L.E. Wilson 22 Caliber Seater Die Blank CB-22 | Custom Wildcat Die

Description

This is the raw material behind some of the straightest-shooting handloads around. The L.E. Wilson 22 Caliber Seater Die Blank (CB-22) is an unchambered chamber-type bullet seater, designed so you or your gunsmith can run your own reamer in and finish a seating die that matches your rifle's chamber exactly. If you're loading a wildcat or a non-standard .22 cartridge that nobody makes an off-the-shelf die for, this is how you get there.

The appeal of the chamber-type design is alignment. The case and bullet are fully captured inside the die body before a close-fitting seating stem pushes the bullet straight into the neck. That setup keeps runout to a minimum, which is exactly why benchrest and F-class folks lean on Wilson seaters. Because the blank is reamed with the same tooling that cut your chamber, the fit can be tighter and more consistent than most threaded dies will ever give you.

Chambering the 22 Caliber Seater Die Blank

The blank arrives partially machined to make the finishing work straightforward. The bore hole is already finished for proper alignment, the pilot hole is drilled through to that bore, and the blank is intentionally left long so you can trim it to final length for your cartridge. From there, your gunsmith runs the chamber reamer in, ideally on center with a tailstock, using slow steady pressure and plenty of cutting fluid. Wilson includes a chambering guide to walk through the process.

Running the Finished 22 Caliber Seater Die

Once chambered, this die is meant to work with an arbor press, though it can be operated with a soft-faced mallet in a pinch. Seating depth is set by the screw inside the cap. It's a tool-room approach to handloading that rewards good case prep with uniform, concentric rounds. Keep in mind this is a true blank and not a ready-to-use die, so plan on the reaming work being part of the deal. For a precision shooter chasing the perfect fit for an unusual .22, it's hard to beat.