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Preferred brand of "competition" dies?

Tsu45

Hey guys,

First time poster here. Forum looks a great resource for reloading info!

I'm looking for some recommendations on the higher end precision reloading die sets. I have reloaded for years, but mostly just hunting rounds were I had a different expectation for accuracy out of the rifles and definitely wasn't worried about SD/ES and their effects at distance.

Never used the bushing sizing dies. Currently shooting 6.5 creedmoor with a 6 creedmoor barrel on the way. Could I use the same sizing die with both, just with different bushings?

I plan to full length size every time just so I don't run into any feeding issues. What dies do y'all recommend? FL and neck size in one or two dies? I'd rather just run one if there isn't much difference.

Price isn't much of a concern considering the amount of rounds the price will be amortized over but I don't really want to go custom ground at this time for other reasons.
 
WELCOME ABOARD! My recommendation is you buy Bushing Dies for precision reloading and InLine Seater dies to seat the bullets. I use Redding S Dies, both FL and Neck depending on the chamber of my rifles themselves. I also use Wilson Seater Dies for seating, regardless of the caliber. By the that I mean some are tight chambers while others require for a .02 shoulder bump when resizing. The brand itself is your choice as their are a number of high quality custom dies available from various sources. I like the Reddings because they are very easy to adjust compared to having to using wrenches whenever you want to make an adjustment. Good luck and have fun!

Alex
 
The Redding Competition seating die and Forster BenchrestF/L dies work very well for me. I haven't tried any of the other top brands. I always full length resize (for a bolt action) using a minimum setback of .001" or less. I use the expanding balls because they work and I get minimal runout either with or without them. The rod and ball can self center in the Forster and doesn't pull the neck off center. I had the die honed to where it reduces the neck O.D. (I always neck turn for my .308) .004" under and the ball expands it back to a .002" interference fit. I also use a Forster die on my .223 brass but don't neck turn it. I still get very little runout.
 
Forgot to say, my .308 Forster F/L die reduced the inside of the neck .006" under with the ball removed. That's working the brass too much. Having the neck portion honed at their factory was quick and cheap. The expander balls are replaceable in various sizes. I use a .307" and after springback get the .002" under fit.
 
Well i have tried a bunch of them. Now this is my personal opinion and i am sure there are those that will disagree.

I just don't like bushing dies in general. Either neck sizing or the full length with a bushing. If i were to neck size it would be with a lee collet die. Bushing neck sizing brings with it problems i had rather not deal with.

The best dies are custom for the chamber on your rifle. Send 3 fired but not resized cases that have been fired at least 3 times to fully fireform to whidden or jones or your choice of custom die makers. They will be full length resizing dies.

Next is Harrell. If they have them in your caliber they will take your fired brass and find a best fit from their off the shelf dies.

Then a honed forster. Forster makes the best factory full length sizing die. The difference is the location of the expander ball in the die.

Right now i am playing with a whidden full length sizing die with his expander ball kit. Allows you to adjust neck tension without a bushing. Even John Whidden says you get straighter ammo with a standard full length sizing die then with a bushing die.

Seating die? Forster seater is hard to beat. I use wilson in-line seaters and an arbor press.
 
Honed out neck in full length sizing dies make the straightest cases. Sierra Bullets proved that back near 1960. That's also how new cases are made in their final stages. Sierra now uses Redding full length bushing dies for cartridges they're made for because they like the bushing's interchangeability. Their results are 96%+ of what a Forster honed out die will produce.

With a set of Redding competition shell holders to easily control fired case shoulder setback to minimum spread, very long case life and excellent accuracy is easy.

A custom full length sizing die dimensioned for your chamber will improve case life over a commercial honed out die, maybe 10 to 20 percent. Accuracy difference may not be noticed unless best quality match rifles are used. You will need your own chamber reamer to keep costs of a new barrel down.

Gelded dies only; no balls about it.

With properly sized cases, most any seater die is good. There's about .003" spread across all makes of a given cartridge seater's bullet chamber. The tighter bullets fit them, the straighter bullets start into straight case necks.
 
Last edited:
Richard Coody said:
.......The best dies are custom for the chamber on your rifle. Send 3 fired but not resized cases that have been fired at least 3 times to fully fireform to whidden or jones or your choice of custom die makers. They will be full length resizing dies.......
.
Click to expand...

+1. Best way to go IMHO!

Alex
 
Lol welcome to a place were no one agrees and everyones got a different opinion!! Thats what makes shooting a competition, everyone has their own ways! If everyone did stuff the same way, itd be no fun..

I use redding fl bushing dies, and wilson inline seating dies..
 
Sniper338 said:
Lol welcome to a place were no one agrees and everyones got a different opinion!! Thats what makes shooting a competition, everyone has their own ways! If everyone did stuff the same way, itd be no fun..

I use redding fl bushing dies, and wilson inline seating dies..
Click to expand...

Same here but after FL sizing with bushing die I run over a mandrel for final step. Love my Wilson seater and 21st Century press with guage......:)
 
I have one Neil Jones die, and it is superb. Brass life definitely improved, no donuts, and re-sizing is a breeze.

Just have to wait approx 6 months for it!
 
Although honing out die necks is a good option, a better option is to have a custom die made to your spec. The problem is that if your chamber dimensions change when you replace the barrel, your custom die may no longer do the job. Are you going to be turning your necks? What brand of brass will you be using? What kind of neck clearance will you be using? Arbor press seating dies may be made using the reamer that was used to chamber the barrel. One way to have chamber uniformity going forward is to buy your own reamer(s). There are lots of options, but in order to come up with the absolute best answer, we could use a little more information. A friend had a custom die made for one of his rifles. It was set up so that with the expander ball he has .002 neck tension and without it .003. Having his necks expanded up that amount does not hurt concentriciy, especially given the design of Hornady expanders.
 
Tsu45 said:
Hey guys,

First time poster here. Forum looks a great resource for reloading info!

I'm looking for some recommendations on the higher end precision reloading die sets. I have reloaded for years, but mostly just hunting rounds were I had a different expectation for accuracy out of the rifles and definitely wasn't worried about SD/ES and their effects at distance.

Never used the bushing sizing dies. Currently shooting 6.5 creedmoor with a 6 creedmoor barrel on the way. Could I use the same sizing die with both, just with different bushings?

I plan to full length size every time just so I don't run into any feeding issues. What dies do y'all recommend? FL and neck size in one or two dies? I'd rather just run one if there isn't much difference.

Price isn't much of a concern considering the amount of rounds the price will be amortized over but I don't really want to go custom ground at this time for other reasons.
Click to expand...

I like Micrometer seaters for ease of recording established loads and dialing them back to that setting. I prefer the Forster because of the big easy to grip micrometer knob and price advantage over Redding. They probably both load equally straight ammunition and may have an accuracy edge over standard seating dies due to the way they handle the case and bullet. In sizing dies, I do prefer Redding, and bushing dies, at that. Between Redding and Forster, Redding seems to offer more types of sizing dies. Redding and Forster are the only two manufacturers of advanced dies I have exprience with and in depth knowledge of products, so lack of mention of anything else should not be a thumbs down on other manufacturers.

Danny
 
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