Help with .243 reloading dies.

[encoreguy]

Here is what I was thinking of ordering. Forester micro seater, lee collet die and redding body die. Does that sound like a good way to go or should I just order the Lee deluxe rifle 3 die set that comes with a seater, collet die and a full length sizing die and save about $70?

 

[Preacher]

I would prefer to have a bushing die,either full length or neck only) to control neck tension, along with your first 3 choices, but thats just me.

 

[jwv2001]

If you're not shooting a "custom" chamber, then the Lee set will be just fine. Use the extra money on components so you can shoot more. You'll be surprised at how much better your rifle shoots the more you shoot it.

 

[encoreguy]

It is a factory chamber. Is there an advantage to using the Redding body die over the Lee full length resizing die? Do you feel the Forester micro die will do a better job seating the bullets?

 

[tripcrow]

encoreguy, yes there’s advantages to using the Redding body die with the Lee Collet die as compared to the Lee FL die. You won’t need to lube the inside of your necks and you’ll probably get less neck runout. But how often are you going to have to be FL sizing? Depending on how much brass you have it may be a while till you need to.


I’m still using my Lee seater from a Deluxe set for seating 243s and it does a pretty good job. A lot better than the regular Redding seater I have does for sure. But if you got the bucks, get the Forster Ultra. While I only have them in BRs. I’d think they’d seat a little truer, seat a little more uniform, & with that nice .025” per turn top,whish it was marked in white like Redding’s Comp Seaters are) the Ultra would be more convenient to use for seating different bullets. Love those big ugly things.

Now all you need is some brass that has a uniform neck thickness.

 

[encoreguy]

encoreguy, yes there’s advantages to using the Redding body die with the Lee Collet die as compared to the Lee FL die. You won’t need to lube the inside of your necks and you’ll probably get less neck runout. But how often are you going to have to be FL sizing? Depending on how much brass you have it may be a while till you need to.


I’m still using my Lee seater from a Deluxe set for seating 243s and it does a pretty good job. A lot better than the regular Redding seater I have does for sure. But if you got the bucks, get the Forster Ultra. While I only have them in BRs. I’d think they’d seat a little truer, seat a little more uniform, & with that nice .025” per turn top,whish it was marked in white like Redding’s Comp Seaters are) the Ultra would be more convenient to use for seating different bullets. Love those big ugly things.

Now all you need is some brass that has a uniform neck thickness.

I was wondering if the Redding body die was any better than the Lee full length die that comes with the set when you need to resize because things are not chambering smoothly? I would be using the Collet die the rest of the time. I bought WInchester brass to start with but may buy some Laupa brass eventually, they may have better uniformity in the neck thickness area.

 

[Lane]

My experience with the Redding competition body die used in conjunction with the Redding competition shell holders with my Redding press are a very good way to go with case re-sizing. All my rifles are factory chambers I get very good consistency case to case. Personal point of view. Lane