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Posted: 1/26/2015 7:15:01 PM EDT
New to reloading and I plan to test out the waters on a single stage that I recently picked up at a yard sale. I want to get good quality dies for 9mm, 300 AAC, and 7.62x39. My goal is to move up to a 550/650 once I get the basics down so I would like to start off with good quality dies to buy once/cry once. I plan to use a mixture of coated lead as well as copper bullets for all 3 calibers. What do you all reccommend?
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There's really no bad die manufacturer out there. Seating dies seem to have the most variety, from plain Jane to micrometer seating. Other than that, whatever you can find on sale.
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Quoted:
There's really no bad die manufacturer out there. Seating dies seem to have the most variety, from plain Jane to micrometer seating. Other than that, whatever you can find on sale. View Quote This has been my experience. Some may have options you prefer. For example, I'm partial to Hornady rifle dies for their floating sleeve bullet guide apparatus. Less fond of some of their included seating stems. Between basic Hornady, RCBS, and Redding I couldn't tell any difference in finished ammo, the feel while sizing varied, but not consistently across calibers. I like Lee pistol dies just fine, they do the job and they're very affordable, but they are almost too short for my LnL AP, I'm so close to not being able to get the lock ring on some I suspect that with some calibers it might not be possible. Dad said the same years ago about using them on his Dillion. Also I really like Hornady lock rings, I've been disappointed with some you can learn to work with what you have but you shouldn't have to, less of an issue if you're using bushings. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I've tried several brands, but all I own now are Forster.
Just my preference, as mentioned they will all work. Edit: I do use Redding bushing dies as well |
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I can only speak to two brands of dies so far. I've got Hornady for my pistol dies and a Lee set for 223. I prefer the Hornady's as adjustments are more precise and easier to make. They also seem to be a higher quality finish than the Lee dies. That being said, the Lee die turns out perfect ammo as well so it does do the job. I did put the Hornady lock rings on the Lee dies though.
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Here is the way dies roll out.....
Redding is the Cadillac of Dies Bar NONE! Their customer service is excellent! Their range is not equaled by any other vendor. Forster is the Buick of Dies. Robert Ruch and company at Forster are top shelf! Their line up is limited, but the dies are all priced the same. They do not offer all variations of dies in all the calibers they make. Dillon is GMC of Dies Small offerings of specialize products. Excellent quality. RCBS is the Chevorlet of Dies They have variations. Offer some forming dies, and of course have the bench mark for Customer Survive The make excellent single stage presses, but most of their progressives are less than stellar! Hornady is Ford of Dies They have some flavors with a decent price point. They offer some shop services like hydro case forming dies. But, I hold my breath with their Economy line of dies? Lyman is Chrysler... Some nice stuff but not a lot followers in the die market and presses. Lee is the Honda so to speak Serviceable dies with some questionable quirks.... All dies are universally threaded. Save for some Lyman Tru Line and Square Deal Dies from Dillon. Lyman and RCBS can be ungraded with carbide expander balls Hornady can be upgraded with Micrometer for the Seater Redding can be upgraded with both carbide Expander ball and a Micrometer Seater plug. . |
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Here is the way dies roll out..... Redding is the Cadillac of Dies Bar NONE! Their customer service is excellent! Their range is not equaled by any other vendor. Forster is the Buick of Dies. Robert Ruch and company at Forster are top shelf! Their line up is limited, but the dies are all priced the same. They do not offer all variations of dies in all the calibers they make. Dillon is GMC of Dies Small offerings of specialize products. Excellent quality. RCBS is the Chevorlet of Dies They have variations. Offer some forming dies, and of course have the bench mark for Customer Survive The make excellent single stage presses, but most of their progressives are less than stellar! Hornady is Ford of Dies They have some flavors with a decent price point. They offer some shop services like hydro case forming dies. But, I hold my breath with their Economy line of dies? Lyman is Chrysler... Some nice stuff but not a lot followers in the die market and presses. Lee is the Honda so to speak Serviceable dies with some questionable quirks.... All dies are universally threaded. Save for some Lyman Tru Line and Square Deal Dies from Dillon. Lyman and RCBS can be ungraded with carbide expander balls Hornady can be upgraded with Micrometer for the Seater Redding can be upgraded with both carbide Expander ball and a Micrometer Seater plug. . View Quote Thanks for the breakdown, what about the Lyman M expander dies? Are those specialty pieces for when loading cast boolits? I plan on using the coated cast boolits for cheap plinking rounds in all the calibers. |
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IMO;
Lee, good RCBS, better than Lee due to a real lock nut. Lyman, same as RCBS Hornady, very good. The brand I buy if they make the caliber I want dies for. Redding, Forester, best. I don't buy these as I'm happy with Hornady dies.
