Reloading dies

[Matt Anthony]

What are the best "bang for the buck" quality reloading dies? and why do you think they are the best.

BudT

For the average reloader, the standard Lyman, RCBS, Forrester, Redding and Lee are all good choices for reloading. They all do the same job and all have about the same warranty.
However, if you really want precision dies that really work, then in my opinion, Wilson dies have it all over the rest. I started changing to all Wilson when I was having trouble with RCBS. I bought a straight line seater die to start with and after I saw how precise the fit was, that sold me and I have replaced all my die sets with Wilson. Costly yes, but the precision outweighs the cost. With Wilson dies you will need an arbor press and it's a slow go, but like I said you get results you won't get with other die sets. Wilson is not high production it's high precision!
Another addition would be Lyman M dies if you shoot cast bullets. This die opens the mouth of the case up perfectly so the bullet sits straight. So when you seat it, it seats the bullet straight. And last, buy yourself a Hornady concentricy tool, it's worth every penny!
Matt

[NuJudge]

What caliber are you loading, and what type of bullets are you loading? What use are you making of this ammo? Generally, all of them will get it done, but some calibers benefit from dies made by particular makers.

For pistol calibers, my impression is that Lee makes makes dies that size cases smaller, and they make U-Dies for one vender which are even smaller (smaller means they grip the bullet tighter, reducing the chance of bullet set-back on feeding). If you are loading pistol calibers with Lead bullets, Dillon seating dies allow you to disassemble to clean out accumulated bullet lubricant, without losing adjustment, particularly important with progressive presses.

If you are loading rifle ammunition for long range shooting, there are several makers that have dies that give you close control of every dimension. I really like Redding bench rest dies for my 600 yard AR loads, both for their sizer and micrometer seater. RCBS makes X-Dies in many rifle calibers which they claim eliminate all case length trimming after the first trimming (no experience yet). Lee has a collet neck sizer which is neat if all you want to do is neck size.

[BudT]

What caliber are you loading, and what type of bullets are you loading? What use are you making of this ammo? Generally, all of them will get it done, but some calibers benefit from dies made by particular makers.

For pistol calibers, my impression is that Lee makes makes dies that size cases smaller, and they make U-Dies for one vender which are even smaller (smaller means they grip the bullet tighter, reducing the chance of bullet set-back on feeding). If you are loading pistol calibers with Lead bullets, Dillon seating dies allow you to disassemble to clean out accumulated bullet lubricant, without losing adjustment, particularly important with progressive presses.

If you are loading rifle ammunition for long range shooting, there are several makers that have dies that give you close control of every dimension. I really like Redding bench rest dies for my 600 yard AR loads, both for their sizer and micrometer seater. RCBS makes X-Dies in many rifle calibers which they claim eliminate all case length trimming after the first trimming (no experience yet). Lee has a collet neck sizer which is neat if all you want to do is neck size.

.300 RUM, jacketed slugs but cast also. I already have a RCBS 2 die set and a Lee neck expander die and they will take care of the bulk of it. What I will be looking for in this rifle is 1/2 inch group ammo rifle combination at the 100 yard mark. I am not a long range shooter and will always try to get as close as possible to my game before taking a shot. If it has to be taken at long range I will take it but it is not my preferred shot. Yes I already understand that I will be doing some work on this rifle to make it shoot this well, but maybe it will come out of the box and shoot that well without much more than a muzzle break, it will get one of those to help with the recoil of full power hunting loads. The bulk of the shooting will be with reduced loads to save my old body from being battered. Thanks for your input.