match grade dies?
- Thread starter smitty81
- Start date
BigJakeJ1s
Beginner
- Feb 9, 2006
- 37
- 0
Depending on the "regular" die, not much except price. "Match grade" is a marketing term, and not a specification.
Match grade sizing dies usually have interchangeable neck bushings that can be used with or without an expander button.
Match grade or "competition" seating dies usually have a sleeve that engages the bullet and case (neck/shoulder/body) and aligns the former to the latter prior to insertion. Some also have micrometer-style adjustments for seating depth.
Andy
Match grade sizing dies usually have interchangeable neck bushings that can be used with or without an expander button.
Match grade or "competition" seating dies usually have a sleeve that engages the bullet and case (neck/shoulder/body) and aligns the former to the latter prior to insertion. Some also have micrometer-style adjustments for seating depth.
Andy
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,556
- 4,947
I use benchrest type dies primarily for my .308 Win match rifles. I think they're very important in the quest for serious accuracy. The biggest advantages I see with "match" type dies are:
1. Straight line bullet seating. The seater dies are made so that the bullet virtually can't "wobble" during the seating process and bullet runout is greatly reduced. Even when I size brass in my standard dies, if I at least seat the bullet in my match dies, I see improved accuracy. In my mind, the seater die provides the most improvement over standard dies.
2. Bushing type neck dies are great, because you get to determine how much "bullet tension" you want. Tight, not so tight? It's all up to you, just swap the bushing to change how much the neck is sized. This works out especially good if you also neck turn to remove any inconsistencies, and/or use very consistent match-grade brass like Lapua. Also, there is no expander ball being pulled through the neck on these type of sizer dies, which seems to be a help too. The necks stay very straight and the brass doesn't get stretched during the loading process.
Those are the biggest advantages I see with "match" or benchrest type dies. They do help a fellow turn out higher quality ammo. Redding makes very good dies that can be used on any standard reloading press. I prefer the little Wilson dies that must be used on a special arbor press, different from a standard press.
A good question is how much they will help with a standard production grade hunting rifle. In my experience - here's a shocker - it depends. Might help considerably or might not help at all. Generally for a normal, good old hunting rifle, I just use good old RCBS standard dies, and they work out just fine. I've loaded safe and accurate ammo for many years on standard dies. The BR type dies seem to do best when they're part of an overall match grade system: match bullets, match primers, match brass, carefully measured powder charges, a match type chamber in a custom barrel... It all works together. Is it worthwhile? Maybe. It's worth it to me, with my match rifles. For my general purpose rifles standard dies are just fine.
Regards, Guy
1. Straight line bullet seating. The seater dies are made so that the bullet virtually can't "wobble" during the seating process and bullet runout is greatly reduced. Even when I size brass in my standard dies, if I at least seat the bullet in my match dies, I see improved accuracy. In my mind, the seater die provides the most improvement over standard dies.
2. Bushing type neck dies are great, because you get to determine how much "bullet tension" you want. Tight, not so tight? It's all up to you, just swap the bushing to change how much the neck is sized. This works out especially good if you also neck turn to remove any inconsistencies, and/or use very consistent match-grade brass like Lapua. Also, there is no expander ball being pulled through the neck on these type of sizer dies, which seems to be a help too. The necks stay very straight and the brass doesn't get stretched during the loading process.
Those are the biggest advantages I see with "match" or benchrest type dies. They do help a fellow turn out higher quality ammo. Redding makes very good dies that can be used on any standard reloading press. I prefer the little Wilson dies that must be used on a special arbor press, different from a standard press.
A good question is how much they will help with a standard production grade hunting rifle. In my experience - here's a shocker - it depends. Might help considerably or might not help at all. Generally for a normal, good old hunting rifle, I just use good old RCBS standard dies, and they work out just fine. I've loaded safe and accurate ammo for many years on standard dies. The BR type dies seem to do best when they're part of an overall match grade system: match bullets, match primers, match brass, carefully measured powder charges, a match type chamber in a custom barrel... It all works together. Is it worthwhile? Maybe. It's worth it to me, with my match rifles. For my general purpose rifles standard dies are just fine.
Regards, Guy
Charlie-NY
Handloader
- Mar 11, 2005
- 1,390
- 747
"High quality" match dies are noticeably better for all the reasons mentioned above and one other:
Quality match dies have micrometer adjustable bullet seaters and often a micrometer adjustment on the sizing die.
For those of us who like loading bullets .005" into the rifling, .008" off the rifling, or bullets that just touch the rifling, the micrometer adjustable dies are a tremendous help. They make creating these exact diminsions possible in reloaded ammo and allow you to switch settings for various bullets by merely dialing in the pre-determined settings.
I have many sets of Redding Competition dies (and a Wison & a Forester set) and have found them to be well worth the hefty price tag. If you ever find that you no longer need a set, they sell fast on the boards or Ebay.
Just my 2 cents
Quality match dies have micrometer adjustable bullet seaters and often a micrometer adjustment on the sizing die.
For those of us who like loading bullets .005" into the rifling, .008" off the rifling, or bullets that just touch the rifling, the micrometer adjustable dies are a tremendous help. They make creating these exact diminsions possible in reloaded ammo and allow you to switch settings for various bullets by merely dialing in the pre-determined settings.
I have many sets of Redding Competition dies (and a Wison & a Forester set) and have found them to be well worth the hefty price tag. If you ever find that you no longer need a set, they sell fast on the boards or Ebay.
Just my 2 cents
- Nov 4, 2004
- 24,520
- 6,971
I started out with RCBS 33 yrs ago. Ihave used some Hornady dies but am not impressed with them. I have a set of Redding dies for my 280AI which are nice (and expensive).
RCBS is fantastic with customer service so I'm goin gto stay with RCBS.
RCBS is fantastic with customer service so I'm goin gto stay with RCBS.
longwinters
Handloader
- Oct 10, 2004
- 1,476
- 1
I have one set of Hornady "match" dies for my 7-30 Waters. They work well, but no better than all my RCBS dies. I have a Sinclair concentricity gauge to check with and see no difference. If the RCBS resizing die is set up correctly (and I partially seat the bullet, then turn the cartridge 1/2 way around and then finish seating it) there should be very little run-out.
Granted, this is a sample of one Match die set. But with the 8 RCBS sets I have, none has caused any problems.
Long
Granted, this is a sample of one Match die set. But with the 8 RCBS sets I have, none has caused any problems.
Long
