I bought this die set for about 275 bucks. Bought bushings 3 nitrite bushings and can't get my runout to be better than my cheap 40 buck RCBS die. Runout is usually around .002 to .005 . I can't even measure it with the RCBs die 90 % of the time. I am using Lapua and Hornay match brass. The press is a rock chucker supream. I follow the instruction trying to leave some room for the bushing to float. Still no luck. Could I have a bad press or neck die? I want to get another die for my savage LRP but I'm scarred to spend that kind of cash to have the same thing happen again. Cases where fire formed and the bushing choosen to give me about .002 neck tension. Even tried graphite neck lube. Again No luck. Anyone ever have this problem? Even called Redding, they said to send it in but I don't want to do that if I can figure in out. Like to have someone else try this die out but don't know anyone that reloads. The seater works great. And that's why I wanted to get one for the new rifle because I want to use VLD bullets. Mind you I had to polish the thing to remove the ring it used to leave on the ogive. Thanks for any help.
Help with Redding Comp bushing die
- Thread starter troutmaster
- Start date
What is the neck runout of your fired cases before sizing ?
What is it after ?
Compare the two.
You are using the Comp bushing neck sizer or the FL bushing die ?
Those don't have expander ball on the decapping stem right ?
What brass ?
I think that it could be due to uneven neck wall thickness.
Do you have a ball micrometer to measure that.
Outside neck turning could help.
Just some ideas
Mush
What is it after ?
Compare the two.
You are using the Comp bushing neck sizer or the FL bushing die ?
Those don't have expander ball on the decapping stem right ?
What brass ?
I think that it could be due to uneven neck wall thickness.
Do you have a ball micrometer to measure that.
Outside neck turning could help.
Just some ideas
Mush
Make sure that when you put the case in the shellholder that it is seated fully rearward. Then as you bring the ram up don't hold the case base, you will see the case being centered by the die.
Are those bushing steel or coated ?
If steel be sure not to overlube.
Are those bushing steel or coated ?
If steel be sure not to overlube.
One is coated and two are steel. I paid 50 bucks for the coated one. That's one reason I went steel with the other two, plus I couldn't find any coated ones after. And I left the expander out as that is the purpose of bushing dies. Actually redding told me to try it with the expander in but if that's the only way to get it to work I'll just go with RCBS dies.
I can just about always get straighter ammo with a good FL die than a neck bushing die or any neck die for that matter. Unless you have a tight necked chamber that limits neck expansion and the subsequent sizing needed to a few thousandths you're beating your head against a wall. Even then, don't place any bets withot neck turned cases. I went back and bought FL bushing dies to use instead of the neck bushing dies, which do make straighter ammo than the neck dies, but its just random luck whether they will be any better than a FL set. The comp seaters are the useful part of the set.
Nobody has ever been to explain to me how an unsupported case is going to size straighter or more centered necks than a supported case.
Nobody has ever been to explain to me how an unsupported case is going to size straighter or more centered necks than a supported case.
I think what your saying makes sense. The redding seater is great. It wasn't perfect out of the box either though. I had to polish the seater plug to stop it from leaving rings on vld bullets. It was more than just a cosmetic issue. I have a Hornady set of dies the seater works great. All my rcbs dies work good, I just polished the expander with 000 steel wool. That made a big difference. I will see if I can get hornady dies. If not I'll go with rcbs.
