Is it a stupid idea to spec a reamer to a certain resize die

[Shawnba67]

I've been thinking the merits of a custom resize die are there they will work your brass less and get you more firings from it. These custom dies are $200+
I'm considering a 6mm dasher. I can find cheap resize die for $40. Could I just have ptg make me a chamber reamer .0015-.002 bigger than the resize die and have all the benifits of a custom die for $160 less? Or am I being stupid?ive gotta buy a reamer either way so that cost is the same.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I've been thinking the merits of a custom resize die are there they will work your brass less and get you more firings from it. These custom dies are $200+
I'm considering a 6mm dasher. I can find cheap resize die for $40. Could I just have ptg make me a chamber reamer .0015-.002 bigger than the resize die and have all the benifits of a custom die for $160 less? Or am I being stupid?ive gotta buy a reamer either way so that cost is the same.

It works great! In most cases, Dave Kiff (pt&g) makes the reamer that makes the die! He will very often know exactly what you need based on that knowledge. Been doing this for years. We could argue about brass life but I'm content with getting approximately 50 firings from my Lapua brass.

 

[tclaunch]

There is a dimension at the .200" line in front of the bolt face to consider. Redding S-Type FL dies best I can measure run .4695", and I have found by using JGS tools/reamers they always default this size to min SAMMI or .4714". I highly recommend using this dimension at the .200" line. I have not had any hard to lift bolt on these chambers. Dwight Scott told me many years ago "you can get to cute with the numbers", I listened and have been way ahead thanks to his advise.

 

[Toolbreaker]

I've been thinking the merits of a custom resize die are there they will work your brass less and get you more firings from it. These custom dies are $200+
I'm considering a 6mm dasher. I can find cheap resize die for $40. Could I just have ptg make me a chamber reamer .0015-.002 bigger than the resize die and have all the benifits of a custom die for $160 less? Or am I being stupid?ive gotta buy a reamer either way so that cost is the same.

No sir, you're not being foolish at all. That's the exact way to do it in my opinion.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

The one thing that I'll add to what I said before, is that the brass springs back differently at different locations of the brass. It's thicker and harder at the web than at the shoulder, for example. Of course the normal caveats related to how many firings and how it's annealed come into play at some point, but I've found that a chamber reamer that is .003" larger in all areas of the case body than the resize reamer will yield a case that will be about .0015" smaller at the shoulder and about .0005-.0006" smaller at the web, after sizing, than the fired case. This works very well and brass life is very good. If you have any doubts, talk to Kiff or your reamer maker. I say Kiff because he makes so many of the reamers for the die makers, such as Redding, that he has the info at his fingertips, regarding the reamer that they use.

 

[Shawnba67]

Thank you very much for the advice.
I'm excited I might have read and learned enough to be on the downhill side of stupid questions!!
I have also ordered some cerrosafe to cast the Forster die I picked up.

 

[bigngreen]

Just send a fired Dasher case to Harrell's and they'll send you the right bushing die at a good price.