223 AI dies

[wch]

I see that suggested prices for dies in this caliber run from about $30.00 up to over $200.00
I am not building a benchrest rifle, but a sporting type woods rifle.
CH shows about $80.00, there are several iterations of Redding dies available from $80.00, $120.00, and up, and RCBS is a contender,also.
Considering my use, which dies have served you well?
Thanks.

 

[HillbillySniper]

I bought a set of the FL Redding dies for the 80 dollars and ive loaded well over 500 rounds with them with not one problem. I use the gun for hunting as well as groundhog matchs.

Hillbilly

 

[ReedG]

The Redding's are as good as it gets. I had a Lee Collet Die made for mine as I'm addicted to them. If all you want is good hunting loads out of a reloading manual, the regular Lee Pacesetter full-length die and seater die will do the job for $30.49 (@ Midway). You'll love the AI ...

 

[Canuck257]

The Redding's are as good as it gets. I had a Lee Collet Die made for mine as I'm addicted to them. If all you want is good hunting loads out of a reloading manual, the regular Lee Pacesetter full-length die and seater die will do the job for $30.49 (@ Midway). You'll love the AI ...

How do you go about getting collet dies made for custom calibers? I too love the collet dies and I have several AI calibers I would like them for.

 

[ReedG]

The page on the Lee web site:

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1293239042.5295=/html/catalog/custom.html#CUSTOMCOLLET

Will get you this info:

Collet Die Set
A Custom Collet Die Set consists of the Collet sizer and the Dead Length Bullet Seater, a shell holder and dipper. Maximum outer diameter at the base is .555 and the maximum bullet diameter is .375. There are a few exceptions for the larger Ultra Mags and if interested in those, you may want to give us a call or send a case to determine whether or not we can make them.

We need:

Payment of $59.50 ($55.00 + $4.50 processing fee)
2 fired cases from the rifle that the ammunition is to be reloaded for
2 sample bullets


They are good to deal with.

 

[m500]

A standard 223 collet die should work fine for the 223 ackley. Mine does.

 

[ReedG]

m500, my standard .223 Collet Die would not work with the AI cases because the blown-out shoulders wouldn't allow the case far enough into the die to properly size the neck. I'll have to check out why.

 

[bsekf]

When using a standard case Lee Collet die on a AI case and it contacts the shoulder, I use a washer over the case to hold the shoulder off the die. It just doesn't size the entire neck. I do the same thing when using a Forester BR seating die on an AI case.