Body dies, what is the truth?

[Changeling]

In the Redding manual (2014) it states that there body dies are designed to full length the cartridge case and "Bump" the case shoulder back without any interference with the "Neck" whatsoever
In my understanding this means what it says.

In a resent posting their was a lot of conjecture on these statements basically implying that what Redding says about there body dies is misleading.

Can you guys please straighten thing out for me?

Do Redding Body dies do what they say are is there something going on relative to what they do??

 

[Patch700]

The redding body die is merely a FL die that has the neck portion reamed out so as not to make any contact.

Will it bump shoulders back? In theory yes it will just as a regular FL die will also bump shoulders back if set up to do so AND the brass is not too short to begin with.

In example: if your particular chamber is short then you may experience a problem being able to bump shoulders without modifying the shell holder.

This doesn't mean a body die can't bump shoulders.

 

[Rustystud]

The purpose of a body die is to resize the case from the web to the shoulder.

Example: I reload the 6mmBRX using standard 6BR dies. In doing this one has to back out the sizing die .098". This leaves the web are completely out of the resizing process. I use a 6mmBR body die with the top end bored out to resize the wen area of my cases. The same thing can be accomplished by taking the decapping pin out of a .243,.260,7mm/08, .308 sizing die and using it to resize the web to shoulder of the 6mmBRX.

Having reloaded for almost 50 years, I am of the belief that FL sizing is a better way to go using a floating die. If your chamber and dies are close you get less exercise of the brass and the brass stays more concentric.

For my .223 and .308 based cartridges I have added roll sizing to my regimen. It resized the web and helps keep primer pockets tight. Look at what Mike has done with the Case Pro 100 roll sizer. I have carried over what I was doing with pistol brass to rifle brass.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Changeling]

The purpose of a body die is to resize the case from the web to the shoulder.

Example: I reload the 6mmBRX using standard 6BR dies. In doing this one has to back out the sizing die .098". This leaves the web are completely out of the resizing process. I use a 6mmBR body die with the top end bored out to resize the wen area of my cases. The same thing can be accomplished by taking the decapping pin out of a .243,.260,7mm/08, .308 sizing die and using it to resize the web to shoulder of the 6mmBRX.

Having reloaded for almost 50 years, I am of the belief that FL sizing is a better way to go using a floating die. If your chamber and dies are close you get less exercise of the brass and the brass stays more concentric.

For my .223 and .308 based cartridges I have added roll sizing to my regimen. It resized the web and helps keep primer pockets tight. Look at what Mike has done with the Case Pro 100 roll sizer. I have carried over what I was doing with pistol brass to rifle brass.

Nat Lambeth

Hi Nat. Thank you for the reply. I am a FIRM believer in the chamber/neck and dies being connected in the sense that one mirrors the other. This means full length dies ( like the Forester) or customs.
As for the neck, I really believe there is room for different alternatives here, I have a feeling you do to!

Take care.

 

[tmccoy]

I had the Redding body die save me once. I had loaded all of my 223 ammo for the Nationals at Camp Perry, finishing about 500+ rounds and then for some reason happened to check the headspace on them and realized that I had a wrong die setting and had undersized them by about .003, to the point that the bolt would not lock. I didn't have the time to load all new ones, so bought a body die and had it overnighted to me. It was easy to set it up and I ran all the loaded rounds through it to bump back the shoulder the correct amount and they all worked great. It was a lifesaver! But other than that particular error, I don't otherwise have a use for it.

Travis

 

[BoydAllen]

Pull the neck bushing out of a bushing type Fl die and you have a body die. One application that they have worked well for is in combination with a Lee Collet die, to load ammunition that is made with unturned case necks for rifles that have factory chambers. IMO ammo that is reloaded using this method may be the best that can be produces for those particular situations. It takes a little longer to run the cases through the Lee die and then the body die, but the results have been reported, from multiple sources, to be excellent.

 

[Changeling]

Thanks to all for their input.
I am aware of what everyone had to say about dies in general. What startled me was some people in another posting implying that a body die did not do what Redding said it would.


One thing that Nat said confuses me:
"For my .223 and .308 based cartridges I have added roll sizing to my regimen. It resized the web and helps keep primer pockets tight. Look at what Mike has done with the Case Pro 100 roll sizer. I have carried over what I was doing with pistol brass to rifle brass."

I understand the term "roll sizing" when dealing with some pistol calibers. But I don't know what you mean Nat by roll sizing for bottle neck type cases. I don't know Mike, and this was the first time I have ever heard the term " Case Pro 100 case sizer". Would appreciate telling me what it is?

 

[BoydAllen]

http://www.casepro100.com/products.ydev

 

[Changeling]

Thanks for the link.

 

[Changeling]

Pull the neck bushing out of a bushing type Fl die and you have a body die. One application that they have worked well for is in combination with a Lee Collet die, to load ammunition that is made with unturned case necks for rifles that have factory chambers. IMO ammo that is reloaded using this method may be the best that can be produces for those particular situations. It takes a little longer to run the cases through the Lee die and then the body die, but the results have been reported, from multiple sources, to be excellent.

Boyd why would the case necks have to be "unturned" ?

If it is because of the configuration (neck size) of the die, couldn't Lee make a custom version ?

Just a question.

 

[BoydAllen]

I don't suppose that it would. I was just pointing out that for factory chambers and unturned necks that there is a way to load better ammo. I only turn necks for may bench rifles, and the necks of those chambers fit the ammo closely. This allows the use of bushing dies, without expanders with no disadvantage. Sometimes shooters think that in order to get the best results from their factory rifles that the should simply copy procedures that are used for rifles with match chambers, that use turned brass. This may not be the best way to go in all respects, particularly when it comes to sizing cases.