Resizing die question

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Dr Killdeer

New member
Is there an industry standard for the amount of reduction on the radial dimension for full length resizing dies? I use RCBS dies exclusively for my rifles and I don't have any experience with the big names, like Redding, but I was curious to know if one brand produces tighter clearances than another or are they all pretty much the same?
 
Yes; much the same diameter wise; a couple thousandths spread is normal. There's no standard except their headspace to their shoulder is usually based on a shell holder height of .125 inch and it's usually a few thousandths less than SAAMI case specs for minimum head to shoulder reference.

I think RCBS has the biggest name by letter count in dies; Rock Chuck Bullet Swage. 20 of 'em.
 
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I also started with RCBS dies,They worked just fine. Switched to Redding only after reading & asking questions on this site about neck tension. Now I'm using Redding Type S bushing dies,where you can adjust neck tension, other then that your RCBS dies are just as good as any other. I reload for bolt action, load one round at a time. There is always something new to try, from gauges to powder, after reading books on reloading & precision reloading. I find this site gives me new things to try, most of the people are very helpfull. Hope I helped in some way.
 
Neck tension, I am the fan of bullet hold, I want all the bullet hold I can get. I can measure bullet hold, I can measure bullet hold in pounds, I have no way of converting tensions to pounds.

There is just something that sounds wrong with "I have 13 tensions", it sounds better when I have 35 pounds of bullet hold. I pulled down 60 loaded 257 Weatherby Mag. rounds. I used the RCBS collet puller, 20 additional rounds could not be pulled, yes I seated the bullets first, after failure to budge I went for the hammer. 4 heavy whacks, no movement. these cases have bullet hold. Next I will use a set of vise grips. Loosing the bullets is not that much of a loss and the powder is good in one case and not the next. I will save the cases. the ammo was loaded in 1971.

I am loading 100 cases for the 257 Wheatherby, all the cases are Weatherby. Some cases size with the minimum amount of effort, others require no name lube, some of the cases will not fit the shell holder. I use a small hammer to encourage the cases into the shell holder, I will not reload the cases with the upset case heads.

I have dies that are smaller in diameter than standard dies. They only work on new cases and once fired cases, after that they start refusing to release the case. I have blind end/hole micrometers. When checking dies I invert a case and put the case head into the fie first. A 30/06 case head will not go into the die that is small in diameter. The opening is .465".

Then there is all the guessing, why? Beats me, A reloader should be able to measure the diameter of the case and the distance from the shoulder of the die to the deck of the shell holder.

F. Guffey
 
Redding Type S fl sizing bushing die works well for my 243win. A Redding design that RCBS copied.
 
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Thanks for the scoop guys. Like most, I can never leave well enough alone. I just bought another headspace comparator guage from Innovative Technologies to tell me if my Hornady LNL comparator is lying. I've developed some outstanding loads for my rifles and just as many so-so loads. My RCBS dies have more than served the purpose, but I was very curious about that readial squeeze dimension and my question has been answered.
I didn't know that RCBS would make a custom die from fire formed brass. That peaks my interest.

I also like sound of the Redding collet system for neck sizing, but for now I'll have to stay the course with RCBS.
 
There were a few custom bushing die makers long before Redding and RCBS made theirs. Some people were honing out standard full length sizing die necks to some larger diameter which made the straightest case necks on bottleneck cases long before anyone made a bushing die. So, the idea of a custom die neck diameter is not something any commercial die maker did or a regular basis, but they knew some people were honing out their die necks. Some commercial die makers would make a custom die based on customer cases, but they cost both arms and at least one leg.

Both the RCBS and Redding bushing dies' accept each others bushings; they're the same size. Neither size case neck all the way to the shoulder. Neither keep the case neck perfectly aligned with the case body; the bushings are smaller in diameter than the die chamber that holds them. But they're still much better than standard dies with expander balls.

For an extra $12, Forster will hone out one of their full length sizing dies to customer's specs (typically .002" smaller than a loaded round's neck diameter) and they'll make the straightest resized bottleneck cases of any commercial die. They keep the case body in line with the case neck when both are sized down. Current commercial bushing dies don't do that.
 
Thanks for the scoop guys. Like most, I can never leave well enough alone. I just bought another headspace comparator guage from Innovative Technologies to tell me if my Hornady LNL comparator is lying
Click to expand...

Another? You have two headspace comparator gage from Innovative Technologies? Before the Hornady/Sinclair gage can be trusted you need to settle on a standard. the case comparator you just purchased is not a standard. It is most likely the two (or three) comparators will not agree.

You must have a standard, then there is the concept of 'ZERO'. I make comparators from the most simple pieces of junk, a comparator does not require a standard if the user understands he is using a comparator.

And that is the reason I have disagreed with L. Willis from the beginning, he does not make a head space gage, he makes a comparator, his comparator requires zeroing.

So, if you spent all that money on something you did not need, that is OK with me, but if you are going to compare the comparators the comparator needs a standard.

F. Guffey
 
Dr Killdeer, as long as you compare a fired case headspace to that of the same case full length sized, that'll do good. Typical shoulder setback is about .002" and your comparitor will easily show that.
 
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