FL dies

[Fellas]

Hi guys

I am looking to buy a reliable FL sizing die for my rem 700 police. which type do you suggest the one with bushing or just a normal one. I see Hornady and Redding have some but id like your opinion first before buying. what about the Hornady Match Grade not much info is available on them on the net and what size of bushings are you using

thanks
fellas

 

[284driver]

Personally I like the Forster dies for factory rifles. You get a competition style seater with the die set. But I would definitely take redding over hornady.

 

[Greyfox]

I've never owned a Forster, but I have a shelf full of Reddings. Everything I use is a bushing die. Most were bought that way, but I have even had a few converted to a bushing. There is no downside other than the initial extra cost. I doubt you'll regret it.

Rick

 

[TheSnake]

What is your objective with these dies and what are you shooting? I have both types of dies sets depending on what I am doing. For my hunting only rounds, I FL resize every time may not not spend the extra on a bushing set when it's not needed. For my more accurate rounds, I use the bushing sets and do the extra work needed to use them.

 

[SmokinJoe]

The answer to your question really depends on what your goals are. If you are just loading for a hunting rifle or low volume informal fun shooting, ordinary dies should be fine. If you are loading for a varmint or target type rifle, shooting a lot, and willing to do some brass sorting/preparation work, you can benefit from the bushing dies. The biggest advantages of bushing dies are: 1) Being able to size the necks the minimum required - works the brass quite bit less so the temper lasts longer before the brass has to be re-annealed or replaced. 2) By sorting brass, or turning necks to clean up, you can use the bushing size to adjust neck tension on loaded rounds, which is a good load tuning technique. The other thing you need to be concerned with on a FL die used for high volume, precision reloading for optimum accuracy is the fit that the die gives to your chamber. Ordinary sizing dies & most bushing dies are made to fit SAAMI minimum chambers, but some die makers, like Redding for instance, manufacture bushing & regular dies to different specifications, i.e. "Small Base", etc. dies. You can always talk to a technical specialist at the die companies for their specific recommendation for your usage & rifle. Hope this helps, Joe

 

[243winxb]

Send 3 fired brass to RCBS for a custom fit standard die OR just get a Redding Type-S Full Length sizing Bushing die. You will need about 3 bu$hing$. With this die, you can use the expander or not, your choice. Redding will also make you a die from your 3 fired brass.

 

[amlevin]

Personally I like the Forster dies for factory rifles. You get a competition style seater with the die set. But I would definitely take redding over hornady.

I agree with "Forster". I shoot a similar rifle to the Rem 700 Police and have two different Forster Sizing dies. One is the FL "Bechrest" die and the other the Neck Size/Shoulder Bump bushing die. I only FL size any brass I "scored" at the range, usually a box or two of once fired brass left behind by a Police group or non-reloading competitor.

Everything else I use the Neck Size/ Shoulder bump die along with a Sinclair Expander die. When I stopped using an expander "ball" that came with the sizing die I got far straighter cases and more consistent neck tension. The Shoulder Bump feature leaves the majority of the case the same fired size, it just assures that the case will headspace correctly and the bolt will close evenly.

If you use a bushing die it's a good idea to neck turn the cases just enough to make them more uniform. Only take off enough to get the cases 80-90% "cut" and make each batch the same neck wall thickness.

 

[Fellas]

thanks for all your replies

 

[billurbank]

IF you are going to use the reloads in the same rifle And you are going to fire as a single shot, you may ant to look at Lee collet dies. Lee tells all you need to know EXCEPT you need to lube the area between the collet and cone before use.
I shoot Metallic sillohuete and love these dies. With the exception of revolver all are fired in single shots using calibres 7-08,30 herret etc Had the 30 Herrett built custom for less than a Redding production die. I also use them in my dogtown guns, 204 and 223 and 22-250. There is minimal neck tension so magazine feeding is not one my options.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

My opinion is to get a forster fl die. Then send it back to them and have the neck honed so the expander ball only opens the neck back up a thou. If you are not turning your necks you should be using some kind of expander. Or you could get a redding s-die and use the expander with it.