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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Reccomendations for .223 dies (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/1/2011 8:17:24 AM EDT
| I'm new to reloading and need a set of dies. Any thoughts? |
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I love my Hornady 223 reloading set. Add a micrometer adjuster onto the seating die, and I have a cheap competition grade seating die that consistently seats to +/- 0.005 OGL using uniform length cases.
The FL resizing die has never given me any issues with headspacing or neck sizing, and provides good neck tension for bullet seating without the need for a crimp. I still do crimp using a Lee Factory Crimp Die on my blasting ammo though. |
| Many people are going to say that "dies are dies" and it doesn't really matter. And to an extent, they are right. All manufacturers dies will do a decent job of resizing, decapping and seating a bullet. So I guess it depends on what you are looking for. If you want best bang for the buck (no pun intended) Lee is probably the way to go. If you want to spend a couple of more dollars for dies backed up by a company that will fix whatever is wrong with your dies, forever, for free, I would go with RCBS. If you want to spend more than that and you truely appreciate incredible "fit and finish", Redding dies may be the way to go. And if you like to blow money for blowing money sake, buy a set of Dillon Dies. (disclaimer- Actually I love Dillon stuff. The quality is awesome and their products have as good a warranty as RCBS. I just think their dies are a bit overpriced but that is JMHO) Hope this helps... |
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Might add that Hornady also has a lifetime warranty on their dies.
I also have a LEE pace-setter 3 die set for 223. They work great as well. I just prefer my Hornady set because of the micrometer adjuster (sold seperately) that allows me to really accurately change seating depth. I use a LEE universal decapping die for depriming work. |
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I have a set of Lee for 223 and have had some issues with the resizing die.
I also have a set of RCBS and have had no problems with resizing. I have not used the RCBS seating die as of yet. The Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD) is wonderful. I don;t have any hornady dies so I can't comment on them. If you are just loading for pleasure and not competition go with the Lee or RCBS for the money. |
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I have Hornady New Dimension dies but don't like them at all. I have Lee dies but don't like those, either. I have RCBS dies and they are decent but not my favorite. I would recommend you get either the Redding dies or the Dillon dies. Can you specify why you don't like the Hornady/lee/RCBS dies? |
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IMHO.............
A die set made by any of the most popular companies have an advantage for the ave. reloader. That is........... Availability of parts (replacements and up grades). Then yes, there are small differences in their construction too.............see here............ Dies....what's the differences (close up pics)............. RCBS......... http://www.gswagner.com/bigreloading/dies/dies.html Some of the Other Brands http://www.gswagner.com/bigreloading/dies/dies2.html Then think about it......... "What if I break/bend a de-cap pin and I need ammo for a match tomorrow?" So.......does you local sporting goods store carry a supply. If it was an RCBS die set........there is probably a good chance. If it's a LEE die set............well, say it this way............I don't see many stores that carry LEE PARTS. But, they aren't SUPPOSE to break/bend.........RIGHT? And, KNOW THAT.............there are large and small pin diameters. Then headded and straight pins. Aloha, Mark PS..........ME, I own several brands of dies. RCBS, Redding, LEE, and I think I still own a Hornady set. I didn't need to have a certain color of box to co-ordinate my bench............LOL. |
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I have Hornady New Dimension dies but don't like them at all. I have Lee dies but don't like those, either. I have RCBS dies and they are decent but not my favorite. I would recommend you get either the Redding dies or the Dillon dies. Can you specify why you don't like the Hornady/lee/RCBS dies? I am curious also. |
Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken  Quoted: http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Dies/P5100188.jpg Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. |
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IMHO the Redding .223 Dies with the Carbide Sizing Button Kit and if you want a seperate bullet crimp die, you can add the Redding .223 Taper Crimp Die is the best set of dies for .223.
