Help in choosing .308 win dies for benchrest

[TQB]

HI,

I would appreciate your help on choosing which of my .308 WIN dies to use.

The intended use is score benchrest 100-300m. Unfortunately, F-Class hasn’t begun in Portugal and range time is scarce….

I have 2 rifles to reload for, a Steyr-Mannlicher Match UIT and a SAKO TRG 22. I know, they are not the best choices for Benchrest just as .308 WIN isn’t as well.

But it’s what I’ve got.

The dies:

- Lee collet dies

- RCBS Competion dies (FL size and competition seater in a wooden box)

- Redding Type S – Bushing Neck Die Set (normal seater (which I upgraded to a micrometer seater), bushing neck die and bodi die)

- L.E. Wilson Die Kit 2 (micrometer seater, FL size die and case gauge) – Have not used yet. Has just arrived.

- L.E. Wilson Neck Die and base (in the mail)


Most of my reloading will, from here on, be made with Wilson dies for my SAKO TRG 22.

But for the Steyr-Mannlicher Match UIT, I would like to know your opinion.

Should I use the Redding Type S – Bushing dies or the RCBS competition dies?

Using the Redding body die followed by the neck die function similarly to the Full-Length size die?

Will they (Redding and RCBS) have acceptable runout in comparison to the Wilson dies?

I have a Hornady concentricity tool and will eventually test them all, but in the meantime, what is your opinion?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Whichever FL die makes your brass chamber the easiest. Toss the neck dies to the side

 

[rsmithsr50]

look at some 125/135 br quality bullets
I have shot small with BIB 135's in a 308

 

[Wiley Mayo]

I use Redding dies for my 308, type S neck sizer, and micrometer seating die. Best dies I’ve found except for Whidden custom pieces. Now Mr. Stevens will likely shoot me for saying this, but if one wants real accuracy, one needs to master the art of neck sizing. Been doing it going on fifty two years now and in my experience full length sizing doesn’t measure up. I agree with the above about small custom bullets in a 308. Use Bart’s X-Outs in mine and get very good results. They don’t cost any more than Berger’s. The 308 is quite accurate and I believe you will be very pleased with it. Hope this helps and best of luck to you!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I use Redding dies for my 308, type S neck sizer, and micrometer seating die. Best dies I’ve found except for Whidden custom pieces. Now Mr. Stevens will likely shoot me for saying this, but if one wants real accuracy, one needs to master the art of neck sizing. Been doing it going on fifty two years now and in my experience full length sizing doesn’t measure up. I agree with the above about small custom bullets in a 308. Use Bart’s X-Outs in mine and get very good results. They don’t cost any more than Berger’s. The 308 is quite accurate and I believe you will be very pleased with it. Hope this helps and best of luck to you!

You gotta do what works for you- as long as you go shoot. One day though youll get bit neck sizing only and itll ruin a shooting session Or hunt or make it extremely slow. If you body die them in conjuction with neck sizing youre band aiding a problem and causing yourself extra work. At that point you’re going to smile and say “ole dusty was right”.

 

[rsmithsr50]

yep OCCASSIONALLY dusty has been right.
this is one of them.
almost no one in precision rifle shooting neck sizes only or neck then fl( that's just silly).
go look at Wilson they now offer fl bushing dies.
they changed for a reason.

 

[riflewoman]

When I first started shooting prone with a 308, I used a neck die. It worked OK for about 4 loadings then it gave me grief. Switched to FL sizing and haven’t looked back.

Redding dies are excellent and I would opt for the basic Type S Full length die. May as well get the competition a Benchrest seater as well. However, that said, I would also check the concentricity of the cases after sizing. This can be done by any experienced machinist (or one can show you how) on a sample fired case and one that’s been sized. I would also neck turn your brass just to clean up the necks as I am presuming these are factory chambers.

good luck.

 

[TQB]

Well for concentricity check I will be using the hornady concentricity tool. Maybe it is not the best tool on the market, but it will have to do unless you all say otherwise.
I don't have a ball micrometer, but I ordered the hornady case wall thickness gauge (which is as acessory to the concentricity tool).

For turning necks I asked about it on another thread, but what do you recommend?
What are the essentials, and what's desirable?
By the way, if Sinclair is one of your recomendations, what's the best option, the NT-1500 or the NT-4000?

Thank you,
Tiago

 

[JFrank]

Of those mentioned I would definitely start with Wilson F/L

 

[qwk]

You gotta do what works for you- as long as you go shoot. One day though youll get bit neck sizing only and itll ruin a shooting session Or hunt or make it extremely slow. If you body die them in conjuction with neck sizing youre band aiding a problem and causing yourself extra work. At that point you’re going to smile and say “ole dusty was right”.

What kind of problems have you seen with regards to neck sizing? I have had excellent luck, and results, with only neck sizing. I’m either super lucky, or my loads are super wimpy compared to some here?

 

[BCBRAD]

I have very good results with a Lee Collet neck die, Redding body die and a Forester competition seating die.
Cases are annealed at least every 3 rounds, I have found that cases on their second firing from annealed work the best for low ES.

 

[Walt Krafft]

If you try a set of Widden dies, you will want all your dies to be like them.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If you try a set of Widden dies, you will want all your dies to be like them.

And that becomes an issue when you have to use another brand- you just feel dirty.