Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Run out with Redding bushing dies

I have tried several different approaches, but no matter how I set up the die, when using the bushings, I consistently get .003-6 runout. Anyone else have that experience with these?

How many thousandths sizing down are you having to do?

Great question and my thoughts exactly. If you're sizing the neck down a bunch you may need to size in multiple stages with gradually smaller bushings. Or, buy a Lee collet die and be done with it.

The multi stage sizing may help some or not at all. I've been there and done all that. When you're working with a chamber and brass combination requiring more than a few thousandths sizing, WW brass in a factory 308 Winchester chamber being a prime example, bushing dies are not where it's at.

I ain't never had luck with bushing dies, Redding or otherwise. 3 thou runout is the best I can ever hope for on a good day. Lettering up, lettering down, die 1/8th turn loose, 1/4 turn loose, 1/2 turn loose. My Forster bushing dies are maybe better but not by a huge amount.

I get less runout sizing the entire case with a regular FL die (with no expander ball), then opening the neck back up with a mandrel, even though I'm moving the neck a lot.

But as Mathman and DYE7 said I've also landed on body sizing (either with body die or with bushing die, sans the bushing), then hitting it with the Lee Mandrel. That seems to give the lowest runout all day every day.

You can run your same die now without the bushing and drop $25 on a Lee collet die. You'll probably want to get the $5 undersized mandrel, too. Ie the whole setup costs the same as a single Redding TIN bushing.

If your necks on your brass are really true use .001 under loaded round size if not dont go more than .002 and get a carbide expander they float and pull through the neck easier.

I'm in the camp of having no love for bushing dies either, for the reasons stated above. Another reason for disliking them is in necking down wildcat cartridges, they almost always cause more problems than they solve, compared to a good FL die.

Don't forget, you can have your Forster FL die honed to the neck diameter you want. That's the best of both worlds IMO.

All of the above plus more
If a bushing has to do more than a couple of thou, the neck will end up a lot tighter than the bushing indicates

The FL Forster die + honing service is the route I prefer...when available. I tried going that route last year on a .264WM and found that they did not offer a die for this chambering and wouldn't even quote me a cost or timeline when they could do a "custom" die for me because they were so busy.

I thought about going custom Lee collet but decided to buy a Redding bushing die since there was no wait. Having used it for several months now, I see no better results with the Redding bushing die than I have seen with my Lee collet (combined with Redding body) dies.