Which 30-06 dies should I get?

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GunNewb

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Ive never reloaded for 30-06 before, just 7.5 swiss. I look forward to this, Im guessing its gonna be alot easier.

But which dies should I buy guys? Its a model 70 bolt action so I think I can get away with neck sizing only, right?
 
A Redding 3 die set is hard to beat. Depending on the brass, number of times fired and so forth, I neck size and full length size. For example in my 7mm RM and Nosler brass, I neck sized 2x, and now I will FL size.
 
What are you plans, Hunting, Target shooting so many questions.
I have good faith in my Lee deluxe collet dies, add the factory crimp die and all will be good.
Best of luck.
 
Lee RGB dies and a Lee #2 Shellholder for less than $20 from US a little more here. You can add a neck sizing die later if you want, but you will need a FL die. The Factory Crimp die while nice will serve no purpose for loading your rifle.
 
1899 said:
A Redding 3 die set is hard to beat. Depending on the brass, number of times fired and so forth, I neck size and full length size. For example in my 7mm RM and Nosler brass, I neck sized 2x, and now I will FL size.
Click to expand...

+1, Redding dies are superb. I have a variety of brands/types of dies, but only buy Redding now.


Mark
 
i have hornady, RCBS and Lee. I will not buy anymore lee dies. You get what you pay for. I only bought the Lee 3 die set becuase i thought it had eveything i needed for my 30-30. I still needed the crimp die. The Lee factory crimp die i bought is easy too use though.
 
Like 257Roberts said, it depends on what you are using the ammo for. I've got ones from just about every maker and, for 99% of us, I really think one is about the same as the next. If I was shooting world-class competition (as if!), it would make a difference, I guess, but there's no point in fretting over the last 0.01% of accuracy for a load to be fired in a rifle that cannot benefit from it, by a shooter that can't either.
 
I have Lee dies for my pistol loads but all my rifle dies are Hornady. I've never had Redding or Forster so I can't compare but Hornady dies are great and there customer service is hard to beat.
 
I have had good luck with RCBS dies, but I buy Redding whenever possible. I only crimp for my handguns, and for use in tubular magazines.In most cases, crimping is totally unnecessary, and in some cases, it can be detrimental to optimum accuracy.
 
Would you gunnuts that say lee dies are junk explain to us that use them why and what problems are you having with them so we (I) can figure out what I am missing when reloading.

257 Roberts
 
Dies for 30-06

Lots of good choices and I don't think there's a lot of difference between manufacturers if you are looking for hunting rifle dies, however if you load to compete some dies do a better job. Redding dies were a great deal a few years ago, when the custom competition 3 die was $175.00, but now at $300.00 they aren't that great of a buy. Neil Jones will build a custom set for the fired cartridges you send him at close to the same price of the Redding Competition sets.

Hate to admit this but a Lee collet neck sizer and a Wilson arbor press seater die load my straightest rounds. So I've ordered a Lee collet custom die for a silly wildcat project and have a Wilson seater blank that will be chambered with same reamer used on chamber. If that works I will be getting more Lee collet dies!
 
I use Lee PaceSetter dies (.243 Win, .260 Rem, 6.5x55mm Swed, .308 Win, .30-06 Sprg, .358 Win, 9mm Luger, .44 Rem Mag, .45 ACP) and have never had a problem or a complaint about them. I've been able to develop sub-moa loads for each the rifles, with the exception of the .358 Win chambered BLR 81'...and that is probably more the guns fault than the ammo.
 
Used a lot of dies over the last 4 1/2 decades of loading.
If consistent accuracy is a priority to you GunNewb, may I suggest that straight cartridges are important.
Sizing with Lee Collet, seating with Redding or Forster Comp. dies builds dead-straight ammo that also shoots straight.
You will need a FL die from time to time to get some brass to chamber, but pull the expander plug out, size just enough to close the bolt without undue force, then run the necks through the collet before seating.
My Collets have the center stem modded to give two thou. neck tension ... no crimp.

The /06 Lee/Forster Comp. combo has been yielding less than 2 thou. runout for over twenty years now. Some brass has over twenty loadings on it. The RCBS FL die is rarely needed.

The 6.5x55 and .308w have Redding Comp. seaters, and average 1.5 - thou. runout.

One thing for sure, you'll never need to 'upgrade', if you start with these dies.

Collets help reduce the need to trim, and no case lube required.
 
257Roberts said:
Would you gunnuts that say lee dies are junk explain to us that use them why and what problems are you having with them so we (I) can figure out what I am missing when reloading.

257 Roberts
Click to expand...

Just as I thought,
Know-one can tell us why lee dies are no good.
I have never used Redding dies and I have moved out all my RCBS dies and still have 2 sets of Lyman dies that I use. I but I do like the idea of using a better seating die. I am going to look into that.
 
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The Lee 06 dies i have don`t size the neck enough to hold the bullet tightly. My old RCBS set work great. The only other Lee die i have is a carbide sizer for the 357 mag, greatest thing since sliced bread.
 
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