Rifle Die Question - Choice/Recommendations ?

[Rollbar]

In the future I want to purchase some Rifle dies (30-30; 30/06; 223; 243; 270; 7mm Mag) and I'm not sure what to buy.

I have looked at these Lee dies but I am not sure the difference between these (deluxe) and the Pacesetter?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/342319/lee-deluxe-3-die-set-30-30-winchester

I also would like a factory (Lee) crimp as well if needed.


BUT-Again, if there are better dies for rifle than these, then I would like input to help make a decision.

What say ye ?

Thanks,
Jim

P.S. I know I said awhile ago that I would not re-load rifle and just use factory ammo. But seeing and reading posts on this forum has changed my ignorant young re-loading mind.

 

[gregintenn]

In my opinion, the Lee dies work as well as anyone else's at a much discounted price.

I'm not sure of the difference in the Pacesetter dies and the Deluxe set. I can tell you that the RGB dies come in cheaper packaging, and lack the shellholder and powder dipper of the pacesetters, but are the same otherwise.

The Lee Factory Crimp dies have no equal. They are great.

I don't generally crimp rifle ammunition, but you will get varying opinions on the issue.

 

[blujax01]

I bought an RCBS rifle die (45-70) for $51 and got $25 worth of pistol bullets (45acp) with the rebate. Hard to beat a deal like that

 

[novalty]

If you are going to be shooting 30-30 a lot, you may want to consider a RCBS X-Sizer die too.

 

[garbler]

though I still have a few RCBS rifle dies most of my screw in types are Redding. I prefer their dies as I and most of my shooter friends and Wildcatters find they hold their dies to a little bit tighter tolerances and certainly finish them off better. They do cost a bit more but quality isn't free.

Regards

 

[Rollbar]

The Lee has the sizing die in the deluxe set but I do like the bullet offer as well.

Question, why does RCBS and some others only come in a two die set?

I was reading the info and seems one die does a lot of things whereas you don't need three-sounds kind of complicated to me when I was reading.

Also, does RCBS have a lifetime warranty on their dies as well?

Thanks,
Jim
P.S. Yes 30-30/270/223/30/06 a lot

 

[novalty]

A lot of people don't like having one die to do both the seating and crimping--which some might be just an issue with trying to get it set correctly. So the reason you'll see 3 die rifle sets, is that you have 1 to de-prime & size, one to seat the bullet, and the third to crimp it. I have an RCBS X-Sizer die set for .223 with a Lee FCD, which I just starting getting into loading. So far I haven't used the Lee FCD. I think the Lee FCD's would be really beneficial for bullets that do not have a cannelure. As for preferred dies, I wish I had some Forster seating dies, as I really like the guide sleeve they use. Hornady has a guide sleeve for their seating die too, and I have a set of their dies for loading 25-35 WCF.

RCBS does have a lifetime warranty on their dies. I snapped off a de-capping pin and bent the stem on my 38/357 die (was processing about 2500 pieces of brass), called them up and explained what happened, and had a replacement in my mail within a week. Thankfully, I have 1 set for 38 Special & 1 set for 357 Magnum, so I was able to keep on going.

The RCBS X-Sizer dies are designed to reduce the number of times you actually need to trim your rifle brass--by incorporating a mandrel in the die to prevent the brass from stretching during sizing. After you've trimmed some brass, chamferred and deburred it, you will see the value in the die.

 

[Rollbar]

I did read that about that RCBS die and that was interesting, sounds like a plan w/that die for sure.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[Beaver]

All brands

I've got probably 30-40 sets of dies of all brands. I have several sets of Lee and Lyman and they work just fine. I did buy a set of Redding in 243 for two deer rifles and one varmint gun and all three guns are under 1". Lyman carries good inexpensive dies for some of the more obscure calibers. My local Bi-Mart sells Hornady and RCBS so I own many of these. Good quality dies really never lose their value if you take good care of them. Among my greater network of gun-swindlers, hand-loaders, and other unnamed best friends, a set of dies is always $20-$30 bucks. The best invention ever is carbide rings in straight wall cases.

 

[novalty]

Oh and one other thing. Buy a can of Imperial Sizing die wax Product# 07600. I just bought some, and the acclaims it has received are not unfounded. It is some darn good stuff.

 

[garbler]

Oh and one other thing. Buy a can of Imperial Sizing die wax Product# 07600. I just bought some, and the acclaims it has received are not unfounded. It is some darn good stuff.

+1 on Imperial Sizing lube and I can tell you that little round tin will last you years. I have used no more than two tins in all my years — of course I don't full length my rifle cases but once most of the time then only bump the shoulder. A little dab on your fingers and it will spread and cover a lot of brass.

One of the biggest problems you can have with bottleneck rifle cases is press induced run-out. If you have a Co-Ax press no problems as the shell holder floats but otherwise when seating bullets it is way too common to have run-out issues with the bullets so it is a good idea to spin them about 120°, or three steps , as you are coming down with the seating die. Make sure you have the correct seating stem for your bullet type ( spitzer, flat point etc ) Another trick is to put a rubber O-ring on the die's threads so the die compresses the rubber and this lets it float a bit. Simple thing that works — a poor mans benchrest trick.

