Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best neck die,Lee Collet,or Redding Bushing

I would like to try some neck sizing for my 7mm-08 Kimber Montana using a Forster Co AX press. Which die should I buy?

I'm also not sure I completely understand how to use either die. I would appreciate it if anyone has any links to good information on how to best use either one.

I personally would FL size in hunting rifles or I would go with the Redding Bushing type S die but they're expensive.

They both work fine but the vast difference in price reflects some differences.

The Lee compress the neck to fit the decapping stem, so its sizing is based on that stem's diameter.

The Redfield when used w/o a neck expanding decapping stem, sizes the outside of the neck to the ID of the insert. The inserts are available in many sizes to suit different brass makes and bullet diameters.

Unless you are a match shooter, you probably won't need the bushing die. In fact if you are using Forster dies, you really don't need anything. Just back the sizing die off a bit to where you're not hitting the shoulder and you'll be fine.

I just recently started using Lee Collet dies just to get away from sizing lube. So far they seem to work great. Don't have any info on accuracy improvements and since they are for my hunting rifles that are all MOA or close enough to it I don't anticipate any great gains. Have to see how many loads they go before needing FL re-sizing.

One thing to note at least with the Redding type-S bushing dies is that they don't size the full length of the neck. Only about 2/3rds of it. This may be a problem or maybe not depending on the case and application. I think the Forster or Hornady bushing dies I have size most or all of the neck. I like the Lee Collet dies but they can be difficult to obtain for non-standard cases and I've found I usually have to tweak the mandrel diameter, which isn't a big deal.

This is what I do on 30-30 ammo.

As noted, the Lee Collet Die has the great advantage of not needing lube. That is what I use for my other rifle cartridges.

Lee Collet neck sizer is about the least expensive way to load really concentric ammo.

A body die is needed, occasionally, to set back the shoulder when bolt closure gets hard. I like to get the whole Lee set, turn the Lee FL die into a body die, grinding out the die neck to clear the case neck.

Forster seaters are hard to beat. I also have Wilson seaters for some rounds, some cut with the same reamer used to chamber the rifle.

I check rounds with a Sinclair gauge and those that aren't as concentric as I want, I straighten with a TruTool.

DF

I have the Forster benchrest bullet seater and the benchrest sizing die. I'm pretty new to all loading but my thought was that if I had a slightly oversized chamber,my accuracy might improve by neck sizing once fired brass. I'll be using Lapua brass and I only have the one 7mm-08 caliber.

Redding bushing die
Sizes the outside of the case neck to a configurable diameter based on bushing size. The bushing should be matched to the brand of brass you're using which will affect the neck tension. E.g., thicker brass reduced to a set OD will have a smaller inside diameter and a greater neck tension, thinner will have less. Or you can deliberately choose a smaller or larger bushing to increase/decrease neck tension. IIRC Redding mentions that if you size the fired case down more than about .002" it can introduce run out, which I have found to be true.

Lee Collet
Sizes case necks to a uniform inside diameter regardless of case neck thickness. IME they give a fairly light neck tension, to get more tension you would need to polish down the diameter of the sizing/decapping stem. Also IME they size cases dead nuts straight regardless of the original fired outside diameter.


I prefer the Lee because it's cheaper, you don't need to buy extra bushings and the generally lighter neck tension so far has not been a problem holding bullets in place in calibers up to .30-06. I suppose if I were to use them for a really hard kicker I might polish off a thousandth or so from the sizing stem to increase pull. FWIW, I had close to $500 worth of Redding S neck bushing dies and assorted titanium nitride bushings some years ago but have since sold them and use Lee collet dies exclusively nowadays.

Not that long ago I visited the Lee website and ordered a bunch of the undersized mandrels.

Cool, I wasn't even aware they offered those. Mucho garcia!

I have used both the Redding s type and the Lee collets. Except in a rifle where you were going uniform all the necks, the collet wins hands down. I agree that many times the Lee collet doesn't provide the neck tension desired, So I usually buy an undersized mandrel when I buy the die.

I have a couple of rifles I wanted a body die for but Redding's last quote was pretty extreme. I would gladly grind out the necks of the FL sizer. Where do I find the little grinding thing you used? how much oversize do you use? right now I am most interested in converting a 338RCM die. I see 3/8 is a standard size that .375" I wonder if thats too big.

Another way to get a body die is to use a FL die from the same cartridge family, but with a bigger neck. For example, I use an RCBS 7mm08 FL die (with the guts removed) as a body die for 243 Winchester and 260 Remington.

That's the plan with neck sizing, the brass fits the chamber very well.

I don't know much about the Forster sizer, but their seater is legendary.

If I had that seater, I'd get the Lee Collet Neck sizer and go from there. They aren't that expensive.

Sometimes in some rounds you can use the next size up FL die for a body die, Ex. .308 FL as body die for 7mm-08.

Some, like the .22-250, I didn't have such a solution, so I made one as posted earlier. I don't like Lee FL dies that much, but they make great body dies...

DF

With the accuracy that I get from virgin brass, I don't see any advantage to neck sizing only. I bump my shoulders about a thousandth or two with my full length die and rock on. However, these are for hunting rifles and not benchrest rifles.

That is a very good way to go. The possible problem is whether or not the neck section of the die is squeezing the brass more than necessary. If it doesn't then you're golden.

[/quote]I have the Forster benchrest bullet seater and the benchrest sizing die. I'm pretty new to all loading but my thought was that if I had a slightly oversized chamber,my accuracy might improve by neck sizing once fired brass. I'll be using Lapua brass and I only have the one 7mm-08 caliber.[/quote]

This isn't always the case in my experience. I started out with the same thoughts, but found my .280 shot 30% better groups with carefullyFL sized brass than neck sized. Carefully FL sized means using Redding Competition shell holders to tweak the headspace clearance on the sized brass to an optimum. I think a lot of it has to do with the concentricity of the case body/neck thickness. I also almost got caught out one deer season when I found that the bolt closed hard on my neck sized brass. I had to go through the whole box of 50 to find five that would chamber with reasonable force. Yeah, I should've checked before I left but the point is that neck sizing can bring up issues that FL sizing doesn't have, and vice-versa of course.

All that having been said, I like my Lee collet sizer for the .308, but I use that only for competition and a body die is used to keep the headspace in check.

Lee collet loads some very straight ammo. I have around 12 of them.

I've never used the Lee collet dies so it's some good information here. I've always been taught to FL resize for my hunting rifles.
I did purchase the Redding type S die for my 6.5 CM cause I bought Lapua brass and wanting to extend the life of my brass.
I know people who are getting over 50 reloading with Lapua brass and Redding type S dies.

Sounds like the Lee collet dies do just as good as Redding type S dies.