There are going to be people that try and say you don't need the carbide sizing button, but those that have it will tell you that it's definitly worth having. The deal is that you will get more consistant shoulder bump back with a carbide sizing button, due to the fact that the carbide is far less 'grabby' then the standard sizing button and thus allows it to slide in and out of the case neck with out pulling the case neck/shoulder out of wack on extraction which is soo common with standard non-carbon dies. You will still need to lube your cases and inside case neck, for which I suggest spray lube as it's by far the easiest way to lube the cases and pretty much the most consistant way to lube your cases. The carbide sizer button also allows for a case from time to time that doesn't quite have enough lube on the inside of the case neck to not yank the case neck/shoulder out of spec. I started with Lee die's, which are just plain junk. There are those here that will say "I've been using Lee die's for 30 years.. blah blah", But I have no doubt that 30 years ago Lee's die's were made better then they are today. The Lee pistol die's are good, but pistol die's are simple. Lee's Rifle dies are crap. Now more experienced and wiser, I wont use anything but Redding die's with carbide sizing button kit's for rifle rounds. There are several of us on the forum here that have this setup and wouldn't trade it for anything. As is said often here... Buy once, Cry once. Though Redding's standard dies arn't really much more then all the other "run of the mill" die's. -Masta |
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Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken
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Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. Just got a micro adjust, used it for the first time last Sunday. I like it. The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. |
I've always noticed the chicken, just figured it was high time somebody ribbed you about it. Quoted: Quoted: Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken Quoted: http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Dies/P5100188.jpg Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. Just got a micro adjust, used it for the first time last Sunday. I like it. The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. |
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The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. I'm pretty sure that I would need a scope to even think about seeing that chicken at 15 yeards! -Masta |
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Is it possible to get a carbide expander for the hornady FL resizing die? I see they have a carbide setup, but its advertised for RCBS dies?? AFAIK there is no carbide expander available for the Hornady FL resizing die. While it is weird that Hornady makes a carbide sizer for the RCBS FL sizing die. It's quite a bit more expensive to buy the RCBS die's and the Hornady carbide expander then it is to buy the Redding Die's and carbide expander. Results are probably the same, so unless one already has the RCBS dies, I can't see any reason to go that route. -Masta |
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I've always noticed the chicken, just figured it was high time somebody ribbed you about it.
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Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken
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http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Dies/P5100188.jpg Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. Just got a micro adjust, used it for the first time last Sunday. I like it. The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. 
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I've always noticed the chicken, just figured it was high time somebody ribbed you about it.
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Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken
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http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Dies/P5100188.jpg Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. Just got a micro adjust, used it for the first time last Sunday. I like it. The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. Not fair I always notice the chick even when he's hiding in pic's on your bench.
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Do yourself a favor and steer clear of expander balls –– they're the primary reason for case growth. You can reduce it by getting carbine expander balls and/or lubing the case necks, but it still happens.
Get a bushing sizing die set and never look back, they're amazing. Brass lasts way longer and you trim hardly at all. RCBS gold match is a set of dies with bushing sizer die, but i'm sure there are others. |
| I have used Lee with mixed results.......expander or lube could have been the issue with inconsistency. I have used RCBS... I thought the decapping pins where weak. I have not used hornady for rifle, but I have for pistol and messed up a decapping pin, called them and they shipped me one for free. It was pure operator error. I can say their customer service was excellent and I like their pistol dies I own. On single stage I currently use redding body, type s neck bushing die with carbide expander, and competition seater. I love the redding rifle dies. Oh, I almost forgot, I love my Lee universal decapping die. That die does wonderful for punching out those hard to remove crimped primers, and lets you know when you missed a berdan primed case without breaking...so far. |
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Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken
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http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Dies/P5100188.jpg Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. Just got a micro adjust, used it for the first time last Sunday. I like it. The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. First time I noticed the chick, was going to call you on it but it looks like I got beat. Back when I was 11 or 12 I would have had no problem hitting that thing at 15 yards open sights off-hand with my 10 pump Daisy air rifle. There were days I would go through several tubes of .177 BB's. I remember getting called out several times and stepping up to the challenge. Hitting a quarter off hand first shot at about 25 yards, hitting a road sign off hand first shot at over 100 yrds. I can't count the poor squirrels, rabbits, birds chipmunks, pigeons and rats that thing took out. I was a force to be reckoned with, roaming the neighborhood barns, gardens and woods. Those were the days... |
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I've always noticed the chicken, just figured it was high time somebody ribbed you about it.