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Quoted:
Here is the way dies roll out..... Redding is the Cadillac of Dies Bar NONE! Their customer service is excellent! Their range is not equaled by any other vendor. Forster is the Buick of Dies. Robert Ruch and company at Forster are top shelf! Their line up is limited, but the dies are all priced the same. They do not offer all variations of dies in all the calibers they make. Dillon is GMC of Dies Small offerings of specialize products. Excellent quality. RCBS is the Chevorlet of Dies They have variations. Offer some forming dies, and of course have the bench mark for Customer Survive The make excellent single stage presses, but most of their progressives are less than stellar! Hornady is Ford of Dies They have some flavors with a decent price point. They offer some shop services like hydro case forming dies. But, I hold my breath with their Economy line of dies? Lyman is Chrysler... Some nice stuff but not a lot followers in the die market and presses. Lee is the Honda so to speak Serviceable dies with some questionable quirks.... All dies are universally threaded. Save for some Lyman Tru Line and Square Deal Dies from Dillon. Lyman and RCBS can be ungraded with carbide expander balls Hornady can be upgraded with Micrometer for the Seater Redding can be upgraded with both carbide Expander ball and a Micrometer Seater plug. View Quote AFAIK, Redding copied Forster's expired patent on their seating die, but man, the above list could be abused pretty easily. Using your analogy, Lee's are reliable and work, while Redding, Dillon and RCBS produce sub-standard things and need a bailout? ;) I like Lee dies well enough for pistol, their FCD for most calibers, with Hornady a fair step above in quality overall, but they all load decent enough ammo for pistol or plinking/bulk .223. I haven't been too impressed w/RCBS dies (much prefer Hornady and actually prefer Lee over RCBS for pistol), but the Forster seating die is a thing of beauty. You'll have to decide if Redding is worth the $ to you - I have a Type S bushing FL sizing die, and it works, but I think they're a bit overly proud on their pricing. Dryflash made a good point on the Lee lock nuts, but I replace *all* of them with Hornady lock rings, although Forster's come in second place behind Hornady - the rest - no thanks, I don't like screwing into the die threads, even if there are workarounds (like a piece of lead shot) - just get Hornady lock rings and be done with it. |
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agree with few other posters. I've only run RCBS, Hornady, Lee dies. I like Lee crimp dies and their pistol/rifle dies are "good enough". They work and work well, but may not produce the tightest tolerances in COL in my experience. Hornady dies to me are a decent step up in quality vs Lee. They simply look, feel, work nicer. COL seems a bit better vs Lee. RCBS seems somewhat equal to Hornady in quality. Functionally I seem to like Hornady more. I think Hornady and RCBS are probably similar enough to where you could find people preferring the RCBS over Hornady. You should start on straight walled pistol cases to begin reloading anyway. Less steps involved, and you will have enough to worry about just starting. IMO I'd go Hornady or Lee depending on your budget. Ideally, I'd get the hornady set for say 9mm and then the Lee factory crimp die. |
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Quoted: This has been my experience. Some may have options you prefer. For example, I'm partial to Hornady rifle dies for their floating sleeve bullet guide apparatus. Less fond of some of their included seating stems. Between basic Hornady, RCBS, and Redding I couldn't tell any difference in finished ammo, the feel while sizing varied, but not consistently across calibers. I like Lee pistol dies just fine, they do the job and they're very affordable, but they are almost too short for my LnL AP, I'm so close to not being able to get the lock ring on some I suspect that with some calibers it might not be possible. Dad said the same years ago about using them on his Dillion. Also I really like Hornady lock rings, I've been disappointed with some you can learn to work with what you have but you shouldn't have to, less of an issue if you're using bushings. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: There's really no bad die manufacturer out there. Seating dies seem to have the most variety, from plain Jane to micrometer seating. Other than that, whatever you can find on sale. This has been my experience. Some may have options you prefer. For example, I'm partial to Hornady rifle dies for their floating sleeve bullet guide apparatus. Less fond of some of their included seating stems. Between basic Hornady, RCBS, and Redding I couldn't tell any difference in finished ammo, the feel while sizing varied, but not consistently across calibers. I like Lee pistol dies just fine, they do the job and they're very affordable, but they are almost too short for my LnL AP, I'm so close to not being able to get the lock ring on some I suspect that with some calibers it might not be possible. Dad said the same years ago about using them on his Dillion. Also I really like Hornady lock rings, I've been disappointed with some you can learn to work with what you have but you shouldn't have to, less of an issue if you're using bushings. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I normally grab the Hornady dies when they are offering the 100 bullet rebate. The only downside is you have to buy the shell holder separate from the dies. |
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Majority of my die boxes are green, RCBS, with some red boxes, Hornady. I do have a couple Lyman orange pistol die sets, and a couple Redding die sets. Some calibers I have both RCBS and Hornady. I prefer Hornady's seating dies with the sliding alignment sleeve but prefer the RCBS taper and roll crimp seating die for crimping. Redding definitely has the best machined dies and are a work of art. If I were limited to only one brand dies, it would be RCBS without hesitation.
