Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles X-dies, anyone use them?

I am going to start loading for a 243 and looked for dies and surprised I only have the X-dies from RCBS. I do not see anyone speaking of these dies. Searching on the internet some folks say they work and some say they do not work. Since I have these dies I might as well try them. Going to load the 243 and the 270 and I am going to follow the Nosler/Hornady OAL suggestion.

Yeah I know the instructions say to trim brass for X-dies to .020 so this is what I will do. Is trimming to .020 recommend for used brass that was used in other rifles? Who here uses them? In reality I wish I had the standard dies for now. But I also have a couple more X-dies for other calibers. And the 243 I plan to shoot is with the NBT 70gr. but I also have the 95gr too.

I've switched over every caliber I load to X-Dies if they are available in that caliber. I hate trimming brass. Follow the RCBS directions for set-up and you will not have any problems. If you don't set them up as directed and at least kiss the shoulder, the case will rivet.

Most issues I've read about seem to be from people not using them as instructed by RCBS. I've heard about donuts in the neck but have not seen it in my cases, and some of them have been loaded close to ten times. I've experienced early neck splits with .223 brass shot multiple times in an AR, but I don't know if it's the rifle, the dies, or bad brass.

That 0.020" short is for all brass, but I don't get OCD about it. I figure somewhere between 0.020" and 0.015" is good enough.

I bought some from cabelas bargin cave a feu years back for 222 but haven't shot up all the ammo yet to try them. Hope the work..

They work for keeping case length in check, but they mash the chamfer, so you still have to chamfer the cases.

I use them in .223 for my AR and Savage 12FV. I also use them in .30/06 for my M1 Garand. They work great and never had any issues with messing up the chamfer.

The biggest problem I've had with them is inconsistent bullet alignment, because the necks often weren't aligned with the case body after sizing. Tried every trick I knew with .223 and .30-06 dies and couldn't find any improvement.

MD,,I see your point. Seem everyone has different (if any) problems with X dies. Since I have this on hand I am going to give it a go. If this does not turn out to be ideal for me ... guess I can try those Redding dies. I have plenty of 6mm bullets so want to get this started in loading.

"Yeah I know the instructions say to trim brass for X-dies to .020 so this is what I will do. "

The only effective difference in that sizer is the decapping stem; back the stem up maybe 50 thou and use the thing normally. IF I had an X sizer I'd use it normally, not as intended. And I'd never buy one.

Trimming 20 thou less than the normal 10 thou trim-to-length means the pre-trimmed cases have to stretch 30 thou before that neck deforming bumper part does anything at all. At my house, any case that stretches 30 thou would be tossed, not re-trimmed.

That's pretty much the conclusion I came to.

What really helps in preventing case-stretching is a relatively sharp shoulder, neck-sizing and lower pressures. With any of the three stretching will be reduced. Combine them and it just about disappears.

But even a very slope-shouldered case like the .22 Hornet will just about quit stretching if neck-sized only and loaded with a slower-burning powder like Li'l Gun or Accurate 1680 that results in far less pressure than conventional, faster-burning Hornet powders.

The directions are to turn the "neck deforming bumper part" down hard against the neck. This prevent the case from ever growing a full 0.030". I haven't seen cases grow much more than 0.010".

I suspect what MD says is correct about alignment, but I've managed to get repeatable groups between 1.25" and 1.5" in every gun I use them to load for with the exception of a couple of Model Sevens. I've never measured run-out.

And 1.25" to 1.5" is plenty for most hunting!

However, I was hoping to use X-dies for loading hundreds of rounds of prairie dog ammo, because trimming 'em is tiring.

I've used only one X die, in .220 Swift, for several years. I set everything up according to directions. Runout has been minimal with little or no case trimming required. Loads shot very well before using the X die and I've seen no difference in accuracy since I began using it.

Like lotech I also use an X die for my 220 Swift. I got tired of trimming at almost every reloading. It has definitely reduced my trimming and as far as I can see accuracy has not been affected.

Jim

I've had excellent luck with them in every chambering I've tried except .270 WSM.

.204, .22-250, .270 Win, .308, .300 win mag, maybe some others, all success. People who are having accuracy problems are doing something wrong, there's a gun problem, or something. My .22-250 (700 LVSF, not a heavy gun) shot into the .2s for 5 shot groups. My .204 ( 700 with a standard, not magnum, sporter contour, again not a heavy gun) shoots in the .3s.

If you don't like the "X" feature, set the "plug" back a half turn or a turn so the shoulder on the plug doesn't hit the neck and resize like you would with any other FL die, then trim separately.

Tom