Small base dies
- Thread starter 600RemGuy
- Start date
The Lee full length .223 die I have will reduce the body diameter more and bump the shoulder back more than my RCBS small base die does.
All dies and chambers vary in size and some dies will size the case closer to minimum SAAMI dimensions.
Below three Forster .308 dies
Even case gauges can vary in diameter, below a fired 7.62 Lake City case in a Dillon case gauge.
Below the same case in a JP Enterptise gauge.
Wondered because want to reload for the grandson's 742 in 308. I Thought I remember Lee saying years ago that no small base needed with their die sets. Once I get the press set up. I'll see if the resized cases function.
Small base dies are the reason i shoot sub .75 MOA on a regular base with my FNAR Competition 308, it gave me an extra edge for precision.
This is a trial and error game and it did work out for me.
It have not been a deciding factor on any other rifle or caliber i own.
This is a trial and error game and it did work out for me.
It have not been a deciding factor on any other rifle or caliber i own.
The first rifle I bought after I got out of the military in 1973 was a Remington .270 760 pump action. I used a standard full length RCBS die and never had a problem.
I assume that pump and semi-autos have a slightly larger diameter chamber so the fired case will extract reliably. With these type rifles the resized case should be .003 to .005 smaller in diameter than it fired diameter. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.
With my 760 pump I made the mistake of trying to be cheap and first reloaded my cases with a Lee loader that only neck sized the cases. The second time I fired my reloads the cases would not eject until the cases cooled off. That night I bought my Rockchucker press and the RCBS full length die and never had any problems.
But again chambers and dies have plus and minus tolerances and vary in size. Meaning there is always a small chance the die you buy will not match your chamber and over or under resize the case.
Bottom line, buy the Lee die set, this is all the average reloader needs to make good hunting ammo.
Below is a cutaway of a Lee full length die and the expander is held and centered by the locking collet. And on RCBS and other dies it is possible to lock the expander down off center and induce neck runout.
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Small base dies are something that nobody needs; until you need them yourself. Then they are more or less indespensible.
They are also the sort of thing that if you don't need one, you are better off having never heard of them. Why work the snot out of something that didn't need the snot worked out it?
For what its worth; I have never needed a small base die for an auto loader because they tend to have chambers so generous that there is room for a cartridge and the neighbour's dog. I'm more apt to need it to make brass fired in a sloppy chamber usable in a real, non welfare barrel.
They are also the sort of thing that if you don't need one, you are better off having never heard of them. Why work the snot out of something that didn't need the snot worked out it?
For what its worth; I have never needed a small base die for an auto loader because they tend to have chambers so generous that there is room for a cartridge and the neighbour's dog. I'm more apt to need it to make brass fired in a sloppy chamber usable in a real, non welfare barrel.