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Same setup, but I use Hornady's Microjust on the seater and no chicken
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http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Dies/P5100188.jpg Hornady dies here. I added a FCD for the loads I crimp. Just got a micro adjust, used it for the first time last Sunday. I like it. The chicken appears in many of my pics. You are the first to notice. 10 Internet points for you. It's a airgun sized silhouette, shot at 15 yds offhand. A challenging target. The "sweet spot" on the silhouette is about the size of a nickle. Not fair I always notice the chick even when he's hiding in pic's on your bench. He's got friends. pig, turkey, and a ram. Maybe they will hang out too. 
The chicken's normal spot is behind the powder measure. |
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well I'm going to go a little OT here and throw my thoughts out there..... why does no one sell ( as far as I know) a set of 5.56 dies. being as almost all ar's are chambered in 5.56 why load with commercial .223 dies? I know it works but who wants something that only works and isn't truly correct.  |
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RCBS with Redding Competition Seating and Redding taper crimp dies add. I've used this setup for more years than I care to count and wether used in a single stage press or my Dillon 550B, I have turned out thousands of good .223 loads with them. ^^This. If you really wanna go all out, get a Redding body die and their Competition Bushing Neck Sizer. That will let you get a full body size while still controlling your neck tension. This will not only limit the stress on the brass, it cuts down significantly on case runout. I have loaded thousand upon thousand of rounds for my varmint rigs (.223, .22-250 and 6mm Rem) and they all see Redding competition seater dies along with the bushing neck sizer dies. RCBS also makes an excellent dies, even if you just want a straight full length/seater die set. I bought a set of Hornady New Dimension dies for my .375 H&H and I can't say that I'm pleased with them. The spindle that holds that innards in place flatout doesn't have enough bite to keep it in there and I find myself having to reassemble the die multiple times during a loading session. I have used a crescent wrench to cinch it down and heard that they sell their own, special wrench to tighten down the spindle beyond hand strength, but should that really be necessary when other manufacturers designs don't require so much effort? I wanted to try something different and went with the Hornady dies, and while I love their bullets (their V-Max bullets are used in every one my varmint rifles), this is the last set of these New Dimension dies I'm buying. Redding or RCBS and I'm never straying again. |
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RCBS with Redding Competition Seating and Redding taper crimp dies add. I've used this setup for more years than I care to count and wether used in a single stage press or my Dillon 550B, I have turned out thousands of good .223 loads with them. ^^This. If you really wanna go all out, get a Redding body die and their Competition Bushing Neck Sizer. That will let you get a full body size while still controlling your neck tension. This will not only limit the stress on the brass, it cuts down significantly on case runout. I have loaded thousand upon thousand of rounds for my varmint rigs (.223, .22-250 and 6mm Rem) and they all see Redding competition seater dies along with the bushing neck sizer dies. RCBS also makes an excellent dies, even if you just want a straight full length/seater die set. I bought a set of Hornady New Dimension dies for my .375 H&H and I can't say that I'm pleased with them. The spindle that holds that innards in place flatout doesn't have enough bite to keep it in there and I find myself having to reassemble the die multiple times during a loading session. I have used a crescent wrench to cinch it down and heard that they sell their own, special wrench to tighten down the spindle beyond hand strength, but should that really be necessary when other manufacturers designs don't require so much effort? I wanted to try something different and went with the Hornady dies, and while I love their bullets (their V-Max bullets are used in every one my varmint rifles), this is the last set of these New Dimension dies I'm buying. Redding or RCBS and I'm never straying again. Yeah, I think you are talking about the Collete Nut that holds the decapping rod in place. We learned early on there couldn't be any oil on the nut or die when installed. Cleaning both with a good degreaser like disk brake cleaner spray works well. The early new dimension dies came with the tool but a typical adjustable wrench works much better. |
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For those of you that are suggesting neck sizing & body dies, What are your previsions to fix dented/bent case necks?
