Preferred brand of "competition" dies?

[ballisticdaddy]

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......

Curious as to why final pass is over mandrel, is that to help with concentricity or next tension....or both?

 

[Richard Coody]

Both and if you are using a bushing it pushes the bumps to the outside.

 

[Tsu45]

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.

Boyd,

Custom dies would be nice, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I'm shooting an RPR in 6.5 creedmoor now, with a 6 creedmoor on the way. I'm still in that experimenting mode of finding what I like cartridge wise and don't want to go through the trouble of custome dies for one barrel life.

I have about 500 Hornady fired cases to go through on the 6.5 before I switch to the 400 new Lapua I have waiting.

As of now I don't plan on turning necks. Looking at the whidden dies that have been recommended, I like the expander size options they provide to adjust neck tension. From what I've read the expander works well when not neck turning, pushes the inconsistencies back to the outside of the case. With the Lapua brass, I'm not as concerned with running one. I think all this is in the right direction.

 

[Tsu45]

With the Whidden and Redding bushing full length sizing dies, is it the same die body for all parent case cartridges? I.E. one sizer die for 6.5 creedmoor, 6 creedmoor, 22 creedmoor with appropriate neck bushings for each.

 

[Phil]

Warner tool, Neil Jones, Harrells, LE Wilson, Newlon Precision, Whidden, Redding.......

I`m sure that I forgot someone...

 

[JRS]

Forster or Redding, since you don't want custom.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Widden, Forster, Redding in that order

This

 

[Fotheringill]

I prefer the Redding micrometer seater over the RCBS. I have not tried any of the others.

If the question of the OP relates to the least runout, just for laughs and giggles, invest about $22 for a Lee collet neck die and seat with whatever seater you normally use and let us know if your runout is generally less than what you were having.