Are the lee RGB dies worth buying? Im just starting out and need to buy several things so i need to watch the budget.
- Thread starter crowsniper1
- Start date
Re: 308 dies
I'm not a big Lee fan,but any brand of dies can load good ammo if properly adjusted and used.They are cheap enough that your loss will be very small if you decide that you don't like them,and they do seem to have a loyal following. Pete
I'm not a big Lee fan,but any brand of dies can load good ammo if properly adjusted and used.They are cheap enough that your loss will be very small if you decide that you don't like them,and they do seem to have a loyal following. Pete
Re: 308 dies
lee sizer die (i recommend full length sizing, some like the neck sizer dies. each has its own advantages / disadvantages are fine.
but i would spend alittle more on a better seater die, like a forester bench rest or redding.
lee sizer die (i recommend full length sizing, some like the neck sizer dies. each has its own advantages / disadvantages are fine.
but i would spend alittle more on a better seater die, like a forester bench rest or redding.
Re: 308 dies
THe lees are ok if your starting out, but imo if you can spend just that little bit extra, the forsters will last you a lifetime and will never need a replacement for a better quality die.
THe lees are ok if your starting out, but imo if you can spend just that little bit extra, the forsters will last you a lifetime and will never need a replacement for a better quality die.
Re: 308 dies
What about rcbs dies
What about rcbs dies
Re: 308 dies
RCBS dies arent bad either, I own some.
I much prefer Forsters ezy expander. The force required is considerably less than the RCBS
RCBS dies arent bad either, I own some.
I much prefer Forsters ezy expander. The force required is considerably less than the RCBS
Re: 308 dies
I have been happy with mine so far. I picked up some once fired winchester brass and it is hard as hell to get the primer out with the rcbs dies. Going to look for some new dies this weekend.
I have been happy with mine so far. I picked up some once fired winchester brass and it is hard as hell to get the primer out with the rcbs dies. Going to look for some new dies this weekend.
Re: 308 dies
Lee's dies are, on average, as good as any other conventional type dies. Only things you can count on to be consistantly "better" than conventional dies are the premium priced dies from Redding and Forster. IMHO.
The RGB die sets don't include a shell holder or a crimper or neck sizer as the Pace Setter and Delux sets do but the quality of the sizer and seaters are exactly the same.
Lee doesn't put the emphesis/money on exterior finish as others. They are designed to be made on precision CNC machine tooling operated by semi-skilled operators and they produce ammo of as good quality as their common competitors. Pretty stuff costs, Lee's tools aren't pretty but that saves us money!
Common dies actually work pretty well. You could triple/quadruple the RGB die's price and get a premimum set but it will take a LOOONG time for your loading skills to exceed what the RGB dies can do. The much more costly dies don't normally make a massive difference in accuracy even when they make a difference at all; fact is, the reloader's skill is much more important to accuracy than simply looking at the price of his dies!
IF you were willing to spend any more money I'd suggest you start with Lee's Delux die set. You would get the same basic dies as the RGB plus the best neck die available for factory rifles (IMHO), and a shell holder that's worth several bucks.
Good luck!
Lee's dies are, on average, as good as any other conventional type dies. Only things you can count on to be consistantly "better" than conventional dies are the premium priced dies from Redding and Forster. IMHO.
The RGB die sets don't include a shell holder or a crimper or neck sizer as the Pace Setter and Delux sets do but the quality of the sizer and seaters are exactly the same.
Lee doesn't put the emphesis/money on exterior finish as others. They are designed to be made on precision CNC machine tooling operated by semi-skilled operators and they produce ammo of as good quality as their common competitors. Pretty stuff costs, Lee's tools aren't pretty but that saves us money!
Common dies actually work pretty well. You could triple/quadruple the RGB die's price and get a premimum set but it will take a LOOONG time for your loading skills to exceed what the RGB dies can do. The much more costly dies don't normally make a massive difference in accuracy even when they make a difference at all; fact is, the reloader's skill is much more important to accuracy than simply looking at the price of his dies!
IF you were willing to spend any more money I'd suggest you start with Lee's Delux die set. You would get the same basic dies as the RGB plus the best neck die available for factory rifles (IMHO), and a shell holder that's worth several bucks.
Good luck!
Re: 308 dies
Lee dies work. Redding dies work and look and feel so much better! Whether its worth it or not is up to you. Brass thickness varies so the bushing dies that are adjustable are actually superior. But you don't NEED the micrometer dies. They work too, and are cool, but the regular Redding "S" dies are fine if you are trying to save a little dough.
They all work pretty well. Just starting out, I'd get the regular Redding dies. I'd also recommend Lapua brass, Berger bullets and Varget powder.
Good luck!
Lee dies work. Redding dies work and look and feel so much better! Whether its worth it or not is up to you. Brass thickness varies so the bushing dies that are adjustable are actually superior. But you don't NEED the micrometer dies. They work too, and are cool, but the regular Redding "S" dies are fine if you are trying to save a little dough.
They all work pretty well. Just starting out, I'd get the regular Redding dies. I'd also recommend Lapua brass, Berger bullets and Varget powder.
Good luck!
Re: 308 dies
The Lee dies are good. I used them for a few years with no problem except a broken decapping rod, but Lee took care of that. If you can afford it, I would however spring for the Redding dies. The basic Redding set with the FL and NS die and the seater are not that much more and as another poster mentioned, they are of a higher quality and you will not need to replace them. Plus, that lifetime warranty is hard to beat.
The Lee dies are good. I used them for a few years with no problem except a broken decapping rod, but Lee took care of that. If you can afford it, I would however spring for the Redding dies. The basic Redding set with the FL and NS die and the seater are not that much more and as another poster mentioned, they are of a higher quality and you will not need to replace them. Plus, that lifetime warranty is hard to beat.
Re: 308 dies
" (Reddings) are of a higher quality and you will not need to replace them. Plus, that lifetime warranty is hard to beat."
Well, Redding's are prettier externally but the work is done inside. And, in some 45+ years of reloading, I've never worn out nor bent a die so I don't have any idea of how much it's worth to pay up front for a "lifetime warranty". ??
" (Reddings) are of a higher quality and you will not need to replace them. Plus, that lifetime warranty is hard to beat."
Well, Redding's are prettier externally but the work is done inside. And, in some 45+ years of reloading, I've never worn out nor bent a die so I don't have any idea of how much it's worth to pay up front for a "lifetime warranty". ??
Re: 308 dies
Lee dies are also poorly finished on the inside where it matters. Their expanders, collets/closers, etc. all usually need polishing to reduce friction, yield more consistent results and allow better feel to detect when something is not right with the round. Their seating dies are just plain cheaply designed, sharing the same seater plug across dies for different caliber bullets so save cost. Some of Lee's dies are worth the extra effort (collet neck sizers and collet type crimpers) because nobody else has a similar die design. Lee lock rings need to be replaced.
For non-collet dies, it's worth the extra cost to get better quality. I find Forster's are excellent dies at a reasonable price.
Andy
Lee dies are also poorly finished on the inside where it matters. Their expanders, collets/closers, etc. all usually need polishing to reduce friction, yield more consistent results and allow better feel to detect when something is not right with the round. Their seating dies are just plain cheaply designed, sharing the same seater plug across dies for different caliber bullets so save cost. Some of Lee's dies are worth the extra effort (collet neck sizers and collet type crimpers) because nobody else has a similar die design. Lee lock rings need to be replaced.
For non-collet dies, it's worth the extra cost to get better quality. I find Forster's are excellent dies at a reasonable price.
Andy
Re: 308 dies
I still think its worth going with Forster dies. End of the day your talking about a pack of projectiles price difference between potentially okay dies, vs average, vs very good.
The force required to size brass on a Forster alone is reason enough for me to love them, let alone the reduction of run-out
I still think its worth going with Forster dies. End of the day your talking about a pack of projectiles price difference between potentially okay dies, vs average, vs very good.
The force required to size brass on a Forster alone is reason enough for me to love them, let alone the reduction of run-out
Re: 308 dies
Get the Forster dies or splurge for Redding. If you are going to do enough reloading to constitute a reloading setup get some decent dies. You will be happier in the end.
Josh
Get the Forster dies or splurge for Redding. If you are going to do enough reloading to constitute a reloading setup get some decent dies. You will be happier in the end.
Josh
Re: 308 dies
+1 on Forster.
Ive been an RCBS fan forever (and still no complaints...great dies).
But that EZ-expander ball on the Forster sizing dies is worth the money, easily takes half the required force out of re-sizing compared to RCBS. I plan on slowly converting over to Forsters for all my calibers.
+1 on Forster.
Ive been an RCBS fan forever (and still no complaints...great dies).
But that EZ-expander ball on the Forster sizing dies is worth the money, easily takes half the required force out of re-sizing compared to RCBS. I plan on slowly converting over to Forsters for all my calibers.
Re: 308 dies
What makes dies any better then Lee dies? I just bought the Lee Pacemaker .308 dies and am wondering what makes other dies better? I am using a Lee Turret press as well.
What makes dies any better then Lee dies? I just bought the Lee Pacemaker .308 dies and am wondering what makes other dies better? I am using a Lee Turret press as well.
Re: 308 dies
Pretty much a very low chance of getting a die that causes runout in loaded rounds, and also some better technology that allows for easier sizing, like the Forster EZ Expander mentioned above.
To give you an example when FL sizing using my Forster die, the effort required is minimal. The expander passes thru the neck with minimal effort.
My RCBS FL sizer on the other hand slightly snags on the inside of the neck and you have to use a lot more force to draw the case down over the expander.
Doesnt sound like a big deal but when you size a few hundred cases at a time it makes a difference.
Pretty much a very low chance of getting a die that causes runout in loaded rounds, and also some better technology that allows for easier sizing, like the Forster EZ Expander mentioned above.
To give you an example when FL sizing using my Forster die, the effort required is minimal. The expander passes thru the neck with minimal effort.
My RCBS FL sizer on the other hand slightly snags on the inside of the neck and you have to use a lot more force to draw the case down over the expander.
Doesnt sound like a big deal but when you size a few hundred cases at a time it makes a difference.
Re: 308 dies
My .308 dies are a Hornady neck size bushing die, a Redding Competition seating die (can't be beat) and a Redding body die. I run Lee and RCBS for pretty much everything else, and they work fine. But for the accurate stuff, that's what I run. I get less than .02 of runout with the setup I have. Great stuff....
My .308 dies are a Hornady neck size bushing die, a Redding Competition seating die (can't be beat) and a Redding body die. I run Lee and RCBS for pretty much everything else, and they work fine. But for the accurate stuff, that's what I run. I get less than .02 of runout with the setup I have. Great stuff....
Re: 308 dies
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRS_Ranger</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My .308 dies are a Hornady neck size bushing die, a Redding Competition seating die (can't be beat) and a Redding body die. I run Lee and RCBS for pretty much everything else, and they work fine. But for the accurate stuff, that's what I run. I get less than .02 of runout with the setup I have. Great stuff.... </div></div>
.02" of runout??? Wow thats high!
I rarely ever got anything in the .004" range with my "cheap" standard RCBS dies and quality brass.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRS_Ranger</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My .308 dies are a Hornady neck size bushing die, a Redding Competition seating die (can't be beat) and a Redding body die. I run Lee and RCBS for pretty much everything else, and they work fine. But for the accurate stuff, that's what I run. I get less than .02 of runout with the setup I have. Great stuff.... </div></div>
.02" of runout??? Wow thats high!
I rarely ever got anything in the .004" range with my "cheap" standard RCBS dies and quality brass.
Re: 308 dies
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: crowsniper1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are the lee RGB dies worth buying? Im just starting out and need to buy several things so i need to watch the budget.</div></div>
If you want to produce quality ammo buy a case concentricity gauge. Until I did that, I didn't really understand what I was producing and how consistently or otherwise i was doing it.
I guess most people don't do this but it made all the difference to me. I started with cheap dies and gradually replaced them until I then ended up with a bushing die a redding comp seating die and a reddding body die. I still needed to check the quality of the process and even with those dies I had some issues which the guys at Redding helped me fix.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: crowsniper1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are the lee RGB dies worth buying? Im just starting out and need to buy several things so i need to watch the budget.</div></div>
If you want to produce quality ammo buy a case concentricity gauge. Until I did that, I didn't really understand what I was producing and how consistently or otherwise i was doing it.
I guess most people don't do this but it made all the difference to me. I started with cheap dies and gradually replaced them until I then ended up with a bushing die a redding comp seating die and a reddding body die. I still needed to check the quality of the process and even with those dies I had some issues which the guys at Redding helped me fix.
Re: 308 dies
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kill_goose</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRS_Ranger</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My .308 dies are a Hornady neck size bushing die, a Redding Competition seating die (can't be beat) and a Redding body die. I run Lee and RCBS for pretty much everything else, and they work fine. But for the accurate stuff, that's what I run. I get less than .02 of runout with the setup I have. Great stuff.... </div></div>
.02" of runout??? Wow thats high!
I rarely ever got anything in the .004" range with my "cheap" standard RCBS dies and quality brass. </div></div>Haha, nice catch...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kill_goose</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRS_Ranger</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My .308 dies are a Hornady neck size bushing die, a Redding Competition seating die (can't be beat) and a Redding body die. I run Lee and RCBS for pretty much everything else, and they work fine. But for the accurate stuff, that's what I run. I get less than .02 of runout with the setup I have. Great stuff.... </div></div>
.02" of runout??? Wow thats high!
I rarely ever got anything in the .004" range with my "cheap" standard RCBS dies and quality brass. </div></div>Haha, nice catch...
