Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Redding vs Lee FL dies?

Thus far I don't have any complaints about my Lee resizing dies, but I was looking at some Reddings (a 30-06 FL die and seater die set) that look really nice.

Anyone using them, and is the premium over a Lee set worth it?

I dumped all my RCBS dies and transitioned over to Redding in each caliber. Love my Redding’s....extremely well made.

If you're going to go for a two die set think about Forster.

I have both in multiple calibers....

I tend to reach for the Lees 99% most of the time...

Just curious: Why? (other than the difference in cost).

RM

The Forster set stands out among two die sets for ease and consistency in achieving low runout.

Got it. Thanks.

I don' t like Lee because of the way the decapping rod is held in place with a collet. You really have to crank down on it to keep it in place. Then if you happen to bend the pin, it is part of the rod and you have to replace the whole thing.

This is kinda what is going on with my Lee FL die right now. The rod itself looks like its off-center in the die. I haven't seen that it is having an effect on my ammo yet, since I'm often shooting a 4x scope over not the best rest in the world, so groups are gonna be about 2" anyway When I shot off a bipod I was able to get a couple groups just below 2" and one right at 1". A few wider, but it might have just been part of the load development. Doesn't seem horrible but I was thinking of new dies anyway.



Thank you, good to know that.

And thanks for the input, everyone else.

If you go with Forster, be very careful to adjust the decapping rod properly. It is a different procedure than other manufacturers and there is a video out on how to do it. Failure to adjust properly will lead to crumpled necks and excessive force required to resize.

Personally I would go with a Redding body die and a Lee Collet neck sizer and get a bullet seating die with a micrometer adjustment (this is really worth it and Forster makes a good one).

This is exactly the route I took after reading a few years ago Mathman’s comments about the same: Lee collet, Redding Body, Redding Competition Seating die. I use a Lee universal deprimer and avoid the issues with depriming pins. As a matter of fact, I ground off the one on the collet die. Once I get the concentricity gauge I’ll know how much runout I have but my eye can’t pick up any using the old “roll on a mirror” test.

Converted over to this system maybe a year ago, I'm using the RCBS micro adjustment die with the window..(so handy, especially with the smaller calibers)...Rather than the Forster.....but same same.....

Quick, easy, and simple. Try it, you'll see.

One advantage of the Forster full-length sizer dies is Forster can custom hone the necks for a very reasonable price.
For my 308, I had my Forster hone mine out to 0.3340”. I turn all my necks to 0.014” which works really well with my mandrel die because it only has to push out about a thou

Edit: the routine above seems to give me better runout results as compared to Redding body die and Lee collet neck sizer combination.

I may have more than 6 brands of dies.

I like RCBS best because of their customer service.

I have Lee dies for a couple of cartridges That I don't load often. I have Redding 416 Rigby dies - I have heard they are not the best for the Rigby, but I don't have any complaints.

I have Lyman dies, Herters Dies, CH4 dies, Hornady dies and one or two others I can't recall off hand.

But I have maybe 30 or more sets of RCBS dies. If I break a firing pin, RCBS sends a set of them, no cost, If the de-capping rod bends, RCBS sends a new one, no charge.

Lee used to be much cheaper, now they have raised their prices quite a bit.

I also have some specialty dies - de-capping, belling etc.

All the dies I buy now are RCBS, unless dies come with a rifle or pistol.

I have quite a few Lee and Redding FL die sets and other brands also. Redding's are my favorite. Their machining is first rate. My biggest complaint with the Lee's is the rubber O ring lock ring. I find them hard to get set the same each time I screw them into the press and see variations in shoulder set back and OAL. I've replaced most of them with Hornady's split lock rings.

Lee does make some very good dies. I especially like their collet neck sizing dies and their Factory Crimp dies. When I was going through a Milsurp faze a couple of decades ago I really appreciated their inexpensive dies for 7.5 x 55 Swiss, 7.5 x 54 MAS, 8 x 56 R Hungarian, etc. They were the difference being able to shoot or not.

Like most folks above I've got a ton of different die brands and always thought Redding was the best until I started measuring runout.

What I found was that there was more variation between individual dies than there was between brands. Forster is probably the most consistent in terms of giving the least runout. But I've got tons of Lee FL and RCBS FL dies that also give runout around .0005 to .001.

Also as mentioned above, there are many paths to least runout and all involve moving brass less. Body Die plus LCD is great, but an FL die that doesn't squeeze the neck much, followed by a mandrel die, is also excellent.

All of the above presumes that the expander button in your FL die isn't tweaking the heck out of your neck.

I would spend money on a tool to measure runout before I spent money replacing dies I already had. But as Mathman said if I was going to blindly replace a die set, I would go Forster over any other brand.

This ^^^

I started off with Lee, then went to RCBS, then Redding. Lee dies work...but they are not on par with Redding. Lee warranties their dies, but it is not the same warranty as RCBS or Redding.

Forster has a unique neck expander set up. Rather than expanding the neck at the bottom of the stroke with the neck unsupported---the Forster has a floating expander at the top of the stem---and expands the neck while supported. The machine work on the Redding or Forester die is far superior to Lee.

I am waiting for production to catch up with demand. When it does, I will have a set of Forester in 223 Remington.

If you need a set of dies now, and can find Redding, I would buy them. If you can wait, wait for Forester.

There is some good info on you tube about Forester and Redding dies.

GB

I second this. ^^^

First thing to go on any die set other than Forester is the lock ring. Forester, Lyman, and Hornady have a split-collar lock ring. I have replaced all of my lock rings with the Hornady. Totally eliminates the Lee rubber O ring issues...and MUCH easier to make fine adjustments when setting up your dies.

GB

I used to be a big fan of Lee but the last set I bought were so rough and the fact that they changed the design of the collet die means that I am done with them

I'd take Forster over either, especially Lee's