The majority of people reloading for AR's are buying military surplus brass by the thousands and they typically come in pretty roungh. While the neck sizee/body die would probably work fine after you've processed the brass atleast once and fixed all the dented/bent case necks, it would be completely unrealistic to 'fix' all the case neck's by hand when you are talking about thousands of cases. Becides, as I've mentioned, If you have a carbide sizing button and use spray lube and your dies are setup properly, you can FL size with out affecting the headspace/shoulder. I really don't understand why soo many people "buck the system" as they say and put up an absolute fight to not buy a set of Redding dies and the carbide sizing button. It's pretty much universally agreed that Redding makes some of the best die's one can own, yet people will buy 2-3 sets of other dies and fight headpsace problems instead of just buying the damn redding dies with carbide button and being done with it! Then again, most people probably have headspace problems that they don't even know they have because they don't have the headspace gauge tool to check it and find out that they have headspace problems. It's also been told to me from others that they think Redding's dies are all super expensive, this is not the case! Redding's competition die's are expensive, as are almost every other brand's competition die's, but their standard die's are within a few $ of Hornady's and RCBS's dies and as mentioned earlier it's cheaper to buy Redding die's and carbide sizing button, then it is to buy RCBS's dies and Hornady's carbide sizing button. -Masta |
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well I'm going to go a little OT here and throw my thoughts out there..... why does no one sell ( as far as I know) a set of 5.56 dies. being as almost all ar's are chambered in 5.56 why load with commercial .223 dies? I know it works but who wants something that only works and isn't truly correct. 223 dies are the correct dies for reloading 223 and 5.56 cases. Read the FAQ's for more info. |
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Yeah, I think you are talking about the Collete Nut that holds the decapping rod in place. We learned early on there couldn't be any oil on the nut or die when installed. Cleaning both with a good degreaser like disk brake cleaner spray works well. The early new dimension dies came with the tool but a typical adjustable wrench works much better. I thought I cleaned the dies up pretty well when I bought them, but I do have some brake cleaner laying around. I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the tip. Quoted:
For those of you that are suggesting neck sizing & body dies, What are your previsions to fix dented/bent case necks?... ...While the neck sizee/body die would probably work fine after you've processed the brass atleast once and fixed all the dented/bent case necks, it would be completely unrealistic to 'fix' all the case neck's by hand when you are talking about thousands of cases... ...I really don't understand why soo many people "buck the system" as they say and put up an absolute fight to not buy a set of Redding dies and the carbide sizing button. It's pretty much universally agreed that Redding makes some of the best die's one can own, yet people will buy 2-3 sets of other dies and fight headpsace problems instead of just buying the damn redding dies with carbide button and being done with it!... ...It's also been told to me from others that they think Redding's dies are all super expensive, this is not the case! Redding's competition die's are expensive, as are almost every other brand's competition die's, but their standard die's are within a few $ of Hornady's and RCBS's dies and as mentioned earlier it's cheaper to buy Redding die's and carbide sizing button, then it is to buy RCBS's dies and Hornady's carbide sizing button. -Masta When it comes to bent case necks, I find that the bushings neck sizers do a pretty good job of bringing them back to round, even without an expander ball. Many of my AR-ejected pieces do get bent around the neck, either during ejection or from getting stepped on. Now, I know you're talking about milsurp brass, some of which can be in brutal shape. If that's the case - I agree - just go straight to a full length sizer with and expander ball, at least for the first loading. Life is too short to fart around trying to tweak each piece of brass by hand if the necks are severely lout of round. As for straying from Redding, I learned my lesson. In my case, I wasn't trying to save a buck, but just wanted to try something different to see if there was any benefit to other brands. We're on the same page regarding Redding's pricing, too. They aren't terribly expensive compared to the others and are exceptionally easy to use. I think a lot of people insist on going cheaper because they obsess over shelf-pricing or think "how much different is this slightly cheaper die?" When they realize that they end up buying the better products after getting fed up with the inferior ones, it saves money and headaches to just go with the good stuff from the start. |
