Die recommendation for 5.56 NATO

[Munkey1973]

Thinking about reloading for my AR 15 and wondering if I get the Lee Pacesetter dies or if I should spend twice as much and get the RCBS small base 5.56 AR dies?

Are there other dies that crimp on the seater that I don't know of ?

 

[Pr589]

Get the small base dies. The Lee dies will work for many chambers but the small base will work with all.

 

[bigedp51]

The Lee .223 dies I have will reduce the case body diameter more than my RCBS AR Series dies do.

I would start with the Lee dies and see how they work with your AR15 and if needed you can buy a separate small base die.

With a semi-auto rifle the full length resized case should be .003 to .005 smaller in diameter than its fired diameter. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.

Below is a cross section of a Lee full length die and the expander is held and centered in the die by the locking collet. And with many other type dies it is possible to lock the expander down off center and create neck runout. Bottom line, for the average reloader without runout gauges you are better off using the cheaper lee dies.

Below just some of my .223 dies I have and I can say the dies do vary in size. But Lee doesn't make small base dies because their dies are closer to SAAMI minimum dimensions.

In the photo above you can see the RCBS small base AR series die. I buy bulk once fired Lake City brass and size these cases with my small base die. Thereafter I just use a standard die for the brass fired in my AR15 rifles and bolt action Savage .223.

 

[OldDude]

I don't have another set of dies for comparison, but reloads from my Lee dies work just fine in my AR.

 

[Ganderite]

I use a Lee sizer for Ar 15 ammo (9 different rifles) Works very well. I think it is carbide, to reduce wear. Still needs lubing.

 

[Workin Man]

Sorry for getting a bit off topic , but thanks for that video Ganderite . Well done and very educational.

Thanks, Jim

 

[Munkey1973]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

The brass that I will be using is from a 1,000 round 55 FMJ Federal Bulk box.
Since they were all fireformed in my AR that I will be reloading for I think that I will go with the Lee Pace Setter dies.

Hopefully the expander ball will be reasonably concentric... if it happens to be out just a bit, then hopefully my Forster press will compensate for it.

 

[tiriaq]

Forty odd years ago, I bought a Mini-14. "Made in the 200th Year of American Liberty". Having read that SB dies were the way to go, I ordered a set. It the decades since, I have not needed them, nor made use of them.

 

[B]

I am using RCBS small base dies. I have over 2 dozen semi-auto .223 rifles. All good so far, but honestly I have only loaded a few thousand myself. I had been running the CJ-95 I bought insane amounts of years ago up until recently.