Redding Press loose threads???

[Duck_Hunter]

Hi,
wondering if anyone can help me out. Do your dies wobble in your press even when they have been threaded into the press sufficiently (without lock ring tightened against press)?
I'm having a hard time explaining some of the run out I'm getting on my reloads from .005"-.006".
I'm meticulously prepped the brass. I'm using a redding competition series seater and Redding Boss press.
-I turned the necks on my brass (no measurably runout in neck thickness now)
-I FL sized the brass, this yielded a .004" runout in my brass
-Trimmed the brass to length
-I then FL resized with the decapping rod/expander removed, this got the runout down to around .001"
-chamfered inside/outside of necks
-Deburred flashholes, uniformed primer pockets

I've tried a million different combos of setting up my press. I've used an o-ring under the die, no o-ring under the die, die really tight, die not so tight, removed spring holding in shellholder, etc. I'm still getting the run-out!!

The only thing I can see is that the threads are really sloppy on my press and this may be causing the die to incorrectly align. I removed the lock ring on both RCBS and Redding dies, threaded them all the way into the press and can wiggle them what I believe to be a substantial amount. This can't be normal can it??
thanks, and sorry for the long post.

 

[maynard]

Looks like your decapping rod/expander could be the culprit. Try a different shell holder and see what happens just for ####s and giggles.

 

[Duck_Hunter]

crap, now I gotta go find a new shell holder. I'll go to the gunshop this weekend.
S##ts and giggles is starting to get on my nerves
thanks for the advice, keep it coming.

 

[Duck_Hunter]

Can anyone reccomend a good FL sizing die? The one I'm using is an RCBS.

 

[HKMark23]

Regarding threads, dies in my Ultramag exhibit a lot of wobble until they're tight against the lock ring. You could replace the bushing if you expect this is a problem.

 

[stevebc]

FWIW, in my Bair press, my RCBS dies wobble until they come up against the locking ring.

 

[Duck_Hunter]

hmmm, well then I`d imagine my problem lies somewhere else. I`ll pick up a new shell holder and FL sizing die this weekend. If that doesn`t fix it, I think the problem will be narrowed dow to my seating die.
thanks for the help.

 

[looch]

I would try indexing 2 cases with a mark of some sort, orienting them opposite to one another during each reloading step. Check run out after each step. At some point, I would assume to get equal/opposite results.

 

[Boomer]

Begin by putting tension on your die prior to locking the ring down. This can be done by putting pressure against the base the of the die with the shell holder or with a case in the shell holder pressed into the die if you intend to partially resize. I use a wrench to lock the ring and prevent the die from coming out of adjustment, particularly if I am prepping a large number of cases.

Check the run-out of your fired necks prior to resizing. Now resize without the de-capping rod in the die and check the run-out again. Remove the shell holder retaining spring and replace it with a rubber "O" ring. Check the run-out of a subsequent case. If the problem persists, try putting a rubber "O" ring under the lock-nut, and tighten finger tight. Run the next case through and check the run-out, it should now be within acceptable limits. Now replace the de-capping rod and tighten it normally. Run a fired case through the die and check the run-out. If the run-out is unreasonable, try putting a rubber "O" ring under the lock-nut on the de-capping rod and tighten finger tight. Run the next fired case through the die and if the run out has not improved, you may have to lightly turn the necks.

Checking runout should not become obsessive, but if you can easily minimize it you might as well. As a test, shoot a group with cases with as close to zero run-out as you can manage, then fire a group with the worst runout of your brass. Then ask yourself, "What's all the fuss about?" There is a potential for accuracy to be better with minimum run-out, but that can only be seen if all the other elements of your ammo and your rifle are extremely precise, and you need to decide how much time do you wish to invest loading 20 rounds. You may wish to mark the case so you can index the run-out to the same position in the chamber, usually 12:00. Again, try this with one group, then ignore it for the next and see if there is a marked difference.