Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Hornady vs. Redding

Just curious what some of your opinions are. I am not asking about top of the line competition dies, just the regular 2 and 3 dies sets. Anybody have any preferences. Would one notice any difference when compared side by side?

The fit and finish of the Redding dies will be better. However, the Hornady seating die has a partial alignment sleeve that the Redding doesn't have. The Redding dies are cut with one-piece reamers; Hornady dies are made on CNC. Hornady has superior lock rings.

If you compare Hornady to Forster standard dies, the picture changes. Forsters are cut with one-piece reamers, have a full alignment sleeve in the seater (like the Redding micrometer die), and have cross-bolt lock rings (like the Hornday). Forster also has better finish.

The Hornady and Forster seating dies may provide less bullet run-out. The standard Forster dies are more expensive than Hornady and Redding. There's not a clear choice here if economy fits into the equation. It may come down to Hornady's alignment sleeve and lock ring versus Redding's polish. Dies are not hard to polish with steel wool and/or metal polish with a bore swab.

I have been buying RCBS dies for a long time now. The Redding FL dies don't have an air bleed hole in them and the RCBS do!

I have had a long bias towards Redding as they are a local outfit. Their dies & other items has been of the highest quality. However, I added a new rifle caliber last year and succumbed to Hornady's free bullet promo when I bought dies, also very well made.

I'm not being sarcastic or cocky, but why do you need an air bleed hole? I have at least 15 Redding die sets, and have yet had a problem with shoulder dents or stuck cases. I load several thousand rounds a year and the only time I see them is in pictures in loading manuals or magazines. I read about these issues quite often in the forums and I really don't understand what others are doing different.

I use dies from Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Lee and Redding. My preference goes to Redding and especially their competition dies.

I agree with Win. 69, My runout gauge tells me that Hornady and Redding both load equally straight ammunition, and they both beat RCBS. I think Forster dies are worth the extra cost.

I'd say it's the difference between STP and Imperial.

OK! So I'm being sarcastic and/or cocky. Isn't that half the fun?

Win 69,

How did you guess that I use Imperial?

"Hornady vs. Redding"

Well, in practical terms, the quality of the finished ammo depends more on how good the individual reloader is than the brand of dies, press, etc, he uses. That said, the design of the full size sliding sleeve chambers of the Redding and Forster Comp./BR seater dies are head and shoulders above all others. Those dies with a short sliding sleeve that only holds the bullet and neck cannot hope to equal the average seating concentricity of a full length sleeve.

Air bleed holes in the shoulder of a FL die can be helpful if the user tends to overlube his cases. If the right amount of a quality lube is used the air holes mean nothing. Again, it goes to the skill level of the user, not the product itself.

IMO its hard to beat the hornady dies when you consider you get 100 free bullets with them....

http://www.hornady.com/get_loaded.php

Love the Hornady dies and tooling.

I had to return a set of Hornady 270WSM and 300WSM dies to MidwayUSA and replaced them both with RCBS (I wasn't sure at the time of the Redding and Forster quality only the price differance).

I tried for weeks to use the Hornadys and only after several calls to Hornady and RCBS (the press manufacture), I finally returned the dies. On the last call to Hornady, the tech said "who would create a case with that shoulder angle?" Honestly that what he said.

The next opportunity that requires a new set of dies might be Forster.

Just lucky. Couldn't have been that I also use the stuff.

I have used Lee, RCBS, and Hornady dies. Never used Redding.

I really like the Hornady sizing die. The fit and finish of their sizing button allows me to neck 270 cases up to 338'06 with less effort (or Redding Imperial for that matter) than my RCBS FL sizer does starting with 30'06 cases and ending with the same.

That having been said, I do intend to pick up a set of Forster BR dies for my '06. That seems like a good deal considering their level of quality compared to the Redding comp stuff vs. price of each.

I do know from reading Precision Shooting that McPherson favors Hornady seater die bodies for the custom sets he reams for his customers.

I also intend to pick up another Hornady set for my 7x57... like I said, love that sizer (haven't used the alignment-sleeved seater yet) and who can argue w/ a $30 set of dies AND 100 bullets??