which dies?

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  • which dies?

    We went from one or two to choose from to a bunch!
    Midway has several different from RCBS in the "AR" series .
    I'll be getting a 264 lbc barrel for my AR, which is best?
  • bwaites
    Moderator
    • Mar 2011
    • 4445

    #2
    Best, that's easy, Redding Competition Type S bushing dies with the Micrometer seating die.

    You asked for best, right?

    Reloading equipment for rifles, handguns, pistols, revolvers, custom dies, bullet casting equipment, powder measuring and weighing equipment, bullet seating dies

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    • #3
      Yea, but I'll be launching these out of an AR.
      Is a $200 die set really necessary? I'm not a "master class" shooter.
      I was thinking these might be an affordable option:

      I just dont know if the small base ones are needed.

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      • #4
        I have Redding Dies but holy crap are those ones expensive!!!

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        • #5
          Originally posted by ctrmass View Post
          Yea, but I'll be launching these out of an AR.
          Is a $200 die set really necessary? I'm not a "master class" shooter.
          I was thinking these might be an affordable option:

          I just dont know if the small base ones are needed.
          Just get the regular Redding dies.

          Comment

          • longdayjake

            #6
            The hornady dies are CHEAP and much better than lee dies. Redding work just fine, but I am enjoying my hornady dies. I have used the redding, forster, lee, and hornady. Hornady were the cheapest and they work well.

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            • CoolBarrelBill

              #7
              I have a set of Hornady dies and the work just fine.

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              • bwaites
                Moderator
                • Mar 2011
                • 4445

                #8
                Originally posted by ctrmass View Post
                Yea, but I'll be launching these out of an AR.
                Is a $200 die set really necessary? I'm not a "master class" shooter.
                I was thinking these might be an affordable option:

                I just dont know if the small base ones are needed.
                OK, so you don't really want BEST! LOL!!

                The Hornady dies work great. The Redding regular dies work great as well.

                I've found the bushing dies give some pretty significant advantages when you are using different types of brass, ie. Hornady, Wolf, Lapua, since you can tailor the bushing to the brass neck thickness and avoid working the brass more than necessary.

                BUT...for blasting ammo, the Hornady and Redding standard dies are good to go!

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                • #9
                  Hornady it is. Thanks!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by ctrmass View Post
                    Hornady it is. Thanks!
                    Hold on there! All of the above dies will do the job, but will they do it without out excessive runout and other accuracy issues? The answer is NO. If you want the best die set that produces the most concentric ammo and at an affordable price, then look no further than the Forster BR die set.

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                    • bwaites
                      Moderator
                      • Mar 2011
                      • 4445

                      #11
                      Good point! I forget about Forster dies sometimes.

                      Comment

                      • RangerRick

                        #12
                        Another factor is working your brass. At 80 cents per case for Lapua brass the Redding bushing sizing die will pay for itself by extending the life of your brass when used with the largest bushing that gives you good neck tension.
                        Last edited by Guest; 04-03-2011, 04:04 AM.

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                        • pinzgauer
                          Warrior
                          • Mar 2011
                          • 440

                          #13
                          Originally posted by mseric View Post
                          If you want the best die set that produces the most concentric ammo and at an affordable price, then look no further than the Forster BR die set.

                          http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=759032
                          +1 on the Forster... I'm seeing very good results with them in Grendel. If I was on a tighter budget, I'd go Hornady. If I had the bucks, the Redding S for the reasons mentioned above!

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by pinzgauer View Post
                            +1 on the Forster... I'm seeing very good results with them in Grendel. !
                            I use Forster dies for my Grendel and .223's. Have used Lee, RCBS and Redding. Only one of those I still use is the .223 Competition Bullet Seating Die.

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                            • #15
                              Here's a chance to show my butt to everyone.

                              I will be needing a resizing die myself it appears. I purchased a set of the Hornady dies a short while ago and discovered the resizing die squeezed my .299 OD (AA Chamber) once fired necks down to .285. Despite the .2628 expander pulling back through afterward, when I went to seat bullets, the once fired Hornady cases collapsed down into themselves more often than not. So, I decided to lap the neck resizing area of the die a little larger.

                              Using cases and 500 grit lapping fluid, I spent two evenings painfully, slowly, working the die, but it looked like it would take forever. I changed tactics to using a 17/64 drill rod as a mandrel, double stick tape and a single layer of 320 wet-or-dry at 60 RPM, progress took on a more tolerable rate and by the third evening I had the die up to .288. Wanting to get some loads going for the break in the weather today, I took the cases, mandrel and 320 wet-or-dry to work on Friday to make some progress during my lunch break. Up until then I stopped lapping every so often and resized a once fired piece of brass to gauge my progress, but did not have that luxury at work. After lapping for an hour, I took my die home and upon resizing a piece of brass, I discovered I went too far yielding as .290 OD neck. For the neck wall thickness of my Hornady brass, the resulting ID was .263 and as you might guess, the bullets now seat too loose. I have a Lee Factory Crimp Die, but getting the necks consistently to the same tension is proving hit and miss.

                              So, I'm going to get a new sizing die. If I had as deep of pockets as some of you, I would have ordered a nice S die earlier this week. Translation: I don't and thanks to the Tax Man, funds are tight for the foreseeable future.
                              Do I get another Hornady die, which seems to be optimized for .295 chambers with it's .285 resizing or are my chances of happiness better with a Forster?
                              Anyone with a Forster who can tell my what OD their resizing die yields?
                              I suspect that my Hornady brass neck wall thickness will not afford me the opportunity to pick an OD that doesn't work them so much in order to get an ID that yields sufficient tension.
                              Does a different brand of brass have a thicker wall?
                              Would I be better off resizing 7.62x39 as that tends to yield a thicker walled neck from what I've read?
                              I stepped into this and don't know whether to throw the shoe away, try to clean it, or what. For the groups I've been getting with the new brass, I'm already having second thoughts about the caliber and it's hard to keep a positive outlook. Hindsight being 20-20, I should have gotten a barrel with a .295 necked chamber, I now realize. Fools Rush In...

                              Sorry for butting in on this thread, but it's kind of related...

                              Hoot

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