Confused about RCBS dies

Crazy Chaingun

Crazy Chaingun

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Hello all,

I was looking to order my first reloading dies from basspro, but I'm a little confused with something...

When viewing the Basspro website, they just have one set of RCBS 30-06 dies for sale, simple right?

Well when I look at the RCBS site, they have a "neck die" set, an "F-L" die set, and a "small base" die set.
I couldn't find anything about this in my reloading manual, so I thought I'd post a question.

Basically, what the heck is it that I need?
I'm just reloading to save money target practicing, if that makes any difference.

Any help you could offer would be appreciated.
 
You don't want the small base set....most likely what you want is the FL die set. You might want to look at a Lee Deluxe collet set...comes with a FL die, seater die, and a collet die (neck sizing only).
 
What are you loading for? The most universal die set you can own includes an FL die and neck die. Neck sizing is for boltguns and lighter loads in pumps and levers. Sometimes you can get away with neck sizing with hotter loads but sometimes they require FL sizing. Semis require FL sizing every time. Neck sizing is the cat's ass, no lube is required and brass lasts much longer. Every few loadings you will need to bump the shoulder back when extraction gets sticky. Most RCBS 2 die sets for bottleneck cartridges that are kept in stock include an FL die and roll crimp seating die. They will say FL on the sticker on the box. If you can get the part number just Google it and see what comes up. Big box stores are bad for vague product descriptions like that. Small base dies are for rifles with tight chambers that have extraction issues, like a semi with match chamber. They overwork the brass for anything that doesn't need it. Which is most guns.
 
All good posts - rules of thumb would be SB (Small Base) for semis, FL (Full Length) for most applications, NK (Neck) for bolt action if you don't want to work your brass. I'd recommend the FL dies if you're just getting into reloading with a bolt action, SB for semi.
 
Another way to put what has already been said:

The standard die type is Full Length (FL). Other types are specialized and you would need those only if you reason to deviate from the popular path.
 
To simplify as others have pointed out:

Full Length sizing die: Must have in any reloading setup. Used to resize fired cases back to average SAAMI specs (not quite factory size - see Small Base sizing dies below) so that they chamber freely in any rifle of the same caliber. This is especially important if the cases were fired from a rifle other than the one you are reloading for.

Neck/Collet sizing die: Not necessary BUT highly recommended. Used to size just the neck of the case so that it can put sufficient tension on the bullet when seating. This is used ONLY on cases that were fired from the rifle you are reloading for. The three benefits of this die are:

(1) you do not need to lube the cases in order to size them
(2) because you are only resizing the neck, you can go several firings before having to do any case trimming thereby extending the lifespan of your cases
(3) because the cases have been fire formed in the breech of the rifle you are reloading for, you will get a better seal and bullet alignment with the bore and according to some, a marginal increase in accuracy.

Small Base sizing die: Used primarily in semi-auto rifles. These dies size the cases a fraction smaller than full-length dies to the minimum SAAMI specs (basically factory sized), ensuring that the ammunition feeds reliably in any rifle. The drawback to a small base sizing die is that it works the case more than a full-length die and you may be trimming your cases more frequently and as a result, your case's lifespan is shortened.
 
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Thanks for the advice everyone, that really clears things up for me.

I really want to start reloading, but silly little things like this keep holding me up.
Quite a learning curve to this stuff.

Another question I had; I want to get a manual case trimmer, what make/model should I get?
I don't want to buy anything made by Lee, and I've heard some good things about the Lyman universal trimmer.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
I use a manual hand held Lee cutter with a case length gauge threaded into it. Affordable and simple to use. Though I am not reloading hundreds of cases at one time either. I do batches of 60 or so. If you will be doing volume or a lot of reloading, do your research.
 
"...they have a "neck die" set, an "F-L" die set, and a "small base" die set..." Neck die set comes with a neck sizing die only. The FL with a Full Length sizer die and the Small Base with a small base sizer die. The latter sizez the case a few thou smaller that the FL. About 5 thou. You don't need the SB. The FL is the one to go with as you have to FL size new brass and any 'once fired' that was fired out of any other rifle but one.
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Another question I had; I want to get a manual case trimmer, what make/model should I get?
I don't want to buy anything made by Lee, and I've heard some good things about the Lyman universal trimmer.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

My old trimmers just collect dust now that I started using the World's Finest Trimmer brand. Very fast and easy to use.
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Another question I had; I want to get a manual case trimmer, what make/model should I get?
I don't want to buy anything made by Lee, and I've heard some good things about the Lyman universal trimmer.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I've got a Lyman Universal case trimmer. I like the quick lock clamping system for securing the cases. regardless of which trimmer you get, to speed up case length adjustments on your trimmer, save one of your trimmed cases from each caliber to use as a template. Setup takes seconds instead of minutes.
 
RCBS dies usually say FL Die Set on the box if they are full length. My 3006 says FL Die Set .30-06 Springfield in big letters. Might not help you when shopping online, but a phone call or email and they could probably answer for you.

I know that when I bought my first batch of reloading gear, I told him I wanted to reload for my .308 m1a and he sold me a neck sizing kit. My fault for not going to the store informed, and as you would imagine, no chance in hell that die set would work for that gun. So now I have two sets of dies for 308.

Oh, brainfart, the RCBS part number for the 3006 FL die set is 14801. That should help you out. Same set I have.
 
My trimmer is an old Forster, most other reloading companys have a similar trimmer with different methods of holding the case. The Lee trimmer works well also.
 
Why not start off by purchasing a good reloading manual that has reloading instructions (and explanations) therein.
The Sierra & Speer manuals come to mind. Many of your questions will be answered there.
I started off with RCBS everythingyears ago, and have pretty much stuck to it. Offhand, I can think
of 1 set of Lyman FL 270 dies that I dumped (wouldn't size properly ...RCBS FL dies, problem solved) and Lyman
neck reamer & primer pocket uniformer that I still have. Everything else is Big Green.
Go online to the RCBS web site ... you can get a lot of answers there too !
 
I recommend the Lyman reloading manual if you can only have 1. For a case trimmer, the Lyman was ok. I upgraded to the Sinclair trimmer, but I'm anal about precision.
 
Crazy Chaingun said:
Thanks for the advice everyone, that really clears things up for me.

I really want to start reloading, but silly little things like this keep holding me up.
Quite a learning curve to this stuff.

Another question I had; I want to get a manual case trimmer, what make/model should I get?
I don't want to buy anything made by Lee, and I've heard some good things about the Lyman universal trimmer.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Don't disregard Lee just because it's low-cost. I started reloading .223 rem recently and did not have a big budget, so I got a .223 case lenght gage wih the Lee trimmer. You know what? It works like a charm.
 
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