Thread: Whats your choice of re-loading dies and why?

Curious on dies ppl find do an A1 job (especially for target shooting) and last well. Also any mods ppl are making to improve quality and repeatability.

thanks

Redding Type S NK, Body and Comp seater
Forster Micrometer seater
Cause they're good

Wilson if I could be arsed with an arbor press

Thanks,

Bullet Seating Dies - Redding vs. Forster

Who sells forster in NZ btw?

Dead eye dicks

Deadeye Dicks - Forster

Lee Deluxe set, I use them for FTR class and they are great especially the neck die, cheap too

I use lee dies, cheap

I use:

Lee and RCBS Decapping dies (RCBS currently out of action due to bent pin!)
Lee Collet Neck dies
Redding Body Dies
Redding or Forster Full Length dies
Forster Ultraseating dies

Originally Posted by steven

Thanks,

Bullet Seating Dies - Redding vs. Forster

Who sells forster in NZ btw?

I just get them from Sinclairs in the USA.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

Redding Type S NK, Body and Comp seater
Forster Micrometer seater
Cause they're good

Wilson if I could be arsed with an arbor press

+1

@dogmatix, thanks for that, most US companies dont seem keen to ship here...I'll give them a go.

@savage1 thats good to know (Lee's for FTR class)

Redding or Forster

I use a Lee press and for my 7mm I use Lee dies (redding for the 223).

I can make ammo on my Lee gear that groups like this out of a factory Remington 700. That's a 4 shot group there (100m).

I've had plenty of people tell me that you need expensive gear to load high quality ammo... but it's all about consistency and taking your time.

You can definitely tell the Redding stuff is better made than the Lee stuff... but at the time that was all I could afford... and now I can't justify getting something flasher as it is no advantage to me.

I've prob got every brand of die on the market at the mo LOL
Only issue I have had has been a bad Lee die - machining marks in it
All much of a muchness - certain dies have their advantages, My 223 progressive setup has RCBS, Dillon and Redding dies in it as an eg
I like sleeve seaters in general, also Hornadys expanders, Dillon crimp dies. Seating dies with a air bleed is a big feature for me

With Barnes am finding that a slight chamfer on the neck and slow positive seating stops any shaving on the projectile. Keen Redding person for a while now and especially after recent experience with Redding.Then have a mate who swears by Lee collet dies.He shoots mild 222 loads. Never shoots over 100m.Many people blame the dies but have never read the instructions.

I dont like Lee , I think it is cheaply made and uses shortcuts to achieve that , I use RCBS benchrest micrometer dies , I really like the side loading port on the seating die , and Hornady , top quality , I use an RCBS Rockchucker I think a very rigid press is as important as good dies , these are after using a run out gauge to test various dies and press results .