Re: Quick die question
"Quick die question"
Don't know anything about any "Quick dies" but Lee used to make a "Speed die"; they've dropped it. (Okay, I'll stop it now.
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"What is the difference between Forester, Redding, and Lee neck sizing and bullet seating dies? Do the Forester and Redding dies produce a superior product compared to the Lee dies, or are you just buying a name?"
There are potential differences for the Forster/Redding dies but it's not an automatic thing. All dies are quite good, they are all made to the same internal SAAMI specifications. IF we should luck onto a die set in which the normal tolerances stack ideally, conventional dies can be the equal of any more pricy dies and, personal opinions aside, there is little if any difference between brands.
The Forster BR and Redding Comp dies have a different design for their seaters, a full length sleeve encases the brass before seating starts to duplicate the high precision hand dies the BR crowd actually use. (The Forsters are the original, Redding copied them when the patents ran out so they are equal in effect and NO other so-called "Competition" dies work nearly as well.)
Some folks think micrometer seating stems are helpful for accuracy; that isn't true. A mike stem does nothing but make it a bit easier for changes in OAL, that's why Forster allows us to choose to pay extra for the mike stem or save a few bucks with plain seating screws. I have both but i quit buying the more costly type years ago, they just don't seen worth the price to me.
A LOT of people base their (often firm) opinions on "die quality" by the external appearance. That's a mistake, the work is done inside and I've proven there is as much average variation between dies of the same brand as there is between brands. I prefer to buy Redding/Forster or Lee, there is little to gain in the middle.
What's actually proven to make the best (most concentric) ammo for me is any body die (or any FL die bored out to relieve the neck) and a Lee Collet Neck Die for all the sizing work and use a Forster (or Redding) seater. If the bullet needs crimping I do it with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. But, all that die selection simply squeezes <span style="text-decoration: underline">maybe</span> another quarter MOA better than conventional dies, it sure won't make a 1.5 MOA shooter into a .5 MOA shooter! Obtaining the best results from any die set requires a lot of skill in both reloading and shooting.
With that as background, I suggest you start with a Lee Delux Die set, it works well. It includes a collet neck sizer die, an FL die and a very good seater, plus a proper shell holder. Use that set until you feel you have fully learned how to use it and have exhausted its accuracy potential before you even start thinking about a more expensive seater.
Now, how 'bout them "bushing" type neck sizers? Well, they were invented by - and for - BR shooters who cut their custom chamber necks so small a conventional case won't even chamber! Then they turn their case necks thin and totally consistant; that way they can size the necks and softly seat bullets without using an expander button at all; for them bushings work fine. But, for those of us with factory (SAAMI) chambers and a much tighter bullet grip in common cases I think bushing dies are a friviolous waste of money with no advantage.
The Lee Collet Sizers do the best job on conventional cases we can expect and do it without the hassle of playing around with silly bushings. IMHO. YMMV. I suppose.
