Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Die recommendations

Jerseyboy-How do you like that Vickernan? I've been considering one for my Roberts but have not researched it.

Forester Or Redding competition dies

Forster is my pick for seating, shoulder bump, and resizing. I also get a lee collet die for each new rifle. I get them separate but if it only comes with the Lee seater I turn that into a bump dye like Dirt Farmer. I think the RCBS competition seater is not worthwhile, they are convenient especially with small 17 caliber bullets but the run out was higher than even a Lee seater at least for me.

I do have a mix of a number of brands. Haven't had any issues with Forster or Hornady seaters, I prefer the seaters with a sliding sleeve, they do seem to work better. Where I can, I have replaced my neck dies with the Forster neck bushing/bump die, they work well for me, quite convenient, have 4 or 5 of them now, would be nice if they made a bigger selection. Only once had an issue with an RCBS, had the wrong sizing ball in it right off the bat, easy fix. I like oddball cartridges, so I have to get what dies I can for them, really never had any issues with what I've picked up, usually RCBS., occasionally Redding, usually used ones. For the ones I can't get a bushing die for, I have taken to using a neck die with no button and Sinclair expanders where possible.

I use mostly......

Redding body die
Lee collett neck die
Forster benchrest seater

If I had it to do over it would possibly be ......

Forster Benchrest Bushing Bump Neck Die
Forster Benchrest Seater

The first recommendation has the advantage if you need to full length size used brass for a different chamber but would be easy to just add a Redding body die if needed to the Forster set below


Trystan

It also has the advantage of being a collet neck die rather than a bushing die...

The type S full length bushing dies are nice as they can be used as a neck size only, fL sizer, or a bump die using an oversized bushing. When possible I get a seating die reamed with the same one used for the chamber, this usually produces low run out.

Does anyone else think this is BS, or is there something I do not know that I obviously SHOULD know? Does this have something to do with an alleged weakness of Redding's version of the sliding sleeve competition seater?

Puzzled me so much I felt dizzy , yeah .

Direct from Redding's website:

Thanks mathman...I thought it had something to do with the competition seater. I think there's a nub or projection in that die somewhere that can cause issues, but I've never examined one and always chose Forster for that type of die.

Standard Redding seaters never gave me any such problem and I've done some heavily compressed loads with them.

I like RCBS dies as good as any, I have Redding, Lee and RCBS dies and for my purpose I dont see much difference in any of them.....Most of my reloading equipment is also RCBS, but if I were in the market for a new press id get a Redding Big Boss single stage 👍.......Hb

Just about all the dies made now are serviceable. The better ones do have tighter tolerances in general but if set up properly it might be difficult to prove the superiority of one over another. A target rifle could but the typical hunting rifle there would be too many other variables to test which is better.

The seating dies are where the variations in run out come into play with some designs better than others. The was an extensive test done on seating dies maybe on accurate shooter that showed a wide range of results for run out.

I can't imagine compressing a load enough to damage even an unhardened seater die. The stem maybe but if that compressed you are asking for other issues as well.

Forster