Your Die Choices

[dlove]

hornady makes great pistol dies. I have a few of their rifle dies. the short action are pretty good. the long action arent so great. they seem to need more lube and more muscle. I really like redding for long shells. I've also had good luck with RCBS in short calibers.

Hornady customer service is A+. I have never had a reason to call any of the others.

I have never tried forster, but I plan to.

 

[AzDak42]

hornady makes great pistol dies. I have a few of their rifle dies. the short action are pretty good. the long action arent so great. they seem to need more lube and more muscle. I really like redding for long shells. I've also had good luck with RCBS in short calibers.

Hornady customer service is A+. I have never had a reason to call any of the others.

I have never tried forster, but I plan to.

That could explain my lack of issues. The only two calibers I reload for that are not-short action, are 35 Whelen and 7mm RM. Both of which I've only used new brass and done in very low volumes.

 

[Guest]

I'm a huge proponent of Hornady dies. I've converted everything but one rifle over to them. The reason they require a little more lube is they generally are a little tighter resize than other brands, on average. In situations where small-base dies would be necessary from other makers, the Hornady dies work fine (like with my semi-auto). The tradeoff is that if you FL size every time, you can really shorten your brass life. But Hornady recommends setting up dies to bump the shoulder unless you're sizing for a semi-auto.

 

[wvchevy3]

Redding has always been my first choice. Although i have hornady,rcbs,and some older lochmiller. I have never tried forster but i
sure ifi did i would like them. Lee

 

[nvbroncrider]

Looks like you have lots of work ahead of you!! I primarily use RCBS I think they are all pretty equal but I do like the hornady locking ring the best.

I need to retract this statement. My redding comp bushing set rock. I found another new drug dang it guess all I need is a seater for each one and a neck for each caliber then I'm good to go. So easy love being able to size without lube. Did 78 AI cases in the time it takes me to run 40 regularly including cleaning pockets and necks.

 

[big rifle man]

Started out with RCBS and was completely satisfied. Over the years I've also accumulated a number of Redding dies and find their final finish is somewhat better than RCBS and their competition shellholders are great. Both companies stand by their products 100%

 

[Horsethief]

Redding are my favorite, but I also have a lot of Hornady dies for my rifles. A great thing about the Hornady's is the (almost) free bullets you get from them if you send in the UPC from the die. It's hard to beat 100 bullets you use for $8.95.

 

[tjen]

I started with Hornady FL dies for my 35rem and 358win and they work fine.

Bought the Lee Die set for my 22-hornet because of its super thin case and use the Collect neck size die. Its works great and have sized some cases five times and there is no case lengthining as of yet.

Was given a RCBS FL die set for my 270win, only resized 60 case so far and not shot any yet.

Bought the Reddington Type S Match Neck die set for a 223rem and 221rem and they seem great as well.

I recomend for most hunting loads the Reddington FL die set with a up grade to the micrometer for the seater die and shim set to partial size the cases just maintaining your rifles Bolt to sholder measurement. You can always pick up a neck die later if you want one.

For target and varmit reloading the Type S die set to meet your needs.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I think that we have an English usage misunderstanding on partial sizing. This term causes me some angst because it can mean different things to different people. Partial resizing the way it is used on this forum can mean two completely different things. It can mean using a FL sizing die to size part of the neck and not the shoulder in order to neck size a case for reloading with a full length die or it can mean to some people, setting the neck datum back sufficiently to essentially full length resizing the case to match your chamber.

Just because you don't put the case back into the SAAMI dimensional envelope does not mean that you have not full length resized that case for your rifle's chamber. This term always confuses me because it is not precise and does not tell anyone what you have done, except partially resize the case which could mean nearly anything to nearly anybody. Plus, I would guess that with most rifles if you resize to be 0.002 inches on datum shorter than your chamebr, you have by definition, full length resized the case to within SAAMI specs with normal tolerance allowances thereof.

