One bullet seating die for pretty much any bottleneck rifle cartridge from 22 cal to 338? Is this possible? Yes- and it’s one of the new products for 2020 from Frankford Arsenal. Let’s get hands-on!

About the Universal Bullet Seating Die

From the Midsouth Shooters Supply product page:

Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die
by Frankford Arsenal

Midsouth carries the new Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die. The Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die holds the bullet in place while seating. The Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die features an adjustable seating dept and the Built-in Micrometer allows for precise micro-adjustments to the seating depth of the bullet. The Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die works for .224-.338 Calibers and has a standard 7/8×14 Thread. The Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die also comes with a molded carry case.

Setting Up the Universal Bullet Seating Die

The Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die comes with the following:

• Universal Bullet Seating Die (setup for 308 Winchester)
• Two extra seating stems (kit includes short, medium, long lengths)
• Caliber-specific inserts

This die kit includes inserts for the following calibers:

• 224 (22 caliber)
• 243 (6mm)
• 257 (25 caliber)
• 264 (6mm)
• 277 (270 caliber)
• 284 (7mm)
• 308 (30 caliber)
• 325 (8mm)
• 338

When you setup the die for a different caliber, the die is disassembled as follows:

Above we have from left to right:

• Thimble
• Stem
• Spring
• Keeper
• Caliber-specific insert
• Die body and lock ring

For each specific cartridge you’ll be loading, you’ll want to look at two things: caliber (bullet diameter), and cartridge overall length. From these specifics, you’ll select the correct stem and caliber-specific insert, and reassemble the die. It takes only a couple minutes.

Using the Universal Bullet Seating Die

Here are some configuration and setup steps that are performed prior to seating bullets with the Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die:

• Assemble the die with the correct stem and caliber-specific insert (see steps above)
• Insert cartridge into press shellplate/shellholder
• Raise ram to the top of the stroke
• Unscrew the micrometer thimble on the Universal Bullet Seating Die (most of the way up, but not all the way until the thimble comes off)
• Screw the die downward (into press) until slight resistance is felt
• Unscrew die a partial turn if needed to align the cutaway window on the die with the user
• Lock the lock ring or set screw to secure the die position
• Adjust seating depth as needed (if using a dummy cartridge, you can screw the thimble down until slight resistance is felt)

There are two ways to use the Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die:

1. Dropping bullets into the cutaway window (pictured above)
2. Placing bullets directly onto case mouth (pictured below)

Other than the option to drop bullets down through the window/cutaway, using this die is just like using any other bullet seating die!

Bullet Runout Test: 6mm ARC

I tested the five 6mm ARC cartridges that were used in the filming of the video, and as seen in the video, the bullet runout (at Ogive) averaged +/ 0.002″. This is a very good result for a conventional type bullet seating die. In order to consistently get better results than this, I’ve needed chamber-type bullet seating dies, or custom dies.

You’ll Find it at Midsouth Shooters Supply

Looking for the Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die? You’ll find it at Midsouth Shooters Supply!

If you have one of these dies, I’d love to hear your experiences! Please leave a comment.

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Thanks,
Gavin