Which FL bushing sizer die?

[JMUPT]

I'm looking to purchase either a RCBS or Redding Fl bushing sizer die, and I'm worndering if one if one is that much better than the other. These will be for hunting rifles, l'm looking for more consistant neck tension hoping to improve accuracy. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[bglenn]

Either should be fine - Ford/Chevy.

 

[Shynloco]

Either should be fine - Ford/Chevy.

+1. My preference is that I like Reddings because of the design of the head and easier adjustment without the use of wrenches. RCBS does have fantastic Customer Service though as I use several of their other products.

 

[JMUPT]

Thanks for the answers so far. There is about a $30-40 dollar difference between the redding and the rcbs, with the readding being more expensive. I didn't think that they would be that different, but haven't ever used bushing dies before.

 

[amlevin]

Have you looked at Forster? I find there Shoulder Bump/Neck Size Bushing Die to be the best of all worlds.

If the brass you're reloading has been fired already in your rifle then all you really need to do is bump the shoulder back the desired amount and size the neck. No need to work the rest of the case and loose any case volume you gained from fire-forming.

My F/L dies are sitting unused since I got this Forster Die.

 

[BoydAllen]

If you get by just doing necks and bumping, your loads are not hot...which is just fine, if that works for you. The reason that short range benchrest has largely gone to FL dies is that they need a little clearance so that the action can be operated smoothly, and many shoot hot loads. The idea that a FL die would do much to case capacity, or damage fit in the chamber comes form using factory dies for brass from chambers that they are not a good match for. If you have a well matched chamber and die you might have about a thousandth reduction in body diameter, or in my case less.

 

[fourpower]

i have been reloading for 55 years and used all kinds of dies. never used a forster. finally seen good buy on a should bump/neck size bushing die set! wish i had did that years ago. what a die set? i am now selling all other die sets and going to forster. brass last great and best neck tension ever. all my guns now shooting better and reloading is much faster. great dies

 

[searcher]

Look at the Forster bump die! I bought one for my 7mm Mag and was impressed enough to buy one for my 6PPC and replaced an expensive custom die in the process. Now have them in many calibers - yet I do stick with Reddings on most of my match rifles. Both great dies. For big game - recommend the Forster. Targets or ground squirrels at 500 yards - either one.

 

[chevytruck_83]

I also like the forster bushing bump die. Follow it with a body die to Prevent chambering issues. If you dont follow with a body die you will most likely get one or two more firings before it becomes hard or impossible to chamber. Ive used redding and rcbs as well. None none of them bad. Ive just seen better results with this combination.

 

[BoydAllen]

For hunting use, you can pretty much take any approach that results in a hit on an animal, and you are good to go, but for target work, where every effort is made for consistency, I think it better to use a good fitting FL die every time. Cases do not get tight at the same number of firings, and if you are shooting a group in competition, and one round has an easy bolt close, and another harder, they will not group as well as if they were all hard or all easy. The bad rap that FL sizing every time gets is because of ill fitting dies. If they barely move the brass, reducing diameters a thousandth here and there, and shoulder bump is closely measured and monitored, there is no problem FL sizing every time, and this will result in the desired uniformity in bolt close effort. Unfortunately many shooters have never worked with a die that fit one of their rifle's chambers, so to them, this may seem like an unlikely assertion, but it is true.

 

[amlevin]

For hunting use, you can pretty much take any approach that results in a hit on an animal, and you are good to go, but for target work, where every effort is made for consistency, I think it better to use a good fitting FL die every time. Cases do not get tight at the same number of firings, and if you are shooting a group in competition, and one round has an easy bolt close, and another harder, they will not group as well as if they were all hard or all easy. The bad rap that FL sizing every time gets is because of ill fitting dies. If they barely move the brass, reducing diameters a thousandth here and there, and shoulder bump is closely measured and monitored, there is no problem FL sizing every time, and this will result in the desired uniformity in bolt close effort. Unfortunately many shooters have never worked with a die that fit one of their rifle's chambers, so to them, this may seem like an unlikely assertion, but it is true.

All very true. Now if only everyone either had chambers built to match a case sized by their "off the shelf" dies or had dies built to match the chamber of their rifle.

Fact is that those with matching die/chamber are far far fewer than those who are forced to make due with the mass produced dies.

 

[BoydAllen]

I don't know about forced, but I will agree that the vast majority of shooters do not have either a custom chamber or die. I think that in many cases this is because they don't understand the advantages, or know what is readily available. It is for this reason that I beat the drum on this subject, to increase awareness. Many times I see shooters who can easily afford something that works better, but do not know anything about it. Certainly, most of my rifles have factory chambers and are reloaded with factory dies, but the ones that I shoot a lot have aftermarket barrels with well matched chambers and dies, and anything that I rebarrel will. By investing in a reamer that matches a factory die, a shooter is assured of a continuing good fit of his ammo in his chamber, and in the total cost of a rifle project, the cost of the reamer is not so much compared to the other components.

 

[amlevin]

Boyd-

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't some of the premier rifle makers at one time supply a die that matched the rifle they built?

My fading memory also recalls some of the older rifles and pistols coming with a bullet mold that was specially "cut" to closely fit the barrels.

Was that so or do I need to schedule an appointment with my Doc, the one that fixes noggins? 8)

 

[BoydAllen]

I am not sure about the dies, and although I am older than some who post here, my experience does not go back to the cap and ball days ;-) I have seen examples of fine muzzle loaders that came with a bullet mold. The whole custom die matched to chamber thing has to be driven by demand, and while there have always been shooters with deep pockets, many of these are too busy making the money it takes to afford fancy rifles to have spent much time becoming educated as to the finer points of their design and how to come up with the best ammunition. Absent that demand, not too much happens.

 

[articmp]

Whidden builds an outstanding die. Don't see myself buying anything else, if possible.