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Do yourself a favor and steer clear of expander balls –– they're the primary reason for case growth. You can reduce it by getting carbine expander balls and/or lubing the case necks, but it still happens. Get a bushing sizing die set and never look back, they're amazing. Brass lasts way longer and you trim hardly at all. RCBS gold match is a set of dies with bushing sizer die, but i'm sure there are others. The problem with using bushing size dies is that brass is very inconsistent. Bushing dies work GREAT if case necks are +- a few thousandths, except they are not. Case neck thickness varies greatly, even from one side of the case to the other. Measure them and weep. 
A variation of 0.005" is not uncommon. (you'll need a tubing micrometer to measure accurately) For normal reloading with cases that are not neck-turned I recommend a carbide neck expander. A neck expander will ensure the inside neck diameter of the sized case is consistent. Bushing dies cannot do this, and case neck tension will vary greatly. Accuracy suffers. |
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The problem with using bushing size dies is that brass is very inconsistent.
Bushing dies work GREAT if case necks are +- a few thousandths, except they are not. Case neck thickness varies greatly, even from one side of the case to the other. Measure them and weep. A variation of 0.005" is not uncommon. (you'll need a tubing micrometer to measure accurately) For normal reloading with cases that are not neck-turned I recommend a carbide neck expander. A neck expander will ensure the inside neck diameter of the sized case is consistent. Bushing dies cannot do this, and case neck tension will vary greatly. Accuracy suffers. I have not found this to be the case what-so-ever. I seriously have no idea how that could happen to someone. Did you make that stuff up? Just wondering because it's so unreal. For those of you that are suggesting neck sizing & body dies, What are your previsions to fix dented/bent case necks?
The neck bushings are tapered, takes the dents/bends right out just like an expander ball. I really don't understand why soo many people "buck the system" as they say and put up an absolute fight to not buy a set of Redding dies and the carbide sizing button. It's pretty much universally agreed that Redding makes some of the best die's one can own, yet people will buy 2-3 sets of other dies and fight headpsace problems instead of just buying the damn redding dies with carbide button and being done with it!
Wow dude, calm down! Sounds like you're a die-hard Redding fan trying to impose your opinions on everyone! If you seriously think that everyone, or most people without Redding dies have headspace problems and buy 2-3 die sets, you are extremely dilusional. Many of us have shot 10s of thousands of reloads without your beloved Redding dies and they work AND headspace just fine. |
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Oh yes, completely made up. I have not found this to be the case what-so-ever. I seriously have no idea how that could happen to someone. Did you make that stuff up? Just wondering because it's so unreal. .... 
On a more serious note - Have you actually MEASURED your cases? Do you realize how crappy huge the tolerances are in brass? Do you measure the runout of your loaded rounds? Do you even have the tools to measure any of this? Bushing dies have been around for decades. They were originally used ONLY with hand-prepped, neck-turned cases. Neck thickness tolerances for these turned cases are under a couple ten-thousandths of an inch, and usually within 0.0001". The factory brass I have measures has a neck-wall tolerance of +-0.008" for the same stinkin' case! Most were in the 0.003"-0.005" range. This is about 40-times the variance, or 4,000% greater, than the neck-turned cases. 
