Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

[MDF99]

I'm gathering parts and reloading gear for a 284 Win build on a 700LA. I'm planning to neck up 6.5-284 Lapua brass to 7mm with the Sinclair mandrels and neck turn to clean em up.

I'm looking at the full length bushing S-type Redding sizer die and the Forster micrometer seater die that's less $ than the Redding Comp. seater.

Is there any benefit to necking up in two steps like using the 270 mandrel followed by the 284 mandrel?

What size neck bushing are you guys using?

What combination of dies are you guys having success with?

Thanks.

 

[KevinU]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

I use the dies you mentioned, Redding Sizer, Forster Seater, works great.

Necked up Lapua brass in one step.

What's your chamber neck OD?

 

[MDF99]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

Glad to hear those dies are working out.

I'm not 100% sure yet about the chamber neck diameter, but will probably end up around 0.314".

The only Lapua brass I have on hand is 308 and 30-06 and they have neck thickness around 0.015".

If the necked up 6.5-284 brass is similar and assuming it ends up around 0.013" after turning; with 0.004 slop my chamber would be 0.314".

It'll be early March when my barrel and stock arrive. All I have now is a used untrued 700LA and new Murphy SS rings and base.

 

[KevinU]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

If your chamber neck is .314, turned necks to a loaded .310, a .308 bushing should work well.

.002 neck tension/.004 neck chamber clearance is working well in my rifle.

If you know for sure your chamber neck is going to be .314, Forster will custom hone the neck on their full length sizer die for a small fee of $12.

 

[nhm16]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

I use Lapua 6.5x284 brass for my .284 Win gun. I necked up using a Redding FL sizing die with their (separate, optional) tapered expander button.

I then turned using a Sinclair neck turner and mandrels for a loaded round neck diameter of .312". That's for a "light" cleanup, I didn't want to turn any more because I have a .322" neck.

If you have a tighter neck than mine, just get the FL bushing die (I am not a proponent of neck sizing only, I anneal after every firing and FL size for consistent shoulder bump).

As it is, I neck size in two steps, first using a neck sizing die with a .315" bushing, and then a FL bushing die with a .311" bushing. I have the dies set up in two presses so it goes quickly. I found that with so much diametral clearance, if I tried to neck size in one step, the neck diameter would "keep" going and size down to .310" or .309" instead of .311" and I'd have to open them up again with an expander mandrel.

 

[QuiggyB]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

I just set up this same cartridge using lapua 6.5/284 brass sized up with the 7mm expander die. A loaded round seems to be .313 pretty consistently with unturned necks and my turned rounds are .310. I use a redding bushing die and got a .311 bushing for use on non-turned necks and a .308 bushing for turned necks.

Using the redding competition seater with the Berger 180 grain hybrid bullets I was not able to seat the bullets out far enough while having the seater properly installed in my press. Redding sent me a .25" spacer for the die which solved the problem. I also needed to use their long vld seating stem with those bullets.

 

[MDF99]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

Thanks for the great feedback guys. Kevin, have you used any of the 180gr Bergers with the Forster seater die? I'm curious if it works good as is or if it would require a spacer and/or a VLD style replacement plug like Quig required for his Redding comp. seater.

 

[QuiggyB]

Re: Which combination of dies for 284 Winchester?

not sure how the forester die handles seating stems but I dont think its possible to have one stem be ideal for all bullet shapes. Being able to pick the right one with the redding dies is a benefit imo. Don't take what I said as a knock against those dies, just keep it in mind and call Redding if you decide to use the redding dies so they can send you the spacer.

Also based on some of the feedback in these threads I changed what I was doing and want to a very light turn neck that barely cleans stuff up and leaves me with a .3120 loaded round. I'm using a .311 bushing and no expander ball. I am using the 7mm expander die initially before turning.