The Hornady Custom Grade™ .257 Caliber Bullet Seating Die (model 044104) is a mechanical handloading tool engineered to align and seat .257-inch (6.53 mm) projectiles into standard and magnum-length bottleneck rifle cartridge cases. Built with an in-line alignment system, the die uses a floating internal sleeve and floating steel seating stem to hold the cartridge case neck and projectile coaxially before pressing begins, minimising bullet runout. Operating without electrical power, it screws directly into standard single-stage or progressive reloading presses via an industry-standard 7/8"-14 thread interface.

Key Features

• In-Line Seating System: Utilises a floating bullet alignment sleeve and floating stem to centre the projectile and cartridge case neck concurrently, ensuring concentric bullet seating.
• Integrated Roll Crimping: Features an internal crimping shoulder that can apply an adjustable roll crimp during seating, or be backed off for crimp-free bullet seating.
• Sure-Loc™ Lock Ring: Clamps around the entire die circumference using wrench flats, holding the die setting securely without driving set screws into the threads.
• Tool-Free Disassembly: Internal retainer ring design allows handloaders to remove the seating stem and alignment sleeve for regular cleaning and maintenance without specialised tools.

Specifications

• Die Category: Rifle bullet seating die
• Bullet Diameter Compatibility: .257-inch (6.53 mm / .25 calibre)
• Cartridge Compatibility: .25-06 Remington, .25 Remington, .257 Roberts, .257 Weatherby Magnum (also compatible with .250 Savage and .25 Creedmoor)
• Mounting Thread: Standard 7/8"-14 thread
• Shipping Weight: 0.60 lb (~272 g)
• Packaged Dimensions: Approximately 6.0" H x 1.5" W
• Power Requirement: None (purely mechanical)

Who is the Hornady Custom Grade .25 Caliber Seating Die for?

• Handloaders loading .25-06 Remington hunting ammunition — seats .257-inch diameter hunting projectiles into standard-length bottleneck brass using a floating sleeve to preserve concentricity across high-volume handloading runs.
• Handloaders loading .257 Roberts ammunition — installs into any standard reloading press via a 7/8"-14 thread to seat medium-length .257-inch rifle cartridges with or without an integrated roll crimp.
• Handloaders loading .257 Weatherby Magnum ammunition — accommodates magnum-length bottleneck cases within a rigid 0.60 lb tool steel seating die designed to control bullet runout on high-velocity handloads.

Less suitable for: Handloaders assembling short-body cartridges such as the .25-20 Winchester, or loading adjacent calibres like .243" (6mm) or .264" (6.5mm) projectiles; these configurations require dedicated short-cartridge specialty dies or calibre-specific bullet seating dies matched to those exact projectile diameters.