Dies

Stewie333

Stewie333

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I've been reloading for a few years now using RCBS dies for my TR .308 win. I'm wondering if I would see a noticable improvement in the quality of the reloads if I was to upgrade to Forster dies. I FL size 100% of the time, trim, deburr, clean primer pockets, charge carefully and seat carefully, with a stable (for me) process and close attention to detail. I don't neck turn, anneal, or weight sort brass.(I don't really feel like going down those roads.)

So, has anyone changed (upgraded) their dies and seen a noticable improvement?

Thanks

Stewie
 
no, they are all the same, dies are made to certain specs and ususally are dead on, so changing dies might not make a huge difference, some though have a micrometer built in or a way to 100% lock in your settings
 
The change will come when you pick a die that allows you to adjust neck tension. Lots of precision shooters (me included) do not full-length re-size. FL sizing each time aids if mag feeding, but it works the brass more than is needed. The less clearance between the case and the chamber wall, the more concentric and aligned to the bore the bullet will sit.

Nothing wrong with Forster, but redding Type S Match neck bushing (They make a FL Bushing die too) dies are hard to beat.
 
Also some dies are finished better, the difference between Lee and Redding FL sizing dies can be felt in the handle of your press, Lee are not as polished.
 
no, they are all the same,
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Dies most definitely are not all the same. They are constructed differently, are finished differently, and there are several types, from regular FL dies, to neck sizers, to body dies, to neck bushing dies, to collett dies. Select your dies based on the intended use, and the quality that you are willing to pay for.
 
stubblejumper said:
Dies most definitely are not all the same. They are constructed differently, are finished differently, and there are several types, from regular FL dies, to neck sizers, to body dies, to neck bushing dies, to collett dies. Select your dies based on the intended use, and the quality that you are willing to pay for.
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Exactly, I could never understand how some people think that dies are all the same! Unless it is because they are like the Ford vs Chevy people, or have never tried enough to know the difference.
 
Forster sounds like the plan then.

I'm leaning toward a Wilson seater though. A bit slower, but concentricity is supposed to be superb.
 
what I like about forster zizing dies, is the position of the expander ball
it is just under the neck inctead of the bottom of the dies in other brands
it help to keep case neck straight
the seater dies also align the bullet with the case perfectly before it starts to enter the case neck
 
Cleftwynd said:
Also some dies are finished better, the difference between Lee and Redding FL sizing dies can be felt in the handle of your press, Lee are not as polished.
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Lee dies are junk. People who use them just don't know any better. I only use Redding dies and they are always a pleasure to use.
 
Bitumen said:
Lee dies are junk. People who use them just don't know any better. I only use Redding dies and they are always a pleasure to use.
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I beg to differ. Notting can even compare to Lee collect dies for best in accuracy. Even 1000m shooters are useing them in matches. For precision seating die nothing beats Wilson seater and arbour press.
 
I beg to differ. Notting can even compare to Lee collect dies for best in accuracy. Even 1000m shooters are useing them in matches.
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A person can certainly load very accurate ammunition using a LEE collet die, as has been proven by many shooters, but the Lee collet die is not the holy grail of dies that you make it out to be.

If the LEE collet die really was as superior as you claim, then every champion benchrest shooter, and every 1000 yard champion in the world, would be using the Lee collet dies. I was looking through the equipment listed for some of the recent world champions, and some other top level shooters, and there were a lot of sizing dies listed, and I didn't see LEE dominating those lists. In fact of the dies that I saw listed, by the champions, none were LEE.
 
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The OP does not define his standard for "quality." Perhaps he means accuracy. If so, his obsessive F/L re-sizing will impair his "quality" more than his choice of die. It is possible to properly neck-size using an F/L die, and indeed RCBS used to have a technical note on how to do that to the best advantage.

Funny how we jump to impose our criteria on an ambiguous querry, or sometimes, even a not so ambiguous query.
 
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