Lapua factory 220 Russian cases showed a tolerance usually under 0.002". These are the only cases I would consider using with bushing dies without neck-turning the cases. Since bushing dies set the outside diameter ONLY, all of the neck-wall variance is on the inside. A seated bullet with a runout caused by that much variance in neck-wall thickness will not shoot terribly well. Stack that runout on top of any induced by the seating process and things really don't look all that good. For a 1+ MOA gun, it won't matter too much. If you are expecting consistent sub 1 MOA accuracy with few (or no) flyers, then bushing dies with standard factory brass is not your best answer. You may see pretty good accuracy, though that flyer kind of ruins things. I know guys who will cut the flyer out of the group and carry the rest of the group in their wallet for braggin' rights. 
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Oh yes, completely made up. I have not found this to be the case what-so-ever. I seriously have no idea how that could happen to someone. Did you make that stuff up? Just wondering because it's so unreal. ....
On a more serious note - Have you actually MEASURED your cases?(yes) Do you realize how crappy huge the tolerances are in brass?(yes) Do you measure the runout of your loaded rounds? (yes) Do you even have the tools to measure any of this? yes, Sinclair run-out gauge & Redding neck wall thickness gauge Bushing dies have been around for decades. They were originally used ONLY with hand-prepped, neck-turned cases. Neck thickness tolerances for these turned cases are under a couple ten-thousandths of an inch, and usually within 0.0001". The factory brass I have measures has a neck-wall tolerance of +-0.008" for the same stinkin' case! Most were in the 0.003"-0.005" range. This is about 40-times the variance, or 4,000% greater, than the neck-turned cases.
Lapua factory 220 Russian cases showed a tolerance usually under 0.002". These are the only cases I would consider using with bushing dies without neck-turning the cases. Since bushing dies set the outside diameter ONLY, all of the neck-wall variance is on the inside.(not true) A seated bullet with a runout caused by that much variance in neck-wall thickness will not shoot terribly well. Stack that runout on top of any induced by the seating process and things really don't look all that good. For a 1+ MOA gun, it won't matter too much. If you are expecting consistent sub 1 MOA accuracy with few (or no) flyers, then bushing dies with standard factory brass is not your best answer. You may see pretty good accuracy, though that flyer kind of ruins things. I know guys who will cut the flyer out of the group and carry the rest of the group in their wallet for braggin' rights. Yes I have all the gauges to measure run-out, wall thickness, & head space and most brass does have .003-.005" variation is neck wall thickness but that's why the bushing dies that are best for an AR are the Redding Type "S" FL bushing dies that have a expander ball(carbide) so your sized neck ID is the same on every case and run-out is .001" or less as long as the necks are not bent(worst I have ever seen is .005" run-out) since a floating bushing will not straighten a bent neck but most people don't have a run-out gauge to see this and think as long as it's round again it's straight but that's not the case since the neck bushing just floats to the side the neck is bent to instead of straighten it up. trust me your not the only person that understands how to properly size a case to minimize run-out and reduce flyers and from your lack of knowledge on how to select the PROPER bushing die might just warrant some more home work on your part. |
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On a more serious note -
Have you actually MEASURED your cases? Do you realize how crappy huge the tolerances are in brass? Do you measure the runout of your loaded rounds? Do you even have the tools to measure any of this? Yep sure have, everything works fine. I've shot many thousands of rounds, sometimes I even load match quality for long range shooting for my friends and I, on the exact same bushing dies! I am sorry you're having so much trouble with your bushing dies, seems like you need to do some more reading on bushing dies so you can set them up properly. They're very easy to use. I wish you the best of luck on your journey to improve your reloading abilities. trust me your not the only person that understands how to properly size a case to minimize run-out and reduce flyers and from your lack of knowledge on how to select the PROPER bushing die might just warrant some more home work on your part.
