Redding Competition dies

[Bart B.]

I tumble 50 cases in a coffee can lined with foam. A few drops of a 50-50 mix of STP engine oil treatment and Hoppe's No. 9 around the foam. A very thin film of lube all over the outsides of cases. Got this recipie from Sierra Bullets' California plant.

Case headspace has about .001" spread. No shoulder dents going through several 50-round batches. Do one batch while another tumbles.

 

[dmoran]

@Bart B.
Lubing your cases that way, what do you do about the lube that gets into the case mouths and internally?
Donovan

 

[Dusty Stevens]

@Bart B.
Lubing your cases that way, what do you do about the lube that gets into the case mouths and internally?
Donovan

just shoot em.

 

[T-shooter]

I usually give Midsouth a look as many times they are less expensive. Also check other retailers incase someone has them on sale. The price to your door is what counts.

 

[palo]

What about full length sizing dies. Should I lube the neck and shoulder when using them ?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

What about full length sizing dies. Should I lube the neck and shoulder when using them ?

No especially fl dies only lube the body lightly with imperial case lube for troublefree performance

 

[Bart B.]

@Bart B.
Lubing your cases that way, what do you do about the lube that gets into the case mouths and internally?

Rince all cases in a lacquer thinner bath then tumble them back and forth in a hand held Terry cloth bath towel. They're dry inside in a few hours. Any lube that might be left in case necks mixes with my skin oils on the bullets from handling them. I think they neutralize each other as no bad things happen shooting them.

90% of my Sierra match bullets never had the sizing lube (lanolin based) cleaned off nor polished in wood chip filled tumblers like those in green boxes sold by retailers. They were ugly, greasy and packaged 1000 per plain brown cardboard boxes hand labeled with caliber and type. Sold at rifle matches. 3 or 4 in a box might have visible flaws so one has to inspect them before loading them. They were more accurate than those retailed 100 in green boxes.

 

[Buck300]

Thanks guys, lot of good info here.

 

[manitou210]

Lots of different opinions on lots of things. Not saying any are wrong, or that mine are better. But my suggestions are:
1. Don't buy Redding bushings (steel or TiN) buy Whidden. I reduced my case neck runout by over half when I converted to Whidden bushings (based on the recommendations of others).
2. If you decide to lube the shoulder/neck region or not can depend on which lube you use. Most avoid lubing the case necks as excess can cause dents on the shoulders. I use lanolin/red heet mix and have no problems with lubing the case neck and shoulder. My sizing case head to datum is extremely consistent.
3. Don't use a bare steel bushing without lubing the case neck. I had 20 222 Rem I wanted to tighten the case necks on. Normally I use the TiN bushings, but on this size I only had steel. Redding says to use lube, but I "thought" if they started dragging I would feel it and could apply lube. Then the neck of a case came off in the bushing. I'm sure there was a flaw present or it wouldn't have happened. But not easy to drive out.
View attachment 1039653

DO WIDDEN BUSHINGS FIR IN REDDING DIES?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

DO WIDDEN BUSHINGS FIR IN REDDING DIES?

YES!!!!!!!

 

[Delfuego]

Hey guys I do not want to hijack, but.....

Has any tried or have experience with the "Redding Premium Dies" They seem like a decent setup and come in a black box. These are for a beginner reloader that will not need BR accuracy (yet).

 

[LHSmith]

Why buy a one size fits all die -Redding off the shelf die- when you can buy a Whidden die custom fit to your chamber for virtually the same price? And neck sizing went out of favor a long time ago with disco music.

 

[Delfuego]

Why buy a one size fits all die -Redding off the shelf die- when you can buy a Whidden die custom fit to your chamber for virtually the same price? And neck sizing went out of favor a long time ago with disco music.

