Which 308 Dies to get

[mioduz]

I've been reloading for years, but very little rifle and even less "high accuracy" rounds. My rifle shoots Federal GMM 168gr like a dream so I looking to clone that round and then try to improve upon that later. I had some 308 LEE dies laying around. It seams as though they are not sizing the brass enough/correctly. I dont have a lot of experience with the high end (bushing) reloading dies.
Is it worth paying the big bucks for the bushing dies? How do you know what size bushing to get?

 

[JGorski]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mioduz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've been reloading for years, but very little rifle and even less "high accuracy" rounds. My rifle shoots Federal GMM 168gr like a dream so I looking to clone that round and then try to improve upon that later. I had some 308 LEE dies laying around. It seams as though they are not sizing the brass enough/correctly. I dont have a lot of experience with the high end (bushing) reloading dies.
Is it worth paying the big bucks for the bushing dies? How do you know what size bushing to get? </div></div>
The reason your Lee dies arent resizing enough is the fact Lee makes their die for minimum headspace, had to send my Lee 06 dies back to them so they could take a little off the bottom, after that they were fine. To get the correct neck tension I bought the Hornady neck size bushing dies, actually have the Full length bushing dies too from Hornady which I may or may not need since the neck sizing dies do bump the shoulder back, we'll see if I need to FL resize the brass after a few shootings. That being said I found I needed .331" bushing for Win brass, and .334 for Lapua & Rem brass to get about .003 neck tension. I initially bought a .336" bushing and it didnt hold the bullet at all, except that bushing does size the neck enough so I can use it for finding the lands in which I seat the bullet by hand, chamber the dummy round and have the lands push the bullet in, carefully eject the round and measure it to see where to start my load development.

 

[mioduz]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JGorski</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mioduz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've been reloading for years, but very little rifle and even less "high accuracy" rounds. My rifle shoots Federal GMM 168gr like a dream so I looking to clone that round and then try to improve upon that later. I had some 308 LEE dies laying around. It seams as though they are not sizing the brass enough/correctly. I dont have a lot of experience with the high end (bushing) reloading dies.
Is it worth paying the big bucks for the bushing dies? How do you know what size bushing to get? </div></div>
The reason your Lee dies arent resizing enough is the fact Lee makes their die for minimum headspace, had to send my Lee 06 dies back to them so they could take a little off the bottom, after that they were fine. To get the correct neck tension I bought the Hornady neck size bushing dies, actually have the Full length bushing dies too from Hornady which I may or may not need since the neck sizing dies do bump the shoulder back, we'll see if I need to FL resize the brass after a few shootings. That being said I found I needed .331" bushing for Win brass, and .334 for Lapua & Rem brass to get about .003 neck tension. I initially bought a .336" bushing and it didnt hold the bullet at all, except that bushing does size the neck enough so I can use it for finding the lands in which I seat the bullet by hand, chamber the dummy round and have the lands push the bullet in, carefully eject the round and measure it to see where to start my load development. </div></div>

so if it take a little meat off the bottom of the die, it will go lower down and push the shoulder back even furthor. I dont know why i didnt think about that. I think i may try that tonight

 

[EricCartmann]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

You can adjust your dies. Also if you are neck sizing, only thing you are adjusting is the neck tension. The Lee Collett Neck Sizing Die is the Heat!

If you are sizing once fired Military Brass, and finding inconsistent sizing, use liberal lube and just run the case through the full sizer twice. Military Brass is tough and hard to get back to it's original form.

Get yourself a Dillon Case Gauge to know your cases are in spec.

Also look at the beautiful chamfer the Giraud does!!!

 

[Kino]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Wilson, Redding type S and Forster will serve you well.........

 

[Big_Rig_416]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Im an RCBS guy. I had lee stuff and it all sucked. RCBS works much better.

 

[MitchAlsup]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Redding: Type S for sizing, Competition for seating (or sizing)

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Redding S Type dies are first choice.
Forster dies are second.

 

[bas402]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MitchAlsup</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Redding: Type S for sizing, Competition for seating (or sizing) </div></div>

+1
Sully

 

[gau17]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Foster full size with custom neck /Redding Comp Seater.

 

[Nessal]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Lee Collet die for sizing and Redding Comp seater for seating. I occasionally use the Redding body die when I need to. IMO the Lee Collet die is one of the best sizng dies out there. But not a lot of people understand how it works or how to even use it properly.

 

[Rlbol]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

how is it that you use the lee dies?

 

[EricF517]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Redding comp seater, runout is around .0005 to .0015, usually no more than .001

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

I have no loyalty to any brand. I've been doing this for a very long time with a wide variety of tools and have proven to myself there is no automatic advantage to using any brand of dies over another, there is as much average difference between individual the same brand as there is between brands.

There are some small advantages to the Forster/Redding seaters but few shooters will ever see any difference on target. Standard dies are usually quite good and no new reloader's skill will exceed what he can do with standard dies for a very long time.

Bushing neck sizers offer some benefit IF the user knows what he's doing; many don't. Those benefits can be duplicated much easier and at lower cost with Lee's collet neck sizer but it has a moving part (the collet) that seems to exceed some folks mechanical comprehension so it's not an automatic help for everyone.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

Lee dies work very well for a lot of people so I wonder why you think your Lee dies are a source of difficulty?

I have no loyalty to nor anomosity towards any brand. I've been doing this for a very long time with a wide variety of tools and have proven to myself there is no automatic advantage to using any brand of dies over another; there is as much average difference between individual the same brand as there is between brands. No seater can seat straight in crooked necks and that depends on case selection, turning done correctly and a good sizer design used properly.

Bushing neck sizers can offer some benefit for straight necks IF the user knows what he's doing; many don't and those who don't rarely see any improvement in their reloads. Those benefits can be duplicated much easier and at lower cost with Lee's collet neck sizer but it has a moving part (the collet) that seems to exceed some folks mechanical comprehension so even it's not an automatic help for everyone.

There are some consistant (but fairly small) advantages to the Forster/Redding seaters but few shooters will ever see any difference on target. Actually, standard dies are usually quite good and no new reloader's skills will exceed what he can do with standard dies for a very long time.

 

[jagged77]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mioduz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've been reloading for years, but very little rifle and even less "high accuracy" rounds. My rifle shoots Federal GMM 168gr like a dream so I looking to clone that round and then try to improve upon that later. I had some 308 LEE dies laying around. It seams as though they are not sizing the brass enough/correctly. I dont have a lot of experience with the high end (bushing) reloading dies.
Is it worth paying the big bucks for the bushing dies? How do you know what size bushing to get? </div></div>

If you've got the Lee collet die in that set then just add a Redding Body die. Use the body die to FL size the shoulder and body then the Lee Collet to do the neck. Should be minimal runnout and good consistent neck tension.

 

[Ring]

Re: Which 308 Dies to get

lee collet..