Correction, mine are not bushing dies! Sorry, Barlow
Hornady match grade die set?
- Thread starter 6.5grendel
- Start date
What match grade Hornday product do you use?
I ordered these from the custom shop in 2009. They were made for my chamber by Lonnie Hummel. Lonnie has since retired and I am not sure if the die I have is still offered in 6mm Dasher. It has been too long ago for me to remember all of the details....but I know the FL sizer I have works with my chamber. Good shooting....James
wboggs
Gold $$ Contributor
I have used the full length sizer and comp seating duie to load some very accurate ammo. Had a 22-6mm rem the would shoot in the ones and a 6.5 prc that shoots in the twos. I am not sure about the bushing sizing due. You can buy a fl set and put the micrometer top on the seater. Relatively cheap and works very well.
Bill
I’ve had excellent results with both hornadys loaded ammo and dies. No they don’t have the high price tag or gimmicks like some others but on paper I’ve never been disappointed. Heck I just loaded some 223 for my ar15 with their 30$ die set that shot 5 shots 1.5” at 300 yards. That’s match enough for me. If your looking to shoot flies at 1000 yards maybe not. It seems like hornady is to ammo and reloading components as savage is to rifles. They work really well but everyone loves to hate on them. Just my 2 cents.
MGYSGT
Silver $$ Contributor
Whenever you ask the question "which are better" you will get all the Anti's of the one you chose. I have in my collection an assortment of dies. RCBS Gold, Hornady Custom, Redding, and yes even Lee. Nothing wrong with any of them. Some have more gadgets attached, but they all make good ammo. I believe the components of the ammo are much more important than the dies.
Mst Gunny,
I've been meaning to ask someone about the RCBS Gold die set you mentioned.
Specifically the FL sizer, did you send 3 fired cases to RCBS for size and honing ? Or are they SAMMI?
I heard good things about the comp set..
Jim
Last edited:
I ended up getting the standard Redding f/l sizer and seater set for now. Sounded like the hornady bushing dies are not worth the extra price for my situation. Probably upgrade later on depending on how much run out I end up with using these. Thank you everyone for the advice.
Before you buy any bushing dies check and see how much your case necks expand when fired.
Bushing dies work best with custom tight neck chambers and neck turned brass.
And the average off the shelf factory rifle will let the case necks expand .008 or more.
And the problem with bushing dies are if you reduce the neck diameter .004 or more at a time it can induce neck runout.
The bushing floats and can move from side to side and even tilt when reducing the neck diameter in larger factory chambers.
This is why Redding recommends if reducing the neck .004 of more to size and reduce the necks in two steps.
If the necks are not turned and have unequal neck thickness this can also cause neck runout.
Bottom line, when asking about the "best dies" you need to know if the person answering has a factory rifle or a custom chambered rifle. I have three bushing dies and in my factory rifles a standard full length die will produce less neck runout than a bushing die. And I prefer Forster full length dies with their floating high mounted expander. "But" any standard full length die with the expander removed and then using a expander die will also greatly reduce neck runout.
And there is a reason why so many shoorters use Lee collet dies vs bushing dies, and that is less neck runout in factory rifles.
Bushing dies work best with custom tight neck chambers and neck turned brass.
And the average off the shelf factory rifle will let the case necks expand .008 or more.
And the problem with bushing dies are if you reduce the neck diameter .004 or more at a time it can induce neck runout.
The bushing floats and can move from side to side and even tilt when reducing the neck diameter in larger factory chambers.
This is why Redding recommends if reducing the neck .004 of more to size and reduce the necks in two steps.
If the necks are not turned and have unequal neck thickness this can also cause neck runout.
Bottom line, when asking about the "best dies" you need to know if the person answering has a factory rifle or a custom chambered rifle. I have three bushing dies and in my factory rifles a standard full length die will produce less neck runout than a bushing die. And I prefer Forster full length dies with their floating high mounted expander. "But" any standard full length die with the expander removed and then using a expander die will also greatly reduce neck runout.
And there is a reason why so many shoorters use Lee collet dies vs bushing dies, and that is less neck runout in factory rifles.
MGYSGT
Silver $$ Contributor
Bought them off the shelf, so to speak. Think I got them from Midway. .308 set.
I have the 223 and 6.5 Creedmoor Hornady match dies I really like the seaters and they are very very good and I also like the bushing dies as far as I can tell they are as good as my Reddingbushing dies. I only use the 223 in my tikka varmint for the long range loads. I have seater dedicated to several calibers. My favorite seaters are the Forster. But the Hornady are a close second.
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