Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles multiple die sets in same chambering.....

Looney question for the real looneys.

How would you go about selecting the die set to keep out of four sets?

My plan is to find an accurate load, then load 10 rounds with each set, and keep the die set that produces the smallest group.

Other ways to skin the cat?

Sycamore

Easy check is to see which one produces the least amount of run-out.

For most of my rifles I use a Lee collet die paired with a Forester bench rest seater. I have few run-out issue with this set up. Occasionally I run into some cases that are so bad nothing helps.

Just get Forster or Redding dies and take the money you save to buy other components.

I have seven different type/brands of .223/5.56 dies, I have brass OCD and wanted to see if the type and brand names mattered.

We live in a plus and minus manufacturing world and no two chambers and dies are the same. Example my Lee full length die will size the base of the case smaller than my RCBS small base die. This Lee die if setup per the instructions also pushes the shoulder back further than any of the other dies will.

So to answer your question with your existing dies you should measure a fired case along the body and neck. Then resize some cases to see how much smaller in diameter they make your fired cases. In a semi-auto the case should be .003 to .005 smaller than its fired diameter.

I just converted all my RCBS dies to using the high mounted Forster expander and spindle assembly. And this greatly reduces neck runout.



The RCBS expander on the left is adjusted as high as it will go. And the Forster expander assy on the right is in its normal position.



With Forster dies the expander is mounted high up inside the die. The expander enters the case neck while the neck is still held and centered in the die. The expander floats on a thick rubber washer and is self centering in the case neck. Meaning the expander can not pull your case necks off center and has very low runout.



Below are just a few of the dies I played with and the bushing dies gave me the worst neck runout figures. When using a bushing die and you reduce the neck diameter over .005 it increases the neck runout. Meaning bushing dies work better with chambers with tighter necks.



Bottom line, buy a Forster die or convert your dies using the Forster expander assembly.

FL Bushing Dies vs. Honed FL Dies
http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/reloading/fl-bushing-dies-vs-honed-fl-dies/

"Alternative to Bushings — Honed Full-Length dies
Conventional, non-bushing full-length sizing dies can create ultra-accurate ammo with very low run-out. For some applications, we prefer a non-bushing FL die over a bushing die — so long as the neck tension is correct. But many FL dies have an undersized neck diameter so you end up with excess neck tension, and you work the brass excessively. Forster offers a simple, inexpensive solution — honing the neck diameter to whatever size you want."

Bigedp51:

Thank you for this information on dies. I learned a few things today. Saved it in my documents for future reference.