Help me choose reloading dies.

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daveinns

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Hi All,

I'm just starting to get together reloading equipment and need help choosing what I need for dies. I will be doing only 9mm and 308 on a RCBS Rock Chucker, for a CZ Sp-01 Shadow and Rem 700 5R if that makes any difference.

1. I was looking at Hornady pistol dies and Redding or Hornady 308 dies but had a few questions.

2. Is a micrometer seating stem any better to use for either setup?

3. Is it better to separate the seating and crimping process with a separate crimping die?

4. If I'm only shooting cases that were formed in my rifle do I only need to neck size them?

5. Is there a tool to measure primer seating depth or do you only go by "feel"?

6. Is a Ram prime any good for priming?

I'm not completely stuck on Hornady or Redding, so if you can suggest something better that would be appreciated.

Thanks

Dave
 
For your .308 go with Redding bushing die with a micrometer seating die. Just so much easier to record your settings when changing for one bullet to another and back again. You do not need to crimp your .308. I usually shoot over 1000 rounds of handloaded match ammo a year and have never crimped. If you are only using brass that has been fired in your rifle you can neck size, but sooner or later you will have to full length resize. I find after about 4-5 loadings I need to FL size.
 
I like Lee dies, they work amazing, get the 3 set that are collet dies, they come with a crimp die and they are the best bang for the buck, I have tried all kinds of dies, my money is on Lee dies. my 2 cents.
 
leeelmer said:
I like Lee dies, they work amazing, get the 3 set that are collet dies, they come with a crimp die and they are the best bang for the buck, I have tried all kinds of dies, my money is on Lee dies. my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

i agree i have a lee turret press with lee dies best bang for your buck and i find lee dies are the easiest to find.
 
I will second the Redding recommendation for the rifle, they are very nice to use and the best quality of any dies I have tried. I have used Lee carbide pistol dies with no trouble, never tried Redding pistol dies yet.

Mark
 
ok - my 2 cents FWIW etc...

I have Hornady in 45ACP and 9MM Luger ... Love em... and hey a set of dies nets you a hundred free Hornady bullets to boot!

On the other side... Redding make beautiful dies! you would not be disappointed with them!

As for the micrometer seating stem.... I have one of these for the Hornady bullet seater (Hdy # 044090) - is it necessary? Heck NO! Is it easier and more enjoyable? Heck YES! - Worth it IMHO

Now as for Crimping! for 9MM you want to Taper crimp therefore you need to do it in a separate station! The crimp portion of your seating die is a roll crimp. Screw down your die till it just touches the empty sized case, then back it off a turn or so... then tighten your locknut... then adjust your seater portion of the die... you don't want the crimp done with this die. You need to get a separate taper crimp die.

Hope that helps some..

daveinns said:
Hi All,

1. I was looking at Hornady pistol dies and Redding or Hornady 308 dies but had a few questions.

2. Is a micrometer seating stem any better to use for either setup?

3. Is it better to separate the seating and crimping process with a separate crimping die?
Click to expand...
 
"...you need to do it in a separate station..." No you don't, but you don't absolutely need to crimp 9mm either. The taper crimp die can be set up to seat too.
Definitely don't need to crimp .308. As mentioned, you'll have to FL resize eventually, but you can neck size only for a bolt action or a single shot. Semi's, levers and pump's require FL resizing every time.
I have Redding and RCBS dies. Both are the same quality. The RCBS are more expensive now, but you don't get the same warrantee with most other die sets. Don't recall if Hornady made dies when I started. May not have been available in Canada, then.
Primers are seated until you can't push(firmly but not hard) any more. There's no measuring involved. They'll only go in do far. Haven't ever used anything but the 'auto-primer feed' tubes myself.
 
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