It would be my understanding, that if you have full length resized the case to match your cut chamber, you have full length resized the case in any specific terminology or definition of that operation! Not trying to be difficult but this terminolgy is imprecise to say the least and I never know precisely what a particular person has done when they say "partial sizing" because it could mean anything. This term does not describe fully sizing a case to fit your chamber and it causes a lot of confusion.

 

[tjen]

Completly depends on the exact size of the die and chamber. Both have tolerances. I have used a .015" shim for my 35rem and it does not push the shoulder back at all and only slightly touches the top 1/3 of the case. So the case has no head space and lasts a long time and is slightly smaller than a once shot/neck sized in some of its dia. In short it chambers and fits as tight as possible for better alinment with the bore (for a levergun).

I do not have a NK die for the 358win and have done the same with it. The shoulder is not set back and little if any of the case body is size. I can buy a NK die but this works the case as little as posible. While maintainig as much alinement with the bore as can be with out useing a NK die.

With the shims you can start with a die adjusted per directions to fully size the case. Remove the die and incert .020" worth of shims. Check to see if the case will chamber, if not remove .002" of shims untill it does. At some point you will need a FL or body die if you use a NK die only. With partial sizeing if the accuracy is fine you do not need a NK die (want one may be).

So it realy depends on what you want to do. If you do not want to neck size and want to make your brass last as long as possible by not flowing it to the neck just to be trimmed off. And you want to get the best accuracy as possible with out using a neck die than partial sizing (die out as far as possible) is the way to go.

I assumed you have read reloading manuals and understand partial resizing as they explain it in detail sorry my mistake. Horandy is a good manual to start with their vido is better still.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Tjen, I am sorry but your use and control of the English language has never convinced me that you have mastered English communication? For example, what is an: incert? Seriously, half the time, I need a Special-Needs-English dictionary to understand what you have written and you tell me that spell checking is inconvenient. Well so is trying to understand what you are saying. You tell me that you have a four year college engineering degree and I am baffled about that! It makes my head hurt just thinking about you and a BSME on the same parallel universe.

Read what I said again and please think it through for once before responding. I am not going to rewrite my thoughts in your syntax because I am incapable of commiting this grievous, pernicious slaughter of syntax and spelling within the structure of the English language. Our language has existed in its present form since the 1400's, until now!

Try again with a measured response that even shows me that somehow you know anything about tolerances or any logical engineering thought processes within our language, the King's common English format. What I said is logical, precise and describes the communication problem at hand, can you deal with those three circumstances within the bounds of reality and prepare a thoughtful response, in English? Pro or con, I don't care, just something that I can read and understand, for once!

 

[tjen]

You dog me on many forums leading to my conclusion that your simply a troll in costume. If I am wrong please deminstrait by your future actions.

Any time one leaves a intellual discution to attack another person's, education, comunication skills, etc... is simply reveling imaturity at the lest.
You have some great ideas but they,er left behind by your efforts to belittle others, is it lonely on that pedistal?

Sorry any one else has to read this Sorry.

 

[SJB358]

No worries, I am pretty sure you two can work through this whole deal, you both bring alot of info into the place. Maybe you both should buy a new rifle and call me in the morning! I know it works for me.....

 

[DrMike]

you both should buy a new rifle and call me in the morning!

Doctor Scotty! :mrgreen: Wish my family physician was as accommodating. :grin:

 

[onesonek]

I really like Redding but many of my die sets are RCBS. I also have a few Hornady dies too.

JD338

Same here.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Tjen, I only post on one forum, I do not even go to any other forums. I can not understand what your point is very often, because your syntax is too confusing. I have asked nicely for you, since you are college educated, to at least make sense and write a complete sentence?

You respond to my posts with responses that show that you either did not read my post or totally missed the point! I really don't care about bugging you, so just stop responding to my posts with your illiterations and I will never speak to you again! Is that straight forward enough?