Hornady Verses RCBS Dies

T

trky chsr

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Are Hornady dies comparable to RCBS for rifle cartridges? I load pistol loads mostly but I'm getting a 17 Hornet this spring. I actually really like Lee dies but they don't make a 17 Hornet yet. RCBS dies are almost double the price of the Hornady but I'm not sure if they are worth the extra. TC
 
I use Hornady dies for all my reloading except for one .223 set that is RCBS. The Hornady dies are high quality every bit as good as the RCBS dies and their warranty and customer service is superior (I busted a zip spindle on one of the pistol dies and they replaced it free of charge with just an email). Quality AND service, Can't beat that.
 
The standard RCBS seater is garbage compared to the Hornady version, the FL dies are both nice and well made. The Hornady FL expander is free floating by design and will center itself, on RCBS I put a rubber O-ring under the locknut to get the same result.
If Hornady is cheaper get them, RCBS are no better really and the seater is crap.
http://www.brownells.com/reloading/...-hornet-custom-grade-2-die-set-prod54949.aspx
 
I've used the standard RCBS that Coke in the green box and the Hornady custom grade dies. I much prefer the Hornady dies they are way easier to remove stuck cases if that ever happens and they are much nicer to adjust seating depth.
 
trky chsr said:
I'm getting a 17 Hornet this spring. I actually really like Lee dies but they don't make a 17 Hornet yet.
Click to expand...

Lee does make them.

Their product number 90096 - Lee .17 Hornet PaceSetter 3 Die Set.

If you can't find them in Canada, Titan Reloading (can google them) sell them for just on 30 bucks US and $15.50 to mail them up (USPS) - and yes, they ship to Canada. When the buck was at/near par I stocked up on all the dies I thought I might need.
 
I would spend the few extra bucks and go with redding, but the rcbs customer service is second to none.
 
Titan Reloading is a great shop. I visited them last year. Very helpful and polite.

Small front area - but lots of stock in back. They had every Lee item on my list.

Most of my dies are Redding. I picked them up when the dollar was good and when the MSRP was much lower.
 
I use a Redding Type S Full Length Bushing die and Redding Micrometer Seating die for my .308 Win. I have had excellent results with those dies. I have been shooting a 6.5 CM for over 4 years now and couldn't get the same Redding dies for the 6.5. So I got what I could find and got the standard Hornady Full Length die and Seating die. The only thing else I got was the micrometer adjustment for the seating die. The dies were cheap, under 40 bucks and I still use them. I have shot several 5 round groups under 1/4" at 100m with these dies and consistently shoot sub 1/2" when shooting groups. I also had excellent results shooting longer distances using the Hornady dies. I honestly don't think I can get any better results with more expensive dies.
 
I have a set of hornady dies in 17 hornet
The way the seat die "floats" makes getting your fingers and those little pills in a bit easier
I also have a set of hornady 303 dies which I broke the zip spindle off on, one email had 2 replacements sent to my door completely free of charge....
So I guess that being said I would recommend giving them a try
 
Out of 60+ sets of rifle dies, and 8 sets of pistol dies, only one set is Hornady.

Most of my rifle reloading is done on Redding or Forster/Bonanza. about a dozen are RCBS

Nothing against the Hornady, but prefer the others in the order listed. Dave.
 
Hitzy said:
The standard RCBS seater is garbage compared to the Hornady version, the FL dies are both nice and well made. The Hornady FL expander is free floating by design and will center itself, on RCBS I put a rubber O-ring under the locknut to get the same result.
If Hornady is cheaper get them, RCBS are no better really and the seater is crap.
http://www.brownells.com/reloading/...-hornet-custom-grade-2-die-set-prod54949.aspx
Click to expand...

You'll have to tell us in what way you found the RCBS seating die crap.
I've used a lot of RCBS dies in various calibres and never found anything wrong with the seating dies.
Bruce
 
H4831 said:
You'll have to tell us in what way you found the RCBS seating die crap.
I've used a lot of RCBS dies in various calibres and never found anything wrong with the seating dies.
Bruce
Click to expand...

they need a bit of finessing for VLD bullets, for this reason alone alot of people find it favorable to call them crap, rather funny seeing how the dies have been available for what 50 some-odd years now and the VLD bullets for only 5??
 
H4831 said:
You'll have to tell us in what way you found the RCBS seating die crap.
I've used a lot of RCBS dies in various calibres and never found anything wrong with the seating dies.
Bruce
Click to expand...

The seating stem is fixed, if it's off center at all your bullets gets seated off center. It's crap compared to a floating seater that other brands use which allow more precise centering of the bullet during seating.
Also the adjustment is pretty crappy as well and not very precise.
Maybe try another brand of seating die and you will see how lame the RCBS design is.
 
It would have been nice for this thread to have surfaced before I purchased RCBS fl die set for 7mm-08. Not that it won't work but I don't think it's what I'm after. (I haven't even opened the die box.)

I have the seater from the Lee neck sizing kit...and pardon my rookieness...but with the rubber O ring it makes it more "self centering" than the RCBS seating die in the FL kit?

Regards
Ron
 
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