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i think lee is the best bang for the buck. i use lee, rcbs, and hornady dies and wouldnt have a problem with buying more from any of the 3 in the future. with dies it all comes down to personal preference.
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I have had three sets of Lee rifle dies.
223 Rem 300 Wby 7-08 The 223 dies would not size enough, I had chambering problems. The force needed to size was extreme. I replaced the sizing die with a Redding, problem solved. 300 Wby was perfect worked great. I had my faith renewed in Lee dies. 7-08 was shipped with 30 cal decapping pin. I sent the whole set back and replaced with Redding dies. I don't bother with them anymore. I don't want to bash Lee, but I think other brands may have better quality control. In this case I think 2 out of 3 is bad. |
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IMO, Forster and Redding are top shelf, with features and cost to match. RCBS, Hornady and Lee all make excellent basic dies that produce quality ammo. Lee is clearly the best bang for the buck, if you are strapped for moola. I've read some complaints about Lyman dies, but have no experience with them so cannot say one way or the other. - CW
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All dies works. I won't buy Lee dies because they look and feel cheap. They are cheap.
Forster is the only company that I'm aware of that will custom hone their sizing die necks for $12.00 plus round trip shipping. This allows you to own custom full-length dies that work the case necks the minimum needed for resizing. I suggest .2440" or .2445" on custom necked .223 dies. Simply measure your loaded ammo and subtract -.004" to establish your custom neck dimension. Different brass requires different measurements. Buy the same brand shell holders as your dies or you might run into tolerance stacking issues which can complicate resizing. |
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Thanks for all the info, I've been continuing my research and I believe I'll be going with a couple Hornady die sets. I ordered my first set in 22tcm because they are normally only available for a short period before selling out. It looks like the bullet rebate is alive and well so I plan to take advantage of that. Probably choose all .308 pills for the 300.
The short list of dies I need includes 9mm, .223, 300 and possibly 7.62x39. I've been reading about resizing .310 pills from the x39 to load in the 300 so it seems like a way to buy projectiles in bulk for savings between the 2 rounds. I still have some more research to do into this subject though. Other than the hornady dies should I be looking into LEE FCD dies? If so, which calibers need crimps? Also, I believe I might benefit from using the Lyman expander dies for loading up coated lead for my subsonic 9mm and 300 loads. |
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I load 300 blk and 7.62x39 with Hornady dies, I crimp both with a Lee FCD.
Also load 9mm and 223 with Hornady dies. In 9mm I have both a Hornady taper crimp die and a FCD, not seen much difference between the two of them. They both work well. I have a 223 FCD, that get used with some 223 loads (FMJBT's only) and no crimp with all other bullets. For expanding case mouths, I use the Lee expander die that will do all calibers with one die. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/140461/lee-universal-neck-expanding-die?cm_vc=ProductFinding I have no experience with the M die, as the Lee die works so well. I buy the .312 Extreme brand plated rifle bullet, use as is for 7.62x39. http://www.xtremebullets.com/7-62X39-123-FP-p/xc762x39-123fp-b0500.htm Size it down with a Lee .308 sizing die for 300 blk. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/235241/lee-bullet-lube-and-size-kit-308-diameter?cm_vc=ProductFinding I use my spray (lanolin) lube on the bullets before sizing, then clean off with alcohol after sizing. |
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I load 300 blk and 7.62x39 with Hornady dies, I crimp both with a Lee FCD. Also load 9mm and 223 with Hornady dies. In 9mm I have both a Hornady taper crimp die and a FCD, not seen much difference between the two of them. They both work well. I have a 223 FCD, that get used with some 223 loads (FMJBT's only) and no crimp with all other bullets. For expanding case mouths, I use the Lee expander die that will do all calibers with one die. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/140461/lee-universal-neck-expanding-die?cm_vc=ProductFinding I have no experience with the M die, as the Lee die works so well. I buy the .312 Extreme brand plated rifle bullet, use as is for 7.62x39. http://www.xtremebullets.com/7-62X39-123-FP-p/xc762x39-123fp-b0500.htm Size it down with a Lee .308 sizing die for 300 blk. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/235241/lee-bullet-lube-and-size-kit-308-diameter?cm_vc=ProductFinding I use my spray (lanolin) lube on the bullets before sizing, then clean off with alcohol after sizing. View Quote Thank you for the specifics, that pretty much answered what was left of my questions and I'm currently in the process of finding out which online retailer I'm going to be putting my order through as well as contemplating slipping in a 38/357 set as well. That Lee sizing die is the one that I came across and was looking at and I will give both the extreme bullets and lee expander a try as well. |
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I've had a few cases where the Dillon die functioned much more smoothly than an RCBS equivalent. But for non-precisions cartridges like pistol cartridges I wouldn't hesitate to buy cheap lee dies.
