Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Which dies for a beginner?

Redding and Forster are both great.

Once you get set up with Redding Type S bushing and competition seaters, it's hard to want anything else. Partly because you end up buying all the little stuff that goes with them. Bushings, vld seating stems, tapered expanders etc.

always buy redding dies,i have switched over to all redding dies

I have and use dies from the various manufacturers. In 308 Winchester I have a number of full length size dies including Hornady, Forster, RCBS, Redding and Lee. The Redding is hardly ever used because of its ridiculously tight neck section which sizes down even the thinnest WW brass more than necessary. The name on the box doesn't necessarily assure that the best gear lies within.

This!

I started with RCBS, actually Herters before that. back in the '60's.

Redding, IMO, are better. I've gotten more and more into Lee Neck sizers with body die, some body dies I've made from Lee FL sizers, otherwise Redding body dies.

Seating, the Forster is great, so is Wilson.

DF

I have been a Redding guy for years and it is still hard to go wrong with them. If I had to start over I would go with Forster. I would still end up owning several Reddings. Check out reviews at Midway etc. There's a definitive reason.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

Compare the cost of a lot of die sets... to say how much a box of ammo costs...depending upon caliber of course...

Dies are a cheap investment in the scope of things...

I started out with RCBS and a Rock Chucker kit, as it was available locally...at Bi Mart..

Then I've got a batch of Lee's I started using...

some Redding, but they really don't do much more than the Lee and RCBS...

Not mentioned, I find situations where this brand of die, works a little better than that brand of die...

so in almost all the calibers I load for, I have multiple die sets for each caliber.. one from RCBS and then
Lee...

I find I use Lee the most for seating...I use RCBS if I full length size, as I like it over the Lee Full Length Sizer...

Reacting to screw ups that I have learned by having them occur...
I picked up 3 Universal decapping dies, that I pop out the primers with...

Then I neck size a case, with the Lee Neck Sizer...

Shoulder needs bumped back, I have like 5 Redding Body dies.. the rest of my body die needs,
I take the spindle out of a larger caliber, and use it as a body die...
such as the spindle out of a 260 die, makes a great 243 body die...
the 308, makes a great 260 or 7/08 body die... I have a 308 die set in RCBS and Lee..
Don't shot a 308, but I have an older retired friend who shows up wanting to do some loading
for his 308 several times a year...

Having two die sets for each caliber, if one gets messed up and needs to be sent in for repair or parts
I'm not shut down, as the other is a full back up...

223 I shoot a lot of... I have a Lee 4 die set, a Lee RGB basic set ( $10 when I bought them), and then an RCBS
set....when bought the Lee 4 die set was like $28... the RCBS die set was like $25... I picked up an RCBS
Small Base 223 die set for like $15 at a gun shop used.... all add convenience, I've got less than $75 tied up
into all of them combined... always have plenty of back up in case something needs parts or repair...

all those dies will outlast me.....$75, compare to the cost of say around d 400 V Max bullets...
the V Max bullets will be gone in a month or two... the dies....a lot longer they'll still be around..

dies in the scope of reloading are one of your cheapest investment in the scope of it all...

whatever your choice of Brand... but I always recommend, if you shoot a lot...a couple of die sets, from
your favorite manufacturers.....one from each company....

I enjoy reloading as much if not more than I do, spending time at the range...
and I'm never short ammo in the field...my wife is glued to the TV all the time..
so I'm out doing reloading stuff...

like tonight, just went out and neck sized and deprimed 60 pieces of brass I shot today at the range...
and then primed them... so when I'm in the mood, I'll go out and load them, as they will be all ready
to go...I find it less boring that way... than standing at the bench and prepping and reloading 60 to 100
rounds at one time...

Best of luck....and have fun with it... I sure have...

Redding is definitely quality. But a little more expensive. RCBS has great quality and customer service. That said, you can make good ammo with any of the major manufacturers dies.

I appreciate all the replies.

Starting out, I'll probably go with the Redding or Forster on the surface the micrometer seating dies seem to be more precise and fool-proof for a beginner; maybe I'm wrong. After that, I'll let experience guide me.

Redding has several "micrometer" seating die options, but it's the competition one you want if you go Redding.

The Forster Ultra set is a better deal. Less money and seats bullets just as straight.

Its Redding for me. Best dies on the market in my humble opinion.

I wish I would have learned about the Lee neck sizing dies a lot earlier. It's so much simpler neck sizing my brass, no lube needed so no cleanup of lube after sizing.

I don't think the micrometer seater is worth the extra cost. I don't have any, don't want one.

I measure COAL, adjust until the target goal is reached.

IMO,

DF

I'd grab a Lee 2 die set (sizer and bullet seater) for 20 bucks in one of the calibers you own to get your feet wet. As a hunter I've never needed more....killed a bunch of stuff with ammo loaded on those.

If you are going to try and be a competition bench rest shooter maybe the others are worth the money but for every day shooting and hunting, I can't see it. I guess it depends on your goals and your budget but you can always upgrade later and only be out 20 bucks.

Having reloaded for close to 50 years, like Dirtfarmer, I used Herter's then RCBS,. However, I never found a reason to start switching.I do have a set of Lee dies for a 38-40, but aside from that all the die boxes are green. A person can't beat that RCBS customer service

I did lot of competition shooting in the 80's and never had an occasion where an more expensive set of dies would have made the difference in my scores or in the killing of deer,elk, and pronghorn

Needed? Maybe not. Appreciated once you're used to them? Definitely.

I enjoy not fiddle farting around getting the bullets seated where I want them.

Understood, but please correct me if I'm wrong; when seating bullets with the Redding or Forester micrometer dies, it is an "exact" science....takes the guess-work out of it, if you will, but when using dies without a micrometer, one must measure and adjust, but how do you know how far your adjusting other than measuring again? It seems very redundant and not as precise to me; what am I missing?

In their day those guys walked five miles to school, barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways.

Thanks, I'll keep these on my radar.

Yep...

How'd ya know...

Adjusting and measuring works for me and I get the exact COAL I'm looking for.

DF