Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Which .223AI dies?

Just had an old Remington action rebarreled and chambered in .223AI. I have standard .223 dies, depriming die and a bullet seating die. What dies would you recommend for the AI version?

Redding FL's in a "vanilla" 2-die set and a VLD seating stem.

Hint..............

I went cheap and went Lee. Since there is little to no case stretch, I use a collet die most of the time. Produces 1/3 MOA @ 300 yds.

The extent of Lee "purpose",is as decoy anchor weights. Congratulations?!?

Dangle a picture of this Lee Terror,if only for perspective. DARE you.

Bless your heart.

Hint................

I use Redding dies for mine.

I use Redding/Forster/RCBS and Lee. What'd I miss?

At a 1/3 MOA, only Fug Stick's pointy head.

didnull,

Dangle a pic of Lee Terror,for perspective. Congratulations?!?

Mainly,because it will be fhuqking funny and upon numerous levels!

Hint!....................

Trybone,

I very MUCH enjoy your Brokedick Whining,as you "unleash" your Melting Snowflake routine and flail your Perpetual Victim Card...which is assuredly no act. Congratulations?!?

Like you have ever "seen" a 223AI!

Bless your heart for TRYING.

Hint...................

I use 'em in (13) of mine.

Hint................(grin)

Are you selling the gravel from all those rocks you shoot? You are paying good money for dies that don't give you anything when you could save a few $$$ and buy more cheap scopes and cheap bullets. Then you could shoot even more rocks and make more gravel!

Or maybe you could spend the money repairing some of the equipment you've ruined.

I'll help you out with your imagination:

Borden Alpine
Rock barrel
McM Rem Varmint
Smithed by Kampfeld

Where's the numerous levels of funny? I don't have but time for one AI. I devote majority of time with family. ;-)

didnull,

Drive a stake and start a Thread on the BIG Day,when your kchunt leaves the couch. Congratulations?!?

Bless your heart.

Hint...............

Trybone,

What's it like to be THE Dumbest Fhuqk in every conversation? At least now the stage is set,so you can answer something in the first hand,you "lucky" kchunt. Congratulations?!?

You've never even "seen" a 223AI!

LAUGHING!

Hint..................

The more you shoot the 223 AI, the more you are going to appreciate it. So, invest in a good set of dies as you will probably have one or half a dozen in your gun safe in the coming years.

The Lee Collet neck sizer in 223 is a winner for the AI. Various Mandrel sizes can be had for cheap money in .0005 sizes from Granger, and if you want to dive off the deep end, you can get mandrels graduated in .0001 sizes from another source, this is way overkill. I use a small O ring to hold the mandrel in the collet neck sizer for the .0001 and .0005 mandrels and de prime in a separate operation. Run out gauges prove the Lee Collet neck sizer often will produce straighter necks than bushing dies, and I have both.

This tool does not like the lee dies that I have, and I am saving mine to give to someone that I don't like:

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Jimgdc, you will need a Full length sizer, as the AI's that I have like running loads toward the TOP END of the pressure curve. Stick has given you good advise on a good set of dies to buy, cry once.

Do not underestimate the ability of this little round to kill deer, hogs, and the last antelope that I shot was with this case at 470 yards, he died in his tracks with a 55g Sierra btsp.

I just got in a Brux 7T in a #3 taper, and I am going to throat it for the 88g Hornady, and I expect this combo to make many other chamberings null and void with decent barrel life.

Said melding,is 3rd from left. Congratulations?!?

Hint..............

Why? So you can live vicariously through others?

didnull,

Mainly due the absolute fhuqking HILARITY,of your best. Congratulations?!?

Thus your great trepidation.

Hint............

Boy, never expected that question to go downhill, but thanks for the recommendations. Ordered a Redding bushing neck sizer and a body die. I’ve used Lee collet neck sizers on a few cartridges with good results....does a standard .223 collet die work with the AI?

It does; It's what I use.

See if you can cancel the bushing die and get the collet, it is a better option

Already have a Lee .223 collet die. I’ll play with both and see what the outcome is.

What are you going to use for brass?

Hint.............

'

Yes in spades: 223 AI, 22/250 AI, 243 AI, 260 AI, 7/08 AI, 280 AI

I have Bushing dies in these calibers also.

As I said, Lee offers sizing mandrels in .001 graduations, but Granger has them in .005 increments. Remember that Granger's do not have a decapping pin on them, and they need a tiny O ring to hole them in, or just take the mandrel in and out of the cases when sizing them in 223 AI.

The case neck run out using Lee collet sizers is fantastic, which translates to .003 and below with the vast majority being less than .002.

AI's run some pressure to find the best accuracy, as a general rule with speed and accuracy that will put a grin on your face. I like to de- prime in a separate operation to check for loose primer pockets. Some of the brass that I shoot has 50+ firings on it, IMI in the 223,Old gold box Lapua in others....stuff is hard to kill.

For something so inexpensive, the Lee Collet sizer works extremely well. Other than custom dies such as Whidden or Harrells, Redding comp neck sizer are perhaps the best of the bushing neck sizers, and I hunt constantly for them in calibers that I shoot. If you can keep the run out at or below .002, you are good to go until you get into competitive shooting. Bushing sizers often do not give good run out, it takes a little tinkering, bushing size with an expander may cure some ills or create some..trial and error...don't assume anything. More advanced reloading is not necessary for hunters and steel bangers.

I have a friend that tests bullets for Berger and he is a 1000 yd benchrest shooter. This guy has found the best run out using Forster dies that the company has reamed the neck out to the dia that he wishes, which costs a total of $12 for the reaming...fantastic customer service by Forster!

I have been using bushing dies for so long that it is hard for me to sell them, have a small fortune invest in them.

If you like using bushings, the Redding S dies can also be used in the AI calibers, and similar calibers of approximate length, may take a tiny cut off the bottom of the die in the lathe to get the sizing length of the neck that you like. In S dies, the case is not supported as the case goes into the die, so alignment can suffer.

For a guy on a bare bones budget, a set of Redding standard dies with the addition of the Lee Collet sizer is the way to go. Clean your necks after firing, and I like using this tool with black graphite to lube the neck for an expander ball to go through:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/301357/forster-original-case-neck-lubricator

For short range hog shooting, the 55 and 62g Speer gold dots are killing hogs like they are shot with a 30/06, H335 will be your friend with a Rem 7 1/2 primer using tough brass, old Lake City, old Lapua Gold Box, Or IMI. Stand on the throttle for best accuracy. Current Lapua, Rem, and Win will give great accuracy, you just do not get 100 firings on the cases, toss them as soon as you feel a loose primer seating with a hand primer!!!!

I am fairly slow on the uptake. One can use a Lee collet/Redding S to size the neck after fireforming and then seat the bullet with the seating die from a regular 223 die set. Correct?

How often if any is something needed to size the body of the case or set it back a smidge? If so, does one use the regular die for this?

I was getting close to buying a 3 die 223AI set from Redding, but if all I need is the LCD to go with the regular set all the better.

The Redding two-die FL set,with a VLD seater will do it all.

Hint..................

The "vanilla" suggestion you made earlier was for their regular 2-die AI set and not for a non-AI die set? Like I said, I'm slow...

The Redding two-die FL set,with a VLD seater will do it all.

Hint..................

1000 words.

Hint..............

That's the set I use on Stick's recommendation (though it was on the way already ) and they make some really great ammo. My buddies smile every time they shoot my 223 AI....

Bob