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If you've ever pulled a VLD or hybrid bullet out of your seater and spotted a little ring pressed into the nose, you already know why this part exists. The Redding 6.5mm Long VLD Competition Seating Stem (part #55746) is a direct swap for the standard profile stem that ships in Redding Competition seating dies. It's built specifically for modern long, high-BC 6.5mm/.264 bullets with sharp secant ogives that the standard stem just doesn't cradle properly.
Standard seating stems were shaped around older, blunter bullet noses. Run a long secant-ogive bullet into one and the tip can bottom out in the cavity before the stem ever contacts the ogive, which hurts concentricity and can leave marks on the meplat. The VLD stem uses a different internal geometry with a deeper, properly angled cavity that contacts the bullet in a concentric ring down on the ogive, right where you want it. That's the difference between dinged tips and uniform, repeatable seating depth across a full tray of ammo.
This is the Long version, measuring 1-3/16 inches, versus the standard profile stem at 1 inch. It drops into Redding Competition seating dies chambered for 6.5mm/.264 caliber cartridges, including popular options like 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington, and 6.5-284. The extra length is there to make solid contact on seriously long bullets where a shorter stem might come up short. Redding mills a groove around the middle of the VLD stems so you can tell them apart from the standard ones at a glance.
This is the kind of upgrade precision and long-range reloaders make once and never think about again. If you're loading Berger VLDs, Hornady ELD-X, or any of the sleek match bullets that dominate the 6.5 world, swapping in this stem is a small change that pays off on the target. Keep in mind it's designed to work inside the Redding Competition die specifically, not as a standalone tool, so it's the right call if you're already running that setup.
The VLD stem has a deeper cavity with a more aggressive internal contact angle that engages a long secant-ogive bullet further down on the ogive. That keeps the tip from bottoming out and marking the meplat, which improves seating consistency and concentricity. For sleek, high-BC 6.5mm bullets, it's a meaningful upgrade over the standard profile stem.
It's made to drop into Redding Competition seating dies chambered for 6.5mm/.264 cartridges, such as 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington, and 6.5-284. It's a direct replacement for the standard profile seat stem in those dies. It's designed to work inside the Redding Competition die specifically, so it isn't meant for other brands of seating dies.
This Long version measures 1-3/16 inches, while the standard profile stem is 1 inch. The extra length helps the stem make proper contact on especially long bullets that a shorter stem might not reach. If you're running heavy, long-for-caliber projectiles, the Long stem is often the better bet.
It shines with VLD, hybrid, and other long secant-ogive match bullets, the kind that give standard stems trouble. Popular choices like Berger VLDs and Hornady ELD-X seat cleanly with it. Basically any long, high-BC 6.5mm bullet where you want to seat off the ogive without deforming the tip.
| UPC | 611760557460 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 55746 |
| Caliber/Gauge | 264/6.5 mm (.264) |
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