Decided im going to make something

[Zeneffect]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OVBB5F8?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B5XJBX7H?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

https://www.amazon.com/Neoteck-Indicator-Magnetic-Dovetail-Measurement/dp/B09W2R3SCD/

I have the 3x bolts + epoxy I plan to use.

Backstop will be something... not sure yet but ill figure it out. probably another ball bearing just glued in and i can shift everything forward 1 set of holes.

Saves me enough $$$ for a box of bullets vs buying off the shelf while maintaining utility in the pieces by themselves..

[Zeneffect]

Oh hah.... concentricity gauge. That's what I'm making.

Why? I want to really start pushing to the next level of accuracy, and I'm filling gaps in tooling. I should be able to test internal and external concentricity before bullet seating, then again after to see what the growth is (start measuring neck tension)

Maybe I'm wasting time and I should be focused on something like a 6br but nah. I'll be that stupid guy who jams square pegs into round holes just because it's possible with enough effort and discovery.

I should have it all together and using it by Friday.

[GREYBUFF]

I went a different route. I called RCBS and asked if I could buy the case holder for their concentric guage and they just sent them to me. Had the guage and then fabricated a base for the whole thing. Works great. Found out my best results were from the Hollywood senior press and Dunbar that I recently picked up. Both very solid presses from the50's. I was using a RCBS Jr. for resizing and seating.

[Zeneffect]

I cut one of the 3/8-16 bolts that came with the 123 blocks to about 6 threads long and used it as a backstop for the case. The 2nd 123 block basically serves as weight to just stabilize everything

[Zeneffect]

Well f*ck me this is worse than buying a bore scope.

In a positive note, using this WILL identify which seating stem and die setup you have works best for your cartridge.

Loading up some .223 and everything was looking really good up until bullet seating. Total indicator runout of .008-.019 on first 3... something not right. Swap stems, total indicator runout on next 3 is .002 but seating depth is inconsistent.... stem is grabbing the bullet and pulling back out... Frick. Swap dies to the dusty crusty frankford arsenal universal seating die and wrangle in .003 total indicator runout and .001 seating depth extreme spread.

Time for new seating dies. my tooling is showing the weakness of my current cheap dies (hornady and frankford)

[GREYBUFF]

Try polishing the seating stems. I use semi chrome witha dremel. I polish all of my dies and the stems.....Another thing to try is start the bullet halfway and then rotate 180 degrees to finish seating the bullet.....

[Zeneffect]

I tried all the tricks issue is stem #1 is not suitable for the 80gr eldm .224 bullet. Stem #2 just grabs it no matter what. I just spent the last hour polishing it to a mirror shine inside and the geometry just isn't right. Pinches somewhere and just holds on tight. The runout on the FA is acceptable to me for now at +-.0015 (mainly hecause I'm shooting tomorrow morning and I dont have any better options available right now)

Just goes to show the more one looks, the worse things really are... but seemingly only with. 223. The 100 130gr bergers I have loaded up for grendel are +-.0005 and I didn't have the tooling to check actual numbers at the time, just the Haji dial indicator and a hand lathe.

(Haji dial indicator is a sharpened wire that is bent to barely touch the case while its spun)