cartridge in the chamber neck.
Try different seating depths, 20 thou off, 10 thou off, 10 thou jam to see what works best in your gun. I'll attach the split case procedure I use to set depth.
If you are not using a powder scale, get an accurate balance beam type. Just use a measure to load the scale, not the case. Use a hand seater like the Lee Auto Prime to seat the primers. You will feel when they hit bottom. Don't go any further.
If you want to make a sizing die improvement then I would suggest the Lee Collet Neck Sizer, or a Forster Bushing/Bump die if you want to go all the way. Seating can be made more accurately and easier with a Forster Ultra Micrometer seating die.
If this does not give you the accuracy you are looking for, it may be time for a new barrel.
Split Case Method
1. Take a neck sized only fired case, and use a Dremel to cut a single narrow slot in the neck and shoulder.
2. Select a bullet from the box you plan to load and fit it in the split case. Pick a bullet with a consistent flat tip, or file it a touch to square it up. Adjust case by squeezing the neck to increase tension as required. It does not need a lot of tension and just enough hold the bullet.
3. Carefully chamber it, and remove it slowly. If the ejector is pushing the case sideways, use your finger to keep the bullet from dragging on the side of the chamber or receiver.
4. Measure the overall length of the cartridge to the tip of the bullet, and record it.
5. Repeat step 4 until you get consistent numbers within .001". When you think you are close, then just pull the bullet a slight touch out from the self seated position and confirm it consistently returns to that same spot, and record the final length of the cartridge, and record in you loading book. Mark this bullet so you don't mix it up with the rest.
6. This length represents what overall length you need for that specific bullet to touch the lands. In my opinion just touching the lands is a poor position to seat too. I go either 0.010" longer to jam the bullet, or increments of 0.010" shorter to create a jump to the lands. Calculate your desired OAL to give the jam or jump you want, and record that number.
7. Use this marked bullet to load a live round long in the case, and by seating it deeper and deeper by trial and measure match the OAL you have calculated in step 6.
8. At this point methods may differ. Some save this load and use it to set up your die for the next loading session. I have a micrometer style seating die, so I just record the seating position in my loading book and use the test round at the range.
9. This test load, or recorded seating depth in theory is good for that specific batch of bullets, if it were not for throat burning. Especially when new the throat burns so is a moving target. So, especially with a new barrel you may want to repeat this exercise more often, or if you bought a large batch of the same bullets.
