Thread: Bushing dies opinions/experiances

I am looking at what is available to load 6.5 Creedmoor with. I can't quite make up my mind on a sizing die. I was pretty set on getting a Forster FL die and BR seater, but I have also looked at Bushing FL dies (Hornady, Redding, Wilson etc).

Does using them really necessitate neck turning the brass?

Originally Posted by Beavis

Does using them really necessitate neck turning the brass?

Absolutely not.

My go to these days is standard Redding NS die plus a Redding body die, pretty much does away with the need for FL dies. Only time I’ve needed to use bushing dies was for a custom WSM barrel where the throat and chamber were cut to tighter than SAMI spec. In that case I had to neck turn brass to fit chamber & needed bushing dies for sizing a couple of thou below SAMI

The main advantages of using a bushing die is that you can just size down the neck to give you the bullet tension you want thereby negating the need for using an expander on the decapping shaft. You're working the brass less by not oversizing the neck and then dragging the expander back through. Most run-out problems can be attributed to the expander.

All my reloading is done with Redding FL or neck bushing dies (and Redding body dies). Prefer Wilson bushings to Redding. Expensive dies but worth it IMHO.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

The main advantages of using a bushing die is that you can just size down the neck to give you the bullet tension you want thereby negating the need for using an expander on the decapping shaft. You're working the brass less by not oversizing the neck and then dragging the expander back through. Most run-out problems can be attributed to the expander.

All my reloading is done with Redding FL or neck bushing dies (and Redding body dies). Prefer Wilson bushings to Redding. Expensive dies but worth it IMHO.

+1 I haven't used an expander on a rifle cartridge for years apart from removing a dent in a neck and I wind that right down so I am only sizing the inside.
Neck tension imo has the most influence on ES. It is true that you can have a load with a low ES that is not accurate so it does not matter to most hunters. But if you have a low ES load that is accurate you have a reliable LR load.

Better brass life is a plus as well.

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Originally Posted by Beavis

I am looking at what is available to load 6.5 Creedmoor with. I can't quite make up my mind on a sizing die. I was pretty set on getting a Forster FL die and BR seater, but I have also looked at Bushing FL dies (Hornady, Redding, Wilson etc).

Does using them really necessitate neck turning the brass?

If you start with brass that has an even neck thickness right around, then neck turning / or reaming will only give you an alteration in that thickness. Which you can alter in any case by using different sized bushings. ( different brands of cases have a different thickness )

Lee collet die?

I use a Wilson bushing neck die (they don't make a full length die) for cases that are neck turned 80% or more. If I'm not going to bother full or partial neck turning, I use a Lee collet die. Both work very well. However, I do like the idea of the Forster full length die, with the neck honed by Forster to the cartridge neck diameter you choose. However, that would mean neck turning anyway. For seating the bullets there is nothing better than a Wilson seating die.

Originally Posted by rupert

.... For seating the bullets there is nothing better than a Wilson seating die.

Or a Jones Custom Products seating die. Used the Jones hand dies for many years for my 6 PPC.

Sounds like it might be a go then. Looking at a Redding Type S FL and a competition seater via Brownells

I've been happy with the Redding Type S dies for .300 WM and 7mm RM cartridges.