Looks like you need to read my posts closer. I said bushing dies work great, I don't have a problem with runout and variance. I suggeset you do the same as the other guy, and improve your reloading skills. |
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Quoted: Do yourself a favor and steer clear of expander balls –– they're the primary reason for case growth. You can reduce it by getting carbine expander balls and/or lubing the case necks, but it still happens. Get a bushing sizing die set and never look back, they're amazing. Brass lasts way longer and you trim hardly at all. RCBS gold match is a set of dies with bushing sizer die, but i'm sure there are others. This is true, but it should be noted that for best results, neck turning is a very good idea when using bushing dies. Expanders have their place, as much as I dislike them, when using brass that has radically unequal neck thicknesses. |
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Wow dude, calm down! Sounds like you're a die-hard Redding fan trying to impose your opinions on everyone! If you seriously think that everyone, or most people without Redding dies have headspace problems and buy 2-3 die sets, you are extremely dilusional. Many of us have shot 10s of thousands of reloads without your beloved Redding dies and they work AND headspace just fine. Umm, I think most that have read your posts here will agree that it is you whom is delusional not I. As my memory recalls, you believe you can accurately measure proper headspacing with a drop in case gauge! Fact is, unless one is measuring headspace with a gauge like the Hornady headspage gauge hooked to a caliper, then they have no real idea how consistent or how much the headspace is in/out of spec. A drop in case gauge tells you only that a case will chamber and that it loosly fits into a wide tolerance. As for the rest of your comments, Im not even going to justify them with a reply. -Masta |
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Quoted: For those of you that are suggesting neck sizing & body dies, What are your previsions to fix dented/bent case necks? The majority of people reloading for AR's are buying military surplus brass by the thousands and they typically come in pretty roungh. While the neck sizee/body die would probably work fine after you've processed the brass atleast once and fixed all the dented/bent case necks, it would be completely unrealistic to 'fix' all the case neck's by hand when you are talking about thousands of cases. Becides, as I've mentioned, If you have a carbide sizing button and use spray lube and your dies are setup properly, you can FL size with out affecting the headspace/shoulder. I really don't understand why soo many people "buck the system" as they say and put up an absolute fight to not buy a set of Redding dies and the carbide sizing button. It's pretty much universally agreed that Redding makes some of the best die's one can own, yet people will buy 2-3 sets of other dies and fight headpsace problems instead of just buying the damn redding dies with carbide button and being done with it! Then again, most people probably have headspace problems that they don't even know they have because they don't have the headspace gauge tool to check it and find out that they have headspace problems. It's also been told to me from others that they think Redding's dies are all super expensive, this is not the case! Redding's competition die's are expensive, as are almost every other brand's competition die's, but their standard die's are within a few $ of Hornady's and RCBS's dies and as mentioned earlier it's cheaper to buy Redding die's and carbide sizing button, then it is to buy RCBS's dies and Hornady's carbide sizing button. -Masta My only experience with redding dies has not been positive. They were bought used, but looked like new inside. I've had more stuck cases with that sizer than all my other dies combined, even after switching to imperial. I replaced it with an rcbs, and haven't had a bit of trouble since. If it isn't sized too much and chambers in the rifle, there isn't a headspace problem. |
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My only experience with redding dies has not been positive. They were bought used, but looked like new inside. I've had more stuck cases with that sizer than all my other dies combined, even after switching to imperial. I replaced it with an rcbs, and haven't had a bit of trouble since.
