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What type of dies.
Nwcid
Member Posts: 10,674 ✭
I have always used just standard RCBS dies for reloading my rifle ammo. I got what I will call my first "real" target gun that I want to make the best ammo I can for it and get the most life out of the brass.
I am looking at either Reding or RCBS dies. They have every kind from basic to "super duper" dies costing several time what standard ones do. What is the difference?
I see 2 die and 3 die sets is one better then the other?
How about just neck sizing? I have never done that. How does it work and how much extra life can you get?
I just picked up an Armalite AR-30 in .300 Win Mag and I know lots of little things can start making a difference past 500 yards.
I am looking at either Reding or RCBS dies. They have every kind from basic to "super duper" dies costing several time what standard ones do. What is the difference?
I see 2 die and 3 die sets is one better then the other?
How about just neck sizing? I have never done that. How does it work and how much extra life can you get?
I just picked up an Armalite AR-30 in .300 Win Mag and I know lots of little things can start making a difference past 500 yards.
Comments
As far as neck sizing goes, it makes a larger difference in bolt rifles set up for accuracy.
You have a semi-auto rig, and if it has a tight chamber, small base dies may be necessary.
The 3 die sets are better because you have both a neck sizing die and a full length die. This way, your' FL die comes in handy when the cases get tough to chamber after multiple NK sizings and firings.
I prefer Redding over RCBS.
I prefer Wilson over both.
If you have the money, order Newlon Precision die blanks and have them cut with your reamer.
I am thinking about neck sizing since it should help extend the life of the brass if I am correct.
I am leaning toward the Redding I was trying to figure out what the difference between the $30 sets and the $70-100 sets.
The expensive sets have several advantages. One, is the use of bushings to control neck tension by the .001" or even .0005" (one side is slightly tighter than the other side of the bushing.
Second, is (if applicable) the micrometer seating adjustment. You simply record the setting for each bullet to be where you want it in relation to the lands, and can then quickly jump back and forth between many different bullets.
Dies available to consumers all have one thing in common, they are all made on high speed CNC machines with the same types of tooling. This includes all of the brands that we are aware of through our reading and buying. Redding seems to have a slight edge to some folks but when taken with the same group of dies and measured, they don't always come out on top. With the purchase of Redding by ATK, prices were bound to go up. In reality, all Redding did was raise their prices to such a high level so that they distanced themselves from the others, claiming that they are a premium product with pricing to convince us of that supposed fact. This is a ploy used by beer companies for decades, using terms such as Premium and now Super Premium in an attempt to justify excessive price increase without commensurate increases in quality. For the general reloading duties that we need, any of the major manufacturers will do an O.K. job. But when you buy a rifle and want the top performance in accuracy and consistency, you might want to look at the alternatives.
Belted magnums have one additional area that is avoided with rimless cartridges and that's the intersection of the case body with the front of the belt. Improper sizing will either push material down towards the belt creating a ring of material or it will cause the case to stretch leaving a thinned ring on the inside of the case. Both of these result in case failures. Some of this can be eliminated by fireforming the cases in your chamber and relying on neck sizing for headspace and accuracy. Eventually, you'll have to set the shoulder back a couple of thousandths to eliminate some of the stiffness when you chamber a case.
The best dies to achieve the highest degree of accuracy are the ones that match your chamber most closely. Constant resizing of the cases often leads to case failure, constant improper resizing reduces accuracy and case life even further. Chamber matched dies remove the inaccuracy of generic sizing. Cases don't get fat in front of the belt and they don't stretch there either. Considering the increase in the cost of brass, better dies might be the way to save some money.
Inline dies used with arbor presses remove the problem of component misalignment due to the threads on standard dies. If you choose to use threaded dies, be sure to critically align the dies with the ram and shellholder.
I have used the Wilson dies, Harrell dies and some from several of the custom folks. I make my own now but for those that can't, here are some alternatives:
Jim Carstensen makes dies to match your chamber. He does not have a website as he is usually pretty busy. Here is an article about his dies:
http://www.6mmbr.com/CarstensenJLC01.html
JLC Precision Custom FL Dies and Wilson Micro-Seaters
-- Great Accuracy Combined with Superior Value --
Custom dies fitted to your chamber produce the best accuracy and longest brass life. You can order a custom die cut with a chamber reamer for $150-$200. A better solution is offered by Jim Carstensen. Send him a Redding 6BR Body Die, and some fired cases, and he will adapt the die to hold Wilson and Redding neck bushings. On a custom basis, he will hone the die core for perfect, "just right" body sizing/shoulder bumping. Your Cost? Only $35 plus the donor die, plus honing/custom fitting on an hourly rate. (Honing usually runs about $30). Does it work? Yes, just ask Al Nyhus, 2003 IBS Champion, who uses JLC bushing dies for his BR rifles.
JLC Precision (Jim Carstensen)
jlcprec@netins.net
13095 450th Ave
Bellevue, IA 52031
Shop phone: (563) 689-6258, cell: (563) 212-2984
L.E. Wilson
http://lewilson.com/
Neil Jones
http://www.neiljones.com/
Harrell's Precision
http://www.harrellsprec.com/
You need to be aware of the new generation of Match bullets that are being manufactured with better, more uniform points. Sierra has announced the release of the first such improvements with the new 155 gr. Match King.
"Matt Reams of Sierra Bullets confirmed that the new bullet, Sierra part # 2156, will shortly enter full-scale production. Sierra is planning a late-December 2008 release date, but Matt says "first week of 2009 should be a safe bet." The bullets will be priced "roughly 5% higher than current Sierra 155gr MatchKings", according to Matt."
This additional pointing operation removes the need to buy another tool to accomplish the same thing. Pointing hollowpoint bullets has already demonstrated an improvement in accuracy most especially at the longer ranges.
Best.
BTW he like Hornady dies........
Good for you! Jim's a nice man and very talented. His work is worth looking at under any circumstances.
I like most of the commercially manufactured dies on the market today. In fact I use several sets of Forster dies along with Hornady, RCBS, Redding, CH4D, Lyman and others I can't think of right now. There is nothing wrong with them in the general sense and I have recommended all of them at one time or another depending on the need and use for the reloader. For my own accuracy projects though, I will take the time to make my own which I know for sure will accurate ammunition.
Best.
NWCID - I learn so much on here. Please educate me. What is an ar-30 bolt action? I have never heard of this firearm. A link would be great. Thanks!
DCS hit it. I will be posting pics and a quick review of it next weekend when I have it in hand. I will be doing further posts when I get my real scope mounted and when I get it so I can use my suppressor on it.