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I have all Lee but I haven't enough experience to really say one way or another.
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Quoted: Thank you for the specifics, that pretty much answered what was left of my questions and I'm currently in the process of finding out which online retailer I'm going to be putting my order through as well as contemplating slipping in a 38/357 set as well. That Lee sizing die is the one that I came across and was looking at and I will give both the extreme bullets and lee expander a try as well. View Quote |
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I noticed a slight benefit to the Dillon pistol dies when I switched to a Dillon press, but rifle dies didn't seem to be affected. No matter how I adjusted the press, I was hitting the rim of the brass on the sizing die 50% of the time with every caliber pistol. Switching to Dillon dies set by set fixed it entirely. I never had this problem with the Hornady LnL.
All of my other dies are Hornady. |
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I want to get good quality dies for 9mm, 300 AAC, and 7.62x39. View Quote It doesn't look like your reloading for precision. I would think customer service/warranty with these calibers if something needed replaced. |
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I definitely like the M-die for cast bullets. It keeps the case neck from resizing the bullets.
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New to reloading and I plan to test out the waters on a single stage that I recently picked up at a yard sale. I want to get good quality dies for 9mm, 300 AAC, and 7.62x39. My goal is to move up to a 550/650 once I get the basics down so I would like to start off with good quality dies to buy once/cry once. I plan to use a mixture of coated lead as well as copper bullets for all 3 calibers. What do you all reccommend? View Quote |
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For general purpose reloading any of the major manufacturers' dies work fine. I have tried just about all of them, have a hodge podge of different colored boxes and have no clear preference. None have failed, been defective or otherwise given me reason to complain. They all work fine. Keep them clean and boxed when not in use.
If you see a die in the cartridge you need and the brand is the only one, if it is a major company's product, don't let that hold you back. Lee dies are usually not my first choice, because they do "seem" cheaply appearing, but they work fine. I do recommend Lee's separate crimp die for .223 for cannalure bullets. It is superb. I use it with RCBS dies for reloading such bullets. Carbide pistol dies are worth the extra. Any brand. Otherwise, don't waste your money on carbide on rifle cases. If precision reloading for competition in a rifle capable of sub MOA, Redding or Foster micrometer seating dies are worth the extra cost, otherwise, normal screw and lockring type seating dies work just fine. Thats what comes in the normal two die rifle set. Small base dies for .223 are not needed for AR15 rifles. Single stage press to begin with. Get a strong one. C or O style is fine for general reloading. The one you picked up is fine if it does not flex. A solid mount to a bench or strong table top will make life a lot easier. The downstroke on the arm can produce very high amount of leverage and pressure in some operstions. A good measure/powder dispenser and balance beam scale are essential. I do like RCBS for the measure. RCBS or Lyman scales have served me well. I have both. Magnetic dampening speeds up use when you need them. Good case lube, properly applied, is essential. It is also controversial, but some form of soft wax like Imperial, or the liquid drops on a roller pad have served me well. I mostly use a pad with a few drops of the RCBS liquid. Spray lubes can get you in trouble. Get a stuck case remover kit. Sooner or later you will under lube a case and need it. When that happens (not if, but when), even if if you get by for years, it will shut you down without that case remover kit. You need a bullet puller. I like that collet style that screws into your press like a die. Others may recommend the inertia type. Both work. I do not use hand primer tools except for precision loads. You need all the little tools to debur, chamfer and to trim cases, and decent calipers and/or micrometers. That's another subject. Get several different reloading manuals from bullet manufacturers and read everything in them about how to reload safely and accurately. Pay special attention to advice on presdure digjs or other safety isdues. When selecting powder and bullet combinations look for consensus across several sources. Hodgdon's website has a lot of useful data on IMR and Hodgdon powders and many bullets. Go slow, work up from starting loads. Do not trust someone's Internet recipe that is at variance with the manuals. Its a hobby. Have fun. |
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