 

[DWalt]

For new dies, it's Lee all the way for me. For used dies, it's whatever brand I can find reasonably priced on eBay. I've bought some described there as used which show absolutely no indication of actually having been used. I did get a bad set of Lee dies once, and Lee replaced it without any questions.

Regarding crimping, I don't believe rifle cases need to be crimped, with the exception of cartridges like the .30-30 intended for use in a tubular magazine. There might also be an exception for very heavy magnum cartridges, but I do not shoot any of those, managing for the last 50 years to avoid any desire for owning a magnum. For my needs, a .30-'06 is well beyond being adequate.

 

[SMSgt]

Never had an issue with RCBS dies or a need for the warranty.

 

[don5]

I use rcbs rifle dies. I have not loaded for any pistol yet. I have dies in the following calibers:223,243,6.5x55,260,270,3006,7 mag,300 win mag,338 win mag. I have never had an issue with any dies. I have used all of the dies listed with the exception of 6.5,7 mag,300 mag and 338. I have used the 223 dies the most. My advice is to buy the dies you want from the company you want. Get the most bang for your buck. They will get the job done no matter what the name on the die says provided you do your part.

 

[Rollbar]

Great info, thank you

Research continues.

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=IMPERIAL+LUBRICANTS

 

[jepp2]

BUT-Again, if there are better dies for rifle than these, then I would like input to help make a decision.

A little more input about your objectives would help.

If you are just planning to reload to replace factory ammo to save costs, then I'm not sure you will find that much difference between Lee, RCBS, Lyman, and Redding. I personally find Redding to be my favorite. The workmanship is better, but I really like Lee. And I have lots of Lyman and RCBS dies too.

But, If you ultimately are interested in sizing your brass with minimum neck runout, and making your cases last the longest, then you will need to take a different approach. Lee collet dies will make your brass last longer and give the least neck runout post sizing. But when you need to move the shoulder back, I find the Redding shoulder die the best die to do this. But this only covers sizing and doesn't address bullet seating. Options exist for seating bullets with the least runout. Precision seating dies can be expensive.

So I have tried to share some information, but not make any specific recommendations since I don't know what you really want to do.

 

[moxie]

Two die RCBS sets is all you need.

 

[scooter123]

First you need to list out what type of rifle you'll be shooting each of those calibers in.

Because if your shooting that 30.06 in just one bolt action rifle you'll want to use a neck sizing die after fire forming the casing to your rifles chamber. Because casings that are only neck sized last far longer than those full length sized and fire formed casings don't tend to grow much at all after the initial forming. Unfortunately you can't normally used fire formed casings in a semi auto or lever gun due to potential issues with the bolt binding during lockup.

As for the Lee Factory Crimp Die, I am a fan. The logic of containing the bullet until the pressure reaches a specific level seem quite reasonable to me. That initial fixed volume during the ignition process should in theory result in a more consistent and stable ignition of the full volume of the powder charge. As for concerns about this crimp causing a spike in pressure, I've done the math and in a 308 the pressure required to release a 100 lbs. crimp is only 1342 psi. End result is improved accuracy and a much lower spread in measured velocities.

As for brands, if I could find them all my dies would be Lee. Mainly because IMO they make an excellent product at a price point a bit lower than their competitors. Being a cheap *** I like bargains and IMO Lee dies are bargains. Unfortunately, right now it's not possible to pick and choose and I've never seen any local reloading dealer have every size of a particular brand on hand, so you usually have to take what you can actually find. My first set of 308 dies are Dillon but have been supplemented with the addition of a Lee Neck Sizer and a Lee Factory Crimp Die.

 

[Rollbar]

A little more input about your objectives would help.

If you are just planning to reload to replace factory ammo to save costs, then I'm not sure you will find that much difference between Lee, RCBS, Lyman, and Redding. I personally find Redding to be my favorite. The workmanship is better, but I really like Lee. And I have lots of Lyman and RCBS dies too.

But, If you ultimately are interested in sizing your brass with minimum neck runout, and making your cases last the longest, then you will need to take a different approach. Lee collet dies will make your brass last longer and give the least neck runout post sizing. But when you need to move the shoulder back, I find the Redding shoulder die the best die to do this. But this only covers sizing and doesn't address bullet seating. Options exist for seating bullets with the least runout. Precision seating dies can be expensive.

So I have tried to share some information, but not make any specific recommendations since I don't know what you really want to do.

Hunting w/the rifles/sighting in but that's about all except the .223, that is for man on man/target.

 

[Rollbar]

First you need to list out what type of rifle you'll be shooting each of those calibers in.

.223 = AR semi-auto
30-30 = Marlin lever action
30/06 = Forget mfg - bolt action
243 = will be purchasing, probably bolt action
270 = Browning A=bolt II
7mm Mag = Ruger bolt action