If it isn't sized too much and chambers in the rifle, there isn't a headspace problem. Same here. Masta Marksmen is the local joke around here, he preaches the Redding dies constantly, a few threads within the past few days even! He also thinks you can only measure headspace with a hornady gauge attached to a caliper, LOL Just roll your eyes at his posts and move on. |
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Quoted:
My only experience with redding dies has not been positive. They were bought used, but looked like new inside. I've had more stuck cases with that sizer than all my other dies combined, even after switching to imperial. I replaced it with an rcbs, and haven't had a bit of trouble since. If it isn't sized too much and chambers in the rifle, there isn't a headspace problem. Did you try contacting Redding with the issue? Redding would have likely replaced the die no questions asked. That said, I've NEVER had a stuck case with ANY brand die's. I've used RCBS Lube Pad, RCBS Spray Lube, Dillon Spray Lube. While I guess it's possible there could have been something wrong with the die (NO company is perfect), I would bet money the problem was the cases not being lubed properly.. I had a problem with the RCBS 22cal universal decapping die, they machined the decapping rod too large to fit down inside a .223 case neck!! It wasn't just the one I bought either. There were 5 more on the shelf at Cabela's with the same issue, RCBS knew about the issue and sent me a replacement decapping rod, now all is good. So I guess I should never buy an RCBS product again either? NOTHING is perfect, you should know that with a screen name like "machinist".. Quoted:
Same here. Masta Marksmen is the local joke around here, he preaches the Redding dies constantly, a few threads within the past few days even! He also thinks you can only measure headspace with a hornady gauge attached to a caliper, LOL Just roll your eyes at his posts and move on. Local joke? I'll let the mod's handle that one.. I've been reloading long enough to have learned from my own mistakes as well as mistakes/misinformation that others have given me. I try to give suggestions to others of paths/products I've been down and learned the hard way and/or expensive way.. Don't like what I have to say? Feel free to never respond to another post of mine again. I have yet to EVER have anyone write/post/email me and tell me that some advice i've given them (that they took/used/bought) was bad or that they wished they didn't listen to me. On the other hand, I've gotten thousands that have thanked me for the advice i've given and/or products I've suggested. I am an active member of atleast a dozen different forums ranging from boats, jetski's, firearms, atv's, archery, R/C, etc I've got many thousands of posts in across the internet and never once had someone whom took my advice come back and tell me I lead them wrong. Not to say i'm perfect, far from it. But I do my best to lead others down the right paths and learn from my mistakes and others so they don't have to learn the hard way or waste money. You however mr morrow have come here acting as if you know more then EVERYONE else and that your input is the end all. Yet most of what you have posted has been completely wrong/misinformed. So I ask, if you know everything and me, the mods and everyone else is wrong about everything, why are you here on a help forum when you don't do anything to help anyone? You just come here to argue and insult everyone? -Masta |
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You however mr morrow have come here acting as if you know more then EVERYONE else and that your input is the end all. Yet most of what you have posted has been completely wrong/misinformed. So I ask, if you know everything and me, the mods and everyone else is wrong about everything, why are you here on a help forum when you don't do anything to help anyone? You just come here to argue and insult everyone?
What a WILD and UNTRUE set of statements! I've insulted EVERYONE? I know more than EVERYONE? HOLY COW DUDE! YOU MUST BE SUPER ENRAGED! Talk about making shit up! Man you sure are butthurt knowing that there's vocal people against your beloved Redding dies. You sir are the most diehard fanboy of Redding i've ever seen. I should e-mail them this thread, maybe if you send your pic in Redding will make you their posterchild! |
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morrow what is with you? all your replies are "CALM DOWN, your ENRAGED" etc..
You have issues man. I'm am definitly calm and have shown no rage. If you don't agree, that's fine. But your posts are rude, unhelpfull and in general are just attacking me. It's almost like you follow me around just to post arguments with me. Call me a fanboy if it makes you feel better about yourself. Unlike most I don't have ANY brand which I buy all products of. I feel there is NO 1 company that makes EVERYTHING great. I feel most companies have atleast 1 good product to offer. For .223 I do happen to believe the Redding die's are the best, along with many other people here and other boards. If that's a fanboy then I guess I am one. Personally I think you just come here to post nonsense and try to drive up your post count. -Masta |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Reccomendations for .223 dies (Page 1 of 2)
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