Redding dies?

[TrxR]

Redding full length bushing die or competition bushing neck die and body die combo for competition AR .223 reloading? Which would you suggest? Im thinking full length bushing due as this is an AR not a bolt gun. It is a custom match grade barrel. (IBI barrel).

Thanks

 

[snert]

607-753-3331

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I use the rcbs ar series dies with the small base built in. It could very well be the only rcbs product i use and they work very well for match chambers such as a cle and wylde

 

[243winxb]

Redding full length bushing die type S is the better of the 2.

Neck tension from Sierra http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reloadbasics/gasgunreload.cfm

When sizing fired brass down more the .008" there may be problems. Read Reddings tech line and tips.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

For the cost of the Redding comp dies, you might as well buy Whidden dies. Whidden dies are much better.

 

[Shrek]

I’ll second the Whiddon dies.

 

[Barlow]

I prefer Forster dies, but to each his own. Barlow

 

[TrxR]

I prefer Forster dies, but to each his own. Barlow

Which Forster dies do you prefer for this application?

 

[Bart B.]

Sierra uses Redding full bushing dies on all fired cases testing their HPMK bullets. The best quality ones shoot 1/4th MOA 10-shot groups test after test after test at 200 yards.

Sierra's article linked earlier doesn't mention the fact that 30 caliber military semiautomatic match rifles never shot reloaded cases from them as accurate as new cases. Military teams testing 7.62 M1 and M14 match rifles with resized fired cases from them string shots on paper from 7 to 1 o'clock because their bolt faces were never squared up. Fired cases from them had out of square case heads that don't square up when resized. They string shots at right angles to in-battery locking lugs at 10 and 4 o'clock.

Three cheers for AR rifles having better squared up bolt faces.

 

[LVLAaron]

I use a forster sizing die, and a K&M -.002 mandrel for neck sizing.

 

[riflewoman]

Sierra uses Redding full bushing dies on all fired cases testing their HPMK bullets. The best quality ones shoot 1/4th MOA 10-shot groups test after test after test at 200 yards.

Sierra's article linked earlier doesn't mention the fact that 30 caliber military semiautomatic match rifles never shot reloaded cases from them as accurate as new cases. Military teams testing 7.62 M1 and M14 match rifles with resized fired cases from them string shots on paper from 7 to 1 o'clock because their bolt faces were never squared up. Fired cases from them had out of square case heads that don't square up when resized. They string shots at right angles to in-battery locking lugs at 10 and 4 o'clock.

Three cheers for AR rifles having better squared up bolt faces.

My M1As never did with my handloads. (HP Master ‘82, Pres100 ‘85, Distinguished ‘86).

 

[Bart B.]

My M1As never did with my handloads. (HP Master ‘82, Pres100 ‘85, Distinguished ‘86).

Did they test all shots under 4.5 inches at 600 yards with your reloaded cases? If so, 3 cheers for you and yours.

 

[riflewoman]

I never shot them other than over the course, but my best score was 200-12 at 600 so they had to shoot as well as my model 70s which did shoot 10 shots under an inch.

 

[Bart B.]

I never shot them other than over the course, but my best score was 200-12 at 600 so they had to shoot as well as my model 70s which did shoot 10 shots under an inch.

Model 70 shot under an inch at 600 in tests or slung up on prone?

While your rifle's best score shot under 12 inches, its lower scores had bigger groups. If you assess accuracy by the smallest group shot hand held in competition, so be it. It does that well once in the barrel's life. Its group includes your ability to get repeatable position holds while the bullets are in the barrel.

 

[riflewoman]

Model 70 shot under an inch at 600 in tests or slung up on prone?

While your rifle's best score shot under 12 inches, its lower scores had bigger groups. If you assess accuracy by the smallest group shot in competition, so be it. It does that well once in the barrel's life.

Under an inch at 100. My best on the MR31 Target was 200-15 x slung.

Lowered scores while shooting prone slung does not always indicate bigger groups. Everyone gets caught in a condition now and then. My average was 198-10. The x count indicated that the rifle was shooting well. All this said, my M1As did not string groups with reloads. I would have noticed.

 

[Bart B.]

Lowered scores while shooting prone slung does not always indicate bigger groups. Everyone gets caught in a condition now and then.

Sometimes a wind blows an otherwise 10 ring shot into the X ring. The reverse also happens.

If accuracy is assessed in windy conditions, I don't think they're valid.

That said, your M1A's bolt face may have had a minimum out of square condition.

Did you ever test it with a small aperture front sight from prone with a bag under your front hand and stock toe? That's how I was able to see the 7 to 1 o'clock shot hole stringing 9 to 10 inches with reloaded M118 match ammo cases with 168 Sierras in Garands. New ammo rebulleted with that bullet shot well under 6 inches.

Measuring M118 case heads for out of square condition before and after firing revealed the issue.

 

[riflewoman]

No I did not shoot it from a rest. If I had a rifle stringing like that I’d inspect the bedding and stock ferrule. I bet it wasn’t properly centered. Also, you really need to size the brass down. Hard. I pushed the shoulders down to minimum on the Wilson gauge. Had to. You want the rifle to chamber rather loosely for a target rifle. When I built these gizmos, my minimum headspace was 1.632. In a match rifle I set them to 1.630. You can’t have a tight chamber in a gas gun.

 

[Jimmy James]

I'm sure there are people who have won everything with Redding dies. I don't like them. I have Lee, RCBS, Redding and Forster and getting ready to buy a few LE Wilson. The Redding resizing dies are a PITA as to getting the decapping pin tight without tearing up the finish and knurling. I don't like the C clip on the resizing die being the only thing holding the floating chamber in the die. I have bent and or lost that clip on 1 die set already. I don't like the tightness of the O ring on their micrometer type dies. Adjusting them is difficult without unscrewing the die out the press. I have none of these problems with other dies. I bought some Redding dies from Bullets dot com during the closeout. Wish I hadn't. Educations are expensive should be my tag line.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

 

[Jimmy James]

I use the RCBS small base dies for AR15 and AR10. Only thing is that even with vibratory cleaning until the brass shines, 223/556 brass will tear up those dies after a while. Keep them clean and polished with IOSSO or JB.