Goatwhiskers
New member
Bunch of newbies. Nobody even mentioned Texan, Behr, or Herters. GW
What's so great about Redding dies?
- Thread starter Sequins
- Start date
Fotheringill
New member
Redding dies are absolutely made here.
Competition seating die does not drift once the micrometer setting is made.
I found much less runout when using the Lee collet neck sizing die vs. Redding Competition neck sizing bushing type die and less runout with the Redding nec die vs. the RCBS neck sizing die.
No experience with the others.
Competition seating die does not drift once the micrometer setting is made.
I found much less runout when using the Lee collet neck sizing die vs. Redding Competition neck sizing bushing type die and less runout with the Redding nec die vs. the RCBS neck sizing die.
No experience with the others.
And then there was Luger, Lochmiller, Weatherby, my Texan dies look as good today as they did when I purchased them. I have some of the old C&H dies made in El Monte, California. The instructions on the bottom of the box make it very clear the C&H sizing die was made to be used with a shell holder with a deck height of .125".
Today? Reloaders still insist the maker of the die should match the maker of the shell holder; and I wonder if reloaders can measure deck height.
F. Guffey
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Fotheringill said:
That matches my experience, too. I have a pretty complete set of the Lee Collet Neck Sizer Dies. This old video shows the low runout they produce. I use the Redding Body Die to size the rest of the case to move the shoulder back by whatever amount interests me.
Nothing that I've used beats the Redding Competition Seating Die, though I am open to the possibility there are others I haven't tried. The Redding has the Forster Bench Rest Seater type sliding sleeve but adds a floating seating stem ram that Forster does not have. I keep meaning to try one of the Forster dies to compare, but thus far have not. German Salazar's testing showed the Redding to be the only seating die he tried (and he did not try the Forster, either, so we still don't get to see exactly how much difference the floating ram contributes) that could make the net runout of a cartridge slightly lower than its neck wall runout by aligning the bullet to tend to correct it. He also shot groups (10 shots at 300 yards, IIRC) with otherwise-identical loads seated by different dies and showed the Redding's groups were clearly smaller. He also tried the Vickers, the Wilson arbor press seating die, the RCBS standard seating die, and, IIRC, the RCBS competition seater (but I may have the last one wrong as John Feamster did a test comparison between the two RCBS offerings that may be what I am remembering; Salazar closed the Rifleman's Journal off to outside viewing, so I can't check).
Interestingly, in Salazar's test, the die that came in second best in both finished cartridge runout and group size was the RCBS standard seater die. Feamster found it did better than the RCBS Competition seater. I can speculate that its thin threaded seating stem rod flexes enough to have the effect of floating the ram some. If you have one of these dies, you can enhance that flexing by lubricating the threads with grease or STP and putting an o-ring under the seater adjustment lock nut.
This is German Salazar test.
The Redding was 1st and Wilson 2nd 3rd was RCBS and worst 10 shot group was RCBS seater.
http://www.uniquetek.com/store/696296/uploaded/Reloading-Seating-Die-Runout.pdf
The Redding was 1st and Wilson 2nd 3rd was RCBS and worst 10 shot group was RCBS seater.
http://www.uniquetek.com/store/696296/uploaded/Reloading-Seating-Die-Runout.pdf
Old Roper,
Thanks for finding that and correcting my memory of it. I'd forgotten the Hornady seater was tested and also that the Wilson came in second. I'd have sworn it was the other way around, but I must have crossed Feamster's test over with that one, too.
Feamster, btw, use a variant on the o-ring method, but under the locknut for the whole die, making it a little like a Lee locknut. Anything that gives you a little wiggle for self-alignment helps, it seems.
Thanks for finding that and correcting my memory of it. I'd forgotten the Hornady seater was tested and also that the Wilson came in second. I'd have sworn it was the other way around, but I must have crossed Feamster's test over with that one, too.
Feamster, btw, use a variant on the o-ring method, but under the locknut for the whole die, making it a little like a Lee locknut. Anything that gives you a little wiggle for self-alignment helps, it seems.
Eddietruett
New member
Ive used Lee for years with great success. Have also used others but seem to wind up back with Lee. Got a Dillon press about 6 months ago and while their dies are ok, I would up putting a set of Lees for seating and crimping. I love the ease of adjustment on the seating die and the factory crimp die does everything I need
Agree with some others, I can not determine "best brand". Will never be able to afford trying all the brands in all different calibers or options. Having tried Foester and RCBS comp seaters, have preference for the Redding, although Foerster is close. Redding also offers comp pistol seating dies, that have closer tolerances than others. If reloading some older lever calibers, have preference for Lee sizing dies. For lever calibers, the Redding sizing dies acted like small base dies. Lyman pistol carbide dies, with small alteration, allow sizing down further than all others I have tried. Lee makes a handy universal pistol belling die. Have a preference for RCBS SB 223/308 dies, as they can push the shoulder back further (when needed) than the Redding versions.
While I only reload for about 35 calibers, most of the time the dies used are a combination of various makes. There are usually "work arounds" for some manufactures specific characteristics of their specific die.
While I only reload for about 35 calibers, most of the time the dies used are a combination of various makes. There are usually "work arounds" for some manufactures specific characteristics of their specific die.