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308 dies

45best

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Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 6, 2011
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Looking to get some 308 dies and want some opinions/advice on which dies work best for you and if there are any to shy away from. I'll be loading for a Rem 700 bolt gun. Thanks!
 
Re: 308 dies

I have the Redding Deluxe set.Thats the one with the FL sizer,neck sizer and seater.I added a comp seater.
Any brand will make good ammo,just most of us have favorites.I personally do not use bushing dies unless I turn the necks.

Lightman
 
Re: 308 dies

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mcshooter</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Looking to get some 308 dies and want some opinions/advice on which dies work best for you and if there are any to shy away from. I'll be loading for a Rem 700 bolt gun. Thanks! </div></div>

How anal are you about stuff? If you want the best handloads and are willing to do the work I would suggest a Redding Type S Match Bushing Full die set. Buy a range of the Ti coated bushings, remove the expander and be happy.
 
Re: 308 dies

Again
Agree with above..if you are really anal compusive..and you may be since you are on this site
smile.gif

U can get a full length sizing die specific for your cases by sending three fired cases to Harrel's and they will make a FL resizing die specific for your chamber to set the shoulder back .001-1.5
Also U could consider a Seater like the one from: JLC Precision ( since I seat only one bullet at a time and do not use a progressive press.
 
Re: 308 dies

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fx77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Again
Agree with above..if you are really anal compusive..and you may be since you are on this site
smile.gif

U can get a full length sizing die specific for your cases by sending three fired cases to Harrel's and they will make a FL resizing die specific for your chamber to set the shoulder back .001-1.5
Also U could consider a Seater like the one from: JLC Precision ( since I seat only one bullet at a time and do not use a progressive press. </div></div>

I mean I'm compulsive enough and all but how do you seat more than one bullet at a time? Just checking in case I missed something.
 
Re: 308 dies

"What I have" is meaningless, what I know about all brands of dies is meaningful. I have some 50+ die sets in more than 30 calibers by at least 12 makers, some long gone; they all work fine if I do my job, none do well if I don't.

Fact is, most chambers are reamed with a SAAMI standard chamber reamer. Most sizing dies are reamed with a reamer ground to SAAMI ammo standards. Those standards do not overlap and all of the standards are a range, not a spot measurement they aim for. The result is there's very little slop between our chambers and our dies. That means even at a worse case scenerio there's precious little accuracy to be gained with a custom made sizer for any factory rifle chamber. It also means there is about the same average difference between dies of the same maker as there is between makers.

Seaters are a bit different. The threaded 'straight line' seaters by Forster and Redding (only) virtually duplicate the results of costly hand seater dies such as Wilson and copies. But NO seater can seat straight in bad case necks. Most case necks are much less than perfect so the loaders skill and methods to insure quality brass is at least equally as important as the seater he uses.

Bottom line, get a die set that costs what ever it takes to make you feel comfortable and use them. It takes a long time for the skill of any loader/shooter to exceed the accuracy capablility of common dies.
 
Re: 308 dies

Three dies. Lee Collet neck sizer. Redding or Forster body die. Forester competition seating die. Use in that order. Neck size until bolt closure gets noticeable, then neck size and shoulder bump with the body die. Seat with the Forster competition die. JMHO
 
Re: 308 dies

I have a Forster FL sizing die, and the Benchrest seater die. I am looking at getting the forster Bushing Bump Neck Sizer die to add to my collection. So far my only complaint is that I was dumb and didn't get the micrometer seater die. However, the BR seater die works great