If this is for my question above, the "Redding Premium" comes in a 2 dies set w/o the neck sizer for under $100. My Dasher Whidden Bushing Dies set was close to $250 with 3 bushings. I am looking to help a buddy get into reloading and trying to help him avoid making rookie mistakes like buying cheap dies. I think the best deal for the best dies are Forsters FL dies w/ honed neck and the Forster Micrometer seater. This combo makes very good reloads and is considerably less than Whidden or Redding Competition. Unfortunately they are out of stock in his caliber.

 

[Fred Bohl]

And neck sizing went out of favor a long time ago with disco music.

I still like classical and big band music. Never did like disco music. And I'm still neck sizing after 59 years with good results on four calibers (222, 223, 22-250 and 6BR). For my three 6BRs, over the last 15 years I've been experimenting with adding using expander mandrels after neck sizing (with some on-target improvement).

This has been an interesting thread with many interesting viewpoints. I'll add one of my own.

Back in my 6ppc days with my turned necks and tight chambers, I used nothing but L.E. Wilson dies an arbor press and loaded at the match as did all my competitors. Since then I've tried many different brands of dies including Lee Collet dies. The several different combinations I'm now using all produce very good ammo. For us old curmudgeons that still neck size I believe the secret is process and technique not the brand of dies or neck bushings.

P.S. I'm still trying for the elusive "one-hole-group" but he best I've done so far 0.082 MOA with my "out of favor" neck sizing.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If this is for my question above, the "Redding Premium" comes in a 2 dies set w/o the neck sizer for under $100. My Dasher Whidden Bushing Dies set was close to $250 with 3 bushings. I am looking to help a buddy get into reloading and trying to help him avoid making rookie mistakes like buying cheap dies. I think the best deal for the best dies are Forsters FL dies w/ honed neck and the Forster Micrometer seater. This combo makes very good reloads and is considerably less than Whidden or Redding Competition. Unfortunately they are out of stock in his caliber.

A honed neck non bushing die is a severe handicap for a new shooter. Hes locked in to one neck tension and one lot of brass forever. Whidden dies are around $200 in stock for a fl bushing die and a micrometer seater and if needed he could get his money back if he needed to sell if the price increases again

 

[Delfuego]

I'm still trying for the elusive "one-hole-group"

My groups are always "one-hole", as long as I stop shooting after the first one

 

[spife7980]

Hey guys I do not want to hijack, but.....

Has any tried or have experience with the "Redding Premium Dies" They seem like a decent setup and come in a black box. These are for a beginner reloader that will not need BR accuracy (yet).

They are alright. Its basically a standard redding set but with a carbide expander ball and a micrometer top on the seater die. They are not the competition seater with the sliding sleeve & large micrometer, they are just the add on after the fact small micrometer to the nonsleeved seater.

 

[Delfuego]

A honed neck non bushing die is a severe handicap for a new shooter. Hes locked in to one neck tension and one lot of brass forever. Whidden dies are around $200 in stock for a fl bushing die and a micrometer seater and if needed he could get his money back if he needed to sell if the price increases again

Have you ever tried to talk to a new reloader about $200+ dies? They think they are gonna get away with $40 RCBS/Hornady/Etc. He is not looking for the type of accuracy that people here achieve daily. I think the bushings are another step of complication that could confuse a new reloader. I always see new reloaders struggling and asking for advice. I actually learned that hard about which direction the bushing needs to face (writing up or down) when I got my first set. I recently went back to 6BR on a rifle and my Forster .256 honed die made reloading a pleasure.

They are alright. Its basically a standard redding set but with a carbide expander ball and a micrometer top on the seater die. They are not the competition seater with the sliding sleeve & large micrometer, they are just the add on after the fact small micrometer to the nonsleeved seater.

Thanks spife! That is just what I was looking for.

 

[Bart B.]

I'm still trying for the elusive "one-hole-group"

Save yourself a trip downrange and measure groups at the muzzle. They're all one-hole there measuring .0000 inch.

Even if you call one shot very bad.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I actually learned that hard about which direction the bushing needs to face (writing up or down) when I got my first set.

youre kidding right?