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Advantage using Bushing Dies for Semi-Auto?

Tactical30

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 5, 2009
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Eastern Ohio
I have been using regular Redding dies for to reload for all my Semi-autos (AR-platforms). They are .223Rem, 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC.

I could get my .223Rem/5.56 NATO groups under MOA and my 6.5 Grendel will shoot Sub-MOA with the right handloads. I mainly target shoot the .223 out to 600yrds and the 6.5 Grendel out to 1K.

I was wondering if I can do any better if I started using bushing dies such as Redding's bushing dies while loading for my Semi-Autos or are the bushing dies mainly for bolt guns?
 
Re: Advantage using Bushing Dies for Semi-Auto?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: longrange30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have been using regular Redding dies for to reload for all my Semi-autos (AR-platforms). They are .223Rem, 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC.

I could get my .223Rem/5.56 NATO groups under MOA and my 6.5 Grendel will shoot Sub-MOA with the right handloads. I mainly target shoot the .223 out to 600yrds and the 6.5 Grendel out to 1K.

I was wondering if I can do any better if I started using bushing dies such as Redding's bushing dies while loading for my Semi-Autos or are the bushing dies mainly for bolt guns? </div></div>

The Bushing dies will work your brass less (don't know about an inherent accuracy increase - though they should size your brass more uniform, and uniformity is good for consistency in brass is good for accuracy). Less work on the brass = longer life = having to buy brass less often = good for 6.5 Grendel because brass ain't cheap at about $.75 per.
 
Re: Advantage using Bushing Dies for Semi-Auto?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: longrange30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was wondering if I can do any better if I started using bushing dies such as Redding's bushing dies while loading for my Semi-Autos or are the bushing dies mainly for bolt guns? </div></div>

You might be able to gain some accuracy through consistency--but not because you are using a neck die--but because the cartriges made are more uniform.

However, if you are going to run neck only sized cases through a semi-auto action, you need to measure the sholder position before "just running the case through the neck die". By measuring the sholder position, you practically guarentee the case will feed and chamber.

Note: I ran almost 2000 rounds through my AR15 last year that were NO sized most of the time, with a cuple of trips through the body die as needed. There were no failures to <pick action cycle failure mode>.
 
Re: Advantage using Bushing Dies for Semi-Auto?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jerkface11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Redding makes a full length bushing die. </div></div>

In fact, for 6.5 Grendel, the FL die is all you can get. No company makes neck dies for it. You can use the Redding s-Type die to only do neck sizing, but you'll want to FL size for your Grendel anyways.
 
Re: Advantage using Bushing Dies for Semi-Auto?

you shoot 1 moa groups at 600y with an AR ? thats amazing, what kind of AR is it ? what load are you shooting ? Is that in low wind conditions ?