Custom F/L die question

[.257]

Guys I'm ready to add one more upgrade to my loading method. I'm ready to purchase a custom F/L die to help eliminate as much runout as possible.

Alan Warner
Neil Jones
Jim Carstensen

These are the guys I've read a little about.

Who makes the best custom die IYO and why do you feel that way?

Looking for a 6.5 x47 and 6x47 die

Thanks for any help

 

[BoydAllen]

I have seen good results from Jones FL dies. Off topic, but related, I would make sure that my chambers were cut with reamers that I owned before investing in a custom die. That way the usefulness of the die would be assured for more than one barrel. I am curious, what about your current sizing setup are you trying to improve?

 

[.257]

I'm trying to improve everything

I own my own reamers for both the 6.5x47 and 6x47

I'm always striving to make the best ammo possible. I'm anal about stuff and like to get it right.

I have quality presses, neck turning equipment, trimmers, and I load off of a Gen2 Prometheus.
The quality of my ammo harms been very good and it shows at distance.

I love the 6.5x47 as it's the most accurate round I have ever shot that will feed from DBM reliably. The 6x47 is a new venture and I'm having 2 barrels spun up for it this week.

Basically just looking to improve

 

[BoydAllen]

OK, you have a toy budget that could allow for it. IMO, and based on my experience, the straightest brass comes from a properly dimensioned one piece die.

 

[Erik Cortina]

OK, you have a toy budget that could allow for it. IMO, and based on my experience, the straightest brass comes from a properly dimensioned one piece die.

 

[Bart B.]

Some folks have been honing (lapping?) the necks of conventional full length sizing dies since the 60's. Make the die's neck a couple thousandths or so less than a loaded round's neck diameter for the neck tension (release force?) you want. I've got six RCBS .308 Win full length dies with different body and neck dimesnions used for different case neck thicknesses and fired body diameters. They size fired case bodies and neck down a couple thousandths or so.

Forster will hone out its dies for $10 each, or thereabouts.

And such dies really do produce very straight case necks well centered on case shoulders. As bottleneck cases headspacing on their shoulder center up front in the chamber shoulder when the firing pin fires the primer, the case neck is well centered and clear of the chamber neck; bullets are centered , too.

 

[wwbrown]

I would add Mark Spencer to your list of custom die makers, he made a 280 AI die that is very nice and is making a 30-375 Ruger as we speak.

Depending upon how close the bodies of your 6 and 6.5 L's are you may be able to have mark build you one body die for the two and two different should/neck inserts to handle the two calibers. The inserts I am referring to size the entire shoulder and neck in a one piece insert, unlike the type S style that may not size the neck to the shoulder junction. I had an additional insert made for my 280 AI so I could neck size from 30-06 cases in two passes. The extra inserts are about $37 I will probably get an insert for the 30-375 set in 338 if I spin up a 338-375 Ruger.

 

[Preacher]

The Warner Tool die is one of my favorites...
His inserts that size the neck and shoulder all at once are as good as it gets...

 

[Bob3700]

+1 for Alan Warner's die. It is one of the finest machined pieces you will ever find. You send him some of your fired brass and he custom manufactures the die to your brass.

The die can also do double duty in 6.5 as well as 6mm. You just change the inserts to make the adjustment. Every piece is precision ground and fits like a Swiss watch. They are heirloom quality.

His die is of a large diameter. You have to take the bushing out of your loading press (RCBS type) in order to install the Warner Tool die.

It is expensive but if you are looking for the ultimate, this die is for you.

Bob

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

Randy Gregory over at www.accuracyunlimited.com has always mated form/size dies for my chambers using SS Newlon blanks or from old SS barrels.

Dave Kiff over at PTG mates the form/size die reamer for the chamber reamer so that the case body is minimally sized at the web and so that I can get whatever interference fit I desire on the neck after spring-back.

The chambering reamer can be used in lieu of a 3rd reamer for the bullet-seating die. If you desire, you can have the machinist measure the necks of fired cases and then run a straight-flute reamer of that specific size into the form/size die for the lower 25-50% of the neck. This little ditty will hold/support/center the neck in the die during the seating operation to give even tighter concentricity, while still affording a shoulder setback. Essentially, you would have a partial neck-size, but with far better axial alignment.

 

[jcampbellsmith]

A couple more folk to think about. Ben Syring at Hornady did a 243 AI die for me and I was most impressed. I'm looking at placing an order with the following folk in 2014 - http://www.whiddengunworks.net/reloadingdies.html

Regards

JCS

 

[CJ6]

I have Carstensens dies. I think Warner has more options available. Neil Jones are great also, Tough choice there.

 

[Shynloco]

I've heard many good things about all the aforementioned custom die makers. I am surprised that Harrel wasn't mentioned though.

 

[BoydAllen]

Harrell makes great dies, but they only make certain calibers. If the one that you are working with one that they do, give them a call, and send in a couple of fired cases from your chamber, that have been neck sized and fired with warm loads till tight. Their dies are a great value, and I have always found their quality to be excellent. If you are going to use a die with conventional neck bushings, carbide bushings are a lot more true, because of the way that they are made. One thing that you should consider, with bushing dies is that they work best in conjunction with chambers that do not allow necks to expand excessively. One piece dies, with a correct neck diameter, do not suffer from this issue. They can be set up so that you have .002 neck tension with an expander, and .003 without, if you are turning necks. The use of an expander for this small amount of work does not hurt concentricity.

 

[MarkS]

+1 for Harrell die. They make a 6.5 x 47, change bushings for a 6mm. Much cheaper than full custom
http://harrellsprec.com/index.php/products/full-length-die

Mark Schronce