3 die / neck die question

toad67

When buying a set of dies is it worth buying a 3 die set with a neck die, such as Redding if a person is going to be reloading factory brass shot from only their own gun?

charliemeyer007

Having both a full and neck sizer could be useful if you are forced into other brass or loan some ammo to a buddy. When taken care of dies will last lifetimes and perhaps hundreds of thousands of rounds what is the extra cost? like $20.

FrancF

I just get full length and re adjust it for neck sizing.

jonk

Yes, but only if you are loading for a bolt gun, and you are willing to segregate brass if you have multiples in the same caliber. Otherwise not worth it.

I can't say enough good things about the Lee neck sizer. It's the only die that will, by design, leave zero bullet runout. The Redding would be my second choice.

Ambrose

One advantage to neck sizing that seldom gets mentioned: There is usually no need to lube cases when neck sizing. Therefore you don't have to tumble or otherwise clean the lube off the case before continuing with the loading process.

I neck size whenever I can and when I have more than one rifle in a given chambering, I do keep cases separate and mark the boxes.

And +1 on the Lee collet dies.

62fuelie

Neck sizing only is safest with bolt actions and single shots like the Ruger #1 or Browning 1885. Any of the other actions allow too much chamber movement for the brass to fully retain the shape of the chamber. To use a regular die as a neck sizer just raise the ram with the shell holder in place and screw the sizing die down with a dime on the face of the shell holder and lock the stop ring there.

sandwarrior

toad67,

I fullsize the first time. Then fully prep brass. Then I necksize thereafter until the shoulder needs to be bumped back again. When I do, I set the fullsizer die to where it needs to be in relation to the cases, not where I had it before.