Try new dies?

[Hawk45]

Been reloading for years but never really did more than develope a workable load and leave it at that. Now I have a new .223 bolt on the way I plan on shooting small groups on paper. I'm going for accuracy overall. I have a set of LEE Pacesetter Dies that I've been loading for my AR with for a few years. They seem fine for the $25 they cost, but would I do better going to say a $65 set of Redding dies? I've seen the $100+ competition dies on there also.. wow! So what would be a good setup? I know the Lee Collet die gets great reviews for what it is.. should I just add a FL die and better seater to what I already have? Just so much to choose from..

I use a RCBS Rock Chucker single stage for all my rifle rounds.

 

[Wild_Bill]

Re: Try new dies?

taks a look at forster dies they are as good as Redding and half the price. Measure your loaded rounds then remove 2 thou from that number and contact Forster and ask them to hone out the 223 FL die's neck to that dimension then you dont use the expander ball it stops you streaching the cases and you have a perfect die there standard seating dies dont have the micrometer but they do have the sliding chamber to alighn thinge before the seating stem comes into action this type of seating die si the best to use.

 

[MitchAlsup]

Re: Try new dies?

It is the skill of the reloader rather than the precision of the dies that make the difference.

{Indian versus arrow argument}

I suggest dollars spent in new measuring tools rather than new dies will lead to better ammo.

 

[Hawk45]

Re: Try new dies?

I agree it comes down to skill.. and time.. and patients...

I did just get chamber gauges and two sets of comparitors after going back and reading the stickies above on the reloading process. I tried with a few .308 loads I worked up measureing the weight, lenght and olgive. One thing I did notice is that having 3 differnt olgive lengths, it was hard to adjust using the Lee (non-micrometer) seating die. I had to guess, adjust, measure, adjust, measure.. Just took a long time. If I had a micrometer die I could just turn it down say .005 to the next one and go on knowing it would be right.

So this is what I was thinking:
1. Lee Universal Decamping Die (tumble and clean pockets)
2. Redding Body Die (resize and bump when case got too tight)
3. Lee Collet Die
4. Redding Competition Seater

Would this be a decent setup?

 

[Jumper]

Re: Try new dies?

Forster is everything Redding is at